Stable heavy isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, and other elements have been incorporated into drug molecules, largely as tracers for quantitation during the drug development process. Deuteration has gained attention because of its potential to affect the pharmacokinetic and metabolic profiles of drugs[1].
References:
[1]. Russak EM, et al. Impact of Deuterium Substitution on the Pharmacokinetics of Pharmaceuticals. Ann Pharmacother. 2019;53(2):211-216.
[2]. In Schaechter, M.; Engleberg, N. C.; DiRita, V. J. et al. Schaechter's Mechanisms of Microbial Disease. Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 28.
[3]. http://www.drugs.com/monograph/metronidazole.html
[4]. Cohen, S.H., et al., Clinical practice guidelines for Clostridium difficile infection in adults: 2010 update by the society for healthcare epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the infectious diseases society of America (IDSA). Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol,