Kinetics of paclitaxel 2′-N-methylpyridinium mesylate decomposition

This study was designed to examine the kinetics of decomposition of paclitaxel 2′-N-methylpyridinium mesylate (PNMM), a derivative of paclitaxel. Further, the potential for PNMM to act as a prodrug of paclitaxel was assessed in vitro. Stability studies of PNMM were conducted over a pH range of 4.0 to 8.0 at 25°C. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of PNMM was determined by pulsating bubble surfactometry. Studies of the conversion of PNMM to paclitaxel were conducted in vitro in human plasma. Decomposition of PNMM followed apparent zero-order kinetics. The pH-rate profile exhibited no evidence of acid catalysis down to pH 4.0, while the rate was accelerated under base conditions. Surface tension studies suggested that PNMM formed micelles with a CMC of approximately 34 μg/mL. Conversion studies in phosphate buffer showed that no more than 5% of PNMM converted to paclitaxel, while in human plasma the conversion was about 25%. The degradation of PNMM was via apparent zero-order kinetics and was dependent upon pH. The observed apparent zero-order kinetics of decomposition of PNMM was consistent with the formation of micelles in phosphate buffer. In buffered aqueous media alone or in human plasma, PNMM did not convert quantitatively to paclitaxel. Thus, the limiting factor in the application of PNMM as a prodrug would appear to be the poor potential to convert to paclitaxel. This article was presented in part at the AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition, New Orleans, LA, November 14–18, 1999.     

Colon-specific, mutual azo prodrug of 5-aminosalicylic acid with L-tryptophan: synthesis, kinetic studies and evaluation of its mitigating effect in trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced colitis in rats

Mutual azo prodrug of 5-aminosalicylic acid with l-tryptophan was synthesized by coupling l-tryptophan with salicylic acid, for targeted drug delivery to the inflamed gut tissue in inflammatory bowel disease. The structure of synthesized prodrug was confirmed by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy. In vitro kinetic studies in HCl buffer (pH 1.2) showed negligible release of 5-aminosalicylic acid, whereas in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) 18% release was observed over a period of 7 h. In rat fecal matter, 87.9% of 5-aminosalicylic acid was released with a half-life of 143.6 min, following first order kinetics. The azo conjugate was evaluated for its ulcerogenic potential by Rainsford's cold stress method. The ameliorating effect of the azo conjugate and therapeutic efficacy of the carrier system was evaluated in trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced experimental colitis model. The synthesized prodrug was found to be equally effective in mitigating the colitis in rats as that of sulfasalazine without the ulcerogenicity of 5-aminosalicylic acid.     

Synthesis, kinetic studies and pharmacological evaluation of mutual azo prodrug of 5-aminosalicylic acid with D-phenylalanine for colon specific drug delivery in inflammatory bowel disease

Mutual azo prodrug of 5-aminosalicylic acid with d-phenylalanine was synthesized by coupling D-phenylalanine with salicylic acid, for targeted drug delivery to the inflamed gut tissue in inflammatory bowel disease. The structure of synthesized prodrug was confirmed by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy. In vitro kinetic studies in HCl buffer (pH 1.2) showed negligible release of 5-aminosalicylic acid, whereas in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) only 15% release was observed over a period of 7h. In rat fecal matter the release of 5-aminosalicylic acid was almost complete (85%), with a half-life of 160.1 min, following first order kinetics. The azo conjugate was evaluated for its ulcerogenic potential by Rainsford's cold stress method. Therapeutic efficacy of the carrier system and the mitigating effect of the azo conjugate were evaluated in trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced experimental colitis model. The synthesized prodrug was found to be equally effective in mitigating the colitis in rats as that of sulfasalazine without the ulcerogenicity of 5-aminosalicylic acid.     

Fibrin membrane endowed with biological function. VII. An approach to an artificial liver; conversion of ammonia to urea in vitro

As an “artificial liver” for the conversion of ammonia to urea, a group of enzymes in ornithine cycle together with carbamyl phosphate synthetase I and inorganic pyrophosphatase were embedded in a single fibrin membrane. The immobilized enzyme system thus prepared had an ability to convert ammonia to urea not only in a buffer solution but also in human plasma.     

A new acivicin prodrug designed for tumor-targeted delivery

Acivicin is an antitumor agent known to inhibit cell growth. A new prodrug 9b of acivicin 10 was synthesized, based on a p-hydroxybenzylcarbamate self-immolative spacer capable to release acivicin under esterase activity. The prodrug includes a maleimide-containing arm for linkage with thiol-containing macromolecules such as antibodies. This molecule is intended for the conception of bioconjugates to target an inactive acivicin precursor to tumor cells, when linked to a monoclonal antibody (mAb) which recognizes a tumor-specific antigen. Prodrug cleavage by plasmatic esterases will then restore the acivicin's activity toward tumor cells. We report here the synthesis and the in vitro characteristics of the prodrug. As expected, its inhibitory activity against the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) enzyme and its cytotoxicity towards HL-60 cells were highly reduced compared to the parent drug. The chemical and plasmatic hydrolysis kinetics of the compound was studied by HPLC. The prodrug is stable, being slowly hydrolyzed in pH 7.6 buffer at 37 degrees C with a half-life of 37 h. It is converted into an active acivicin under the effect of pig liver esterase, and its half-life in human plasma is 3 h. These results indicate this compound may be further used as a prodrug-antibody conjugate, to target acivicin to malignant cells.     

Formulation and development of floating capsules of celecoxib: In vitro and in vivo evaluation

The objective of the present study was to develop a hydrodynamically balanced system for celecoxib as single-unit floating capsules. Various grades of low-density polymers were used for formulation of these capsules. The capsules were prepared by physical blending of celecoxib and the polymer in varying ratios. The formulation was optimized on the basis of in vitro buoyancy and in vitro release in citrate phosphate buffer pH 3.0 (with 1% sodium lauryl sulfate). Capsules prepared with polyethylene oxide 60K and Eudragit RL100 gave the best in vitro percentage release and were used as the optimized formulation. By fitting the data into zero-order, first-order, and Higuchi models, we concluded that the release followed zero-order kinetics, as the correlation coefficient (R value) was higher for zero-order release. For gamma scintigraphy studies, celecoxib was radiolabeled with technetium-99m by the stannous reduction method. To achieve the maximum labeling efficiency the process was optimized by studying the reaction at various pH conditions and stannous concentration levels. The radiolabeled complex was added to the optimized capsule, and dissolution studies were performed to ensure that there was no leaching of radioactivity from the capsules. Gamma imaging was performed in rabbits to assess the buoyancy of the optimized formulation. The optimized formulation remained buoyant during 5 hours of gamma scintigraphic studies in rabbits.     

Synthesis of L-(+)-3-(3-hydroxy-4-pivaloyloxybenzyl)-2,5-diketomorpholine as potential prodrug of L-dopa

The synthesis and in vitro chemical and enzymatic stability of L-(+)-3-(3-hydroxy-4-pivaloyloxybenzyl)-2,5-diketomorpholine (9) as L-Dopa prodrug are described. Prodrug 9 possesses a good lipophilicity (log P = 2.153 +/- 0.017), is stable in aqueous buffer solutions (pH 1.3 and 7.4), and in 80% rat and human plasma it is turned into L-Dopa.     

Developing procedures for the large-scale purification of human serum butyrylcholinesterase

Human serum butyrylcholinesterase (Hu BChE) is the most viable candidate for the prophylactic treatment of organophosphate poisoning. A dose of 200 mg/70 kg is predicted to protect humans against 2× LD₅₀ of soman. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop procedures for the purification of gram quantities of this enzyme from outdated human plasma or Cohn Fraction IV-4. The purification of Hu BChE was accomplished by batch adsorption on procainamide-Sepharose-CL-4B affinity gel followed by ion-exchange chromatography on a DEAE-Sepharose column. For the purification of enzyme from Cohn Fraction IV-4, it was resuspended in 25 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 8.0, and fat was removed by decantation, prior to batch adsorption on procainamide-Sepharose gel. In both cases, the procainamide gel was thoroughly washed with 25 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 8.0, containing 0.05 M NaCl, and the enzyme was eluted with the same buffer containing 0.1 M procainamide. The enzyme was dialyzed and the pH was adjusted to 4.0 before loading on the DEAE column equilibrated in sodium acetate buffer, pH 4.0. The column was thoroughly washed with 25 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 8.0 containing 0.05 M NaCl before elution with a gradient of 0.05–0.2 M NaCl in the same buffer. The purity of the enzyme following these steps ranged from 20% to 40%. The purity of the enzyme increased to >90% by chromatography on an analytical procainamide affinity column. Results show that Cohn Fraction IV-4 is a much better source than plasma for the large-scale isolation of purified Hu BChE.     

胶束化色胺酮的制备及表征

目的通过制备胶束化色胺酮,增加色胺酮的溶解度,并进一步提高其生物利用度。方法:以酸敏感的腙键连接聚乙二醇和色胺酮,并通过透析法,将聚乙二醇化色胺酮进一步制备成胶束。用动态光散射法测定胶束的粒径分布用透射电镜观察胶束的形貌。通过芘荧光探针法测定胶束的临界胶束浓度。测定胶束在不同pH下的药物释放情况(pH5.5和7.4)。采用薄层色谱法和高效液相色谱法研究腙键的断裂行为。通过CCK-8法比较生理pH和酸性pH下,色胺酮和聚乙二醇化色胺酮胶束(PTMs)对MCF-7细胞的体外细胞毒性。结果:与色氨酸相比,PTMs的溶解度提高了1493倍。制备的胶束粒径为228.8 nm,PDI为0.1,形貌为球形。PTMs的临界胶束浓度为3.5×10^-7mol/L,较低的CMC值表明制备的胶束稳定性高,便于进一步使用。腙键可在酸性条件下发生断裂,且在pH 5.5下,12 h内95%的色胺酮从胶束中释放,而在生理pH下(pH 7.4),药物释放缓慢。在生理条件下胶束的细胞毒性低于色胺酮,说明胶束化色胺酮可降低药物毒性及胶束在生理条件下有一定的稳定性。而在pH 5.5时,色胺酮胶束与色胺酮的细胞毒性相近表明胶束可响应肿瘤细胞内的低pH值成功实现药物释放。结论:胶束化色胺酮不仅能有效改善色胺酮的溶解度,有利于进一步提高其生物利用度,而且是一种很有应用前景的肿瘤靶向前药。     

Identification and activities of human carboxylesterases for the activation of CPT-11, a clinically approved anticancer drug.

CPT-11 is a clinically approved anticancer drug used for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Upon administration, the carbamate side chain of the drug is hydrolyzed, resulting in the release of SN-38, an agent that has approximately 1000-fold increased cytotoxic activity. Since only a very small percentage of the injected dose of CPT-11 is converted to SN-38, there is a significant opportunity to improve its therapeutic efficacy and to diminish its systemic toxicity by selectively activating the drug within tumor sites. We envisioned that a mAb-human enzyme conjugate for CPT-11 activation would be of interest, particularly since the conjugate would likely be minimally immunogenic, and the prodrug is clinically approved. Toward this end, it was necessary to identify the most active human enzyme that could convert CPT-11 to SN-38. We isolated enzymes from human liver microsomes based on their abilities to effect the conversion and identified human carboxylesterase 2 (hCE-2) as having the greatest specific activity. hCE-2 was 26-fold more active than human carboxylesterase 1 and was 65% as active as rabbit liver carboxylesterase, the most active CPT-11 hydrolyzing enzyme known. The anti-p97 mAb 96.5 was linked to hCE-2, forming a conjugate that could bind to antigen-positive cancer cells and convert CPT-11 to SN-38. Cytotoxicity assays established that the conjugate led to the generation of active drug, but the kinetics of prodrug activation (48 pmol x min(-1) x mg(-1) was insufficient for immunologically specific prodrug activation. These results confirm the importance of hCE-2 for CPT-11 activation and underscore the importance of enzyme kinetics for selective prodrug activation.     

Synthesis and preclinical characterization of a paclitaxel prodrug with improved antitumor activity and water solubility

The development of novel chemotherapy strategies based on prodrugs remains a major challenge for effective treatment of malignancies. We tested the hypothesis that this can be achieved by a prodrug of paclitaxel where one biologically active center, represented by the C7 hydroxyl group, was blocked by a dihydroxypropyl side chain which can be hydrolytically cleaved by a pH-dependent, slow-release mechanism. The prodrug was synthesized by condensation of solketal chloroformate with the C7 hydroxyl group of paclitaxel followed by a ring-opening reaction to the dihydroxyl derivative. The cytotoxicity of the prodrug was similar to paclitaxel, when tested in vitro against a variety of human tumor cell lines. In vitro cell cycle analysis indicated that concentrations within the micromolar range of both drug and prodrug are required to induce sufficient G2M arrest. The hydrophilic paclitaxel prodrug proved to be more than 50-fold more water soluble than the parental drug and effectively converted to paclitaxel by pH dependent hydrolysis. Importantly, the prodrug could be used at a 3-fold higher maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and revealed a markedly improved antitumor activity in mice compared to paclitaxel. Taken together, our results demonstrate, that a hydrolytically activated paclitaxel prodrug exhibits greater water solubility and superior antitumor activity than the parental drug.     

Recombinant Escherichia coli cell for d-p-hydroxyphenylglycine production from d-N-carbamoyl-p-hydroxyphenylglycine

Recombinant Escherichia coli cell containing D-amidohydrolase was employed to convert D-N-carbamoyl-p-hydroxyphenylglycine (D-CpHPG) to D-p-hydroxyphenylglycine (D-pHPG). Biotransformations under pH 7 and 40 degrees C allowed to complete conversion of D-CpHPG into D-pHPG. Under the same reaction pH, the D-amidohydrolase activity of the cell in the phosphate buffer was higher than that in the Tris buffer. The activity decreased with the increase of phosphate buffer concentration. Instead of using buffer, the reaction pH maintained constant at 7 by titrating with 1 N HCl resulted in a higher D-pHPG production rate. Flocculating the cell suspension with chitosan and cross-linked by glutaraldehyde made the cell recovery for repeated use much easier. Both the cross-linking and (PMSF; a protease inhibitor) treatments could increase the cell reusability and storage stability. However, the cross-linking decreased the D-amidohydrolase activity of the cell to about 50%. The D-amidohydrolase activities of free and cross-linked cell were inhibited at substrate concentration higher than 150 mM and 100 mM, respectively. The conversion of 150 mM D-CpHPG to D-pHPG could be completed within 7 h for the free cell at the concentration of 10% (wet weight/volume).     

Surface-active properties of vasoactive intestinal peptide*

The purpose of this study was to determine whether human vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) aggregates in aqueous solution and, if so, whether the peptide interacts with a biomimetic phospholipid monolayer and increases surface pressure. Using a custom-made Teflon trough containing HEPES buffer (pH 7.4) at room temperature and a surface tensiometer, we found that the critical micellar concentration (CMC) of VIP is 0.4 microM. Surface pressure of a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) monolayer spread over the HEPES buffer declined significantly over 120 min because of phospholipid decomposition. However, injection of VIP at concentrations above CMC into the subphase of the monolayer elicited a significant concentration-dependent increase in surface pressure that persisted for 120 min (P < 0.05). Unlike VIP, injection of [(8)Arg]-vasopressin at an equimolar concentration only prevented the time-dependent decline in DPPC monolayer surface pressure. Taken together, these data indicate that human VIP aggregates in aqueous solution and expresses surface-active properties at physiological concentrations in vitro. We suggest that these attributes could have a role in modulating the bioactive effects of the peptide in vivo.     

Oral platelet aggregation inhibitor Ro 48-3657: Determination of the active metabolite and its prodrug in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography using automated column switching

A sensitive and highly automated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column-switching method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of the active metabolite III and its prodrug II, both derivatives of the oral platelet inhibitor Ro 48-3657 (I), in plasma and urine of man and dog. Plasma samples were deproteinated with perchloric acid (0.5 M), while urine samples could be processed directly after dilution with phosphate buffer. The prepared samples were injected onto a pre-column of a HPLC column switching system. Polar plasma or urine components were removed by flushing the precolumn with phosphate buffer (0.1 M, pH 3.5). Retained compounds (including II and III) were backflushed onto the analytical column, separated by gradient elution and detected by means of UV detection at 240 nm. The limit of quantification for both compounds was 1 ng/ml (500 μl of plasma) and 25 ng/ml (50 μl of urine) for plasma and urine, respectively. The practicability of the new method was demonstrated by the analysis of about 6000 plasma and 1300 urine samples from various toxicokinetic studies in dogs and phase 1 studies in man.     

Comparative in vitro and in vivo evaluation of matrix,osmotic matrix,and osmotic pump tablets for controlled delivery of diclofenac sodium

The aim of this investigation was preparation and comparative evaluation of fabricated matrix (FM), osmotic matrix (OM), and osmotic pump (OP) tablets for controlled delivery of diclofenac sodium (DS). All formulations were evaluated for various physical parameters, and in vitro studies were performed on USP 24 dissolution apparatus II in pH 7.4 buffer and distilled water. In vivo studies were performed in 6 healthy human volunteers; the drug was assayed in plasma using HPLC, and results were compared with the performance of 2 commercial tablets of DS. Various pharmacokinetic parameters (ie, C_max, T_max, area under the curve [AUC_0–24], and mean residence time) and relative bioavailability were compared. All fabricated formulations showed more prolonged and controlled DS release compared with commercial tablets studied. The OM and OP tablets, however, performed better than the matrix tablets. The rate and extent of drug release from FM1 matrix tablets (single polymer) was significantly different from that of FM2 (admixed polymers). Type of porosigenic agents and osmogens also influenced the drug release. Analysis of in vitro data by regression coefficient analysis revealed zero-order release kinetics for OM and OP tablets, while FM tablets exhibited Higuchi kinetics. In vivo results indicated prolonged blood levels with delayed peak and improved bioavailability for fabricated tablets compared to commercial tablets. It was concluded that the osmotic matrix and osmotic pump tablets could provide more prolonged, controlled, and gastrointestinal environmental-independent DS release that may result in an improved therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance.     

Assays of invertase activity in acidic soils: Influence of buffers

Summary The influence of buffered and unbuffered systems for assays of invertase activity in a range of acidic soils (pH4.9–6.8), and a neutral soil (pH 7.1), from under pasture was determined. The buffers were those recently recommended in other studies,viz. a modified universal buffer (MUB) and a potassium phosphate buffer. The optimum pH for the invertase activity of a moderately acid soil (pH 5.5) wasc 4.0 and for the neutral soil was 5.0 With the acidic soils, invertase activity was lower in the assay system with MUB (initial pH 5.0) than in the unbuffered system, and decreased with increasing MUB molarity. The phosphate buffer was more satisfactory, even though the pH (5.0) was below its most effective range. Generally, either phosphate buffer or unbuffered systems appear suitable for measuring invertase activity in these acidic soils.     

Isolation and properties of rat plasma lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase

Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase was purified from rat plasma and the properties of this enzyme during the purification procedures and those of the purified enzyme were investigated in comparison with the human enzyme. The rat enzyme was not adsorbed on hydroxyapatite, which was employed for the purification of the human enzyme. When purified human enzyme was incubated at 37 degrees C in 0.1 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.4; ionic strength, 0.00025), no alteration of enzyme activity was observed for up to 6 h. In the case of the rat enzyme, however, approximately 40% of the enzyme activity was lost under the same conditions. The human enzyme and rat enzyme were both retained on a Sepharose 4B column to which HDL3 was covalently linked, in 39 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. Although the human enzyme was eluted from the column in 1 mM phosphate buffer, the rat enzyme was dissociated from the column at a lower buffer concentration (0.1 mM phosphate buffer). These findings indicate that the rat enzyme effectively associated with HDL3 in 39 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, but the association was more sensitive to increase of ionic strength compared with that of the human enzyme.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of nomifensine in human plasma and urine by derivatization with fluorescamine

A sensitive, simple and rapid spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of nomifensine in human plasma and urine. The present method was based on the derivatization by fluorescamine in phosphate buffer at pH 4.0 to produce a highly fluorescent product which was measured at 488 nm (excitation at 339 nm). The method was validated according to the ICH guidelines with respect to linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, accuracy, precision, recovery and robustness. The assay was linear over the concentration ranges 100–2,000 and 50–2,000 ng/mL for plasma and urine, respectively. The limits of detection were calculated to be 13.9 and 7.5 ng/mL for plasma and urine, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of the drug in human plasma and urine. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and characterisation of a new pH-sensitive amphotericin B--poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lysine) conjugate

This paper reports on the synthesis, characterisation, and efficiency of a new intravenous conjugate of amphotericin B (AMB). Twelve molecules of AMB were attached to block copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lysine) via pH-sensitive imine linkages. In vitro drug release studies demonstrated the conjugate (M(w)=26,700) to be relatively stable in human plasma and in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4, 37 degrees C). Controlled release of AMB was observed in acidic phosphate buffer (pH 5.5, 37 degrees C) with the half-life of 2 min. The LD(50) value determined in vivo (mouse) is 45 mg/kg.     

Capillary zone electrophoretic determination of the four vitamin C esters l-ascorbyl-2-phosphate,l-ascorbyl-2-sulfate,l-ascorbyl-2-diphosphate and l-ascorbyl-2-triphosphate in fish feed,plasma and tissue

A new and fast method for the determination of l-ascorbyl-2-phosphate, the 2-diphosphate, 2-triphosphate and the 2-sulfate ester in feed, fish plasma and tissue samples by capillary zone electrophoresis is described. The substances were extracted with a 200 mM potassium phosphate buffer pH 4.0. Separation was achieved using a 50 μm uncoated fused-silica bubble capillary of 40 cm length to the detector, which was set at 254 nm, and a 80 mM tricine buffer at pH 9.2. Repeatability checked on a trout feed sample revealed a migration time variation of 1.2% (n=24) and an area calculation variation of 2.8% (n=24). Detector response for l-ascorbyl-2-phosphate was linear up to at least 100 μg ml⁻¹. After administration of a high dose of l-ascorbyl-2-phosphate to rainbow trout, the compound was found in the stomach and intestine but not in plasma, proving a fast conversion to vitamin C.