Shedding light on the puzzle of drug-membrane interactions: Experimental techniques and molecular dynamics simulations

Lipid membranes work as barriers, which leads to inevitable drug-membrane interactions in vivo. These interactions affect the pharmacokinetic properties of drugs, such as their diffusion, transport, distribution, and accumulation inside the membrane. Furthermore, these interactions also affect their pharmacodynamic properties with respect to both therapeutic and toxic effects. Experimental membrane models have been used to perform in vitro assessment of the effects of drugs on the biophysical properties of membranes by employing different experimental techniques. In in silico studies, molecular dynamics simulations have been used to provide new insights at an atomistic level, which enables the study of properties that are difficult or even impossible to measure experimentally. Each model and technique has its advantages and disadvantages. Hence, combining different models and techniques is necessary for a more reliable study. In this review, the theoretical backgrounds of these (in vitro and in silico) approaches are presented, followed by a discussion of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of drugs that are related to their interactions with membranes. All approaches are discussed in parallel to present for a better connection between experimental and simulation studies. Finally, an overview of the molecular dynamics simulation studies used for drug-membrane interactions is provided.     

Antisense technology.

During the past 12 months, significant advances have been reported in the medicinal chemistry, and the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characterization of oligonucleotides. Advances in medicinal chemistry suggest that the scope for additional modifications as a means of developing therapeutic agents is substantial. This is confirmed by our clearer understanding of the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of oligonucleotides and the increasing number of molecular targets against which they have been shown to be active.     

Retention pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameter relationships of antihistamine drugs using biopartitioning micellar chromatography

Antihistamines are drugs which act by competitive inhibition of the H₁ or H₂ histamine receptors. Little has been known about their clinical pharmacokinetics and biological responses until the last few years. In this paper, we propose quantitative retention–activity relationship, QRAR, models based on the retention data of antihistamines in a biopartitioning micellar chromatography (BMC) system using a Brij35 mobile phase for describing pharmacokinetic parameters such as half-life and volume of distribution, or the pharmacodynamic parameters, therapeutic plasma levels, lethal doses and drug-receptor dissociation constant. The predictive ability of these models is statistically validated. These results are compared to traditional quantitative structure–activity relationship, QSAR, models using lipophilicity data. The adequacy of QRAR models can be explained taking into account the fact that the retention of compounds in BMC depends on their hydrophobic, electronic and steric characteristics which are of great importance in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behavior.