Acetylation, deacetylation and hydroxylation of sulphamethoxazole and N4-acetylsulphamethoxazole in the snail Cepaea hortensis.

The snail Cepaea hortensis is able to acetylate and hydroxylate sulphamethoxazole in a similar way to man. About one percent deacetylation, but no hydroxylation of N4-acetysulphamethoxazole takes place. The relative rates of the metabolic pathways for hydroxylation and acetylation of sulphamethoxazole are equal.