Coupling of the antiviral agent zidovudine to polyaspartamide and in vitro drug release studies

Synthesis and in vitro chemical and enzymatic stability of glycosyl 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine derivatives as potential anti-HIV agents

New glycosyl derivatives of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) (1 and 2) were synthesized in order to improve AZT retention in the blood and to guarantee its sustained release, overcoming the necessity of multiple drug administrations. The esters synthesized (1 and 2) link AZT, by a succinyl linker, to the C-3 position of glucose and to C-6 of galactose. Furthermore, the chemical and enzymatic stabilities of esters 1 and 2 were evaluated in order to determine both their stability in aqueous medium and their feasibility to undergo enzymatic cleavage by esterase to regenerate the original drug. The pharmacokinetic profiles of esters 1 and 2, obtained after systemic administration, showed an interesting controlled release, in particular for ester 2, compared to the pharmacokinetic profile of AZT.

Macromolecular prodrugs: X. Kinetics of fenoprofen release from PHEA-fenoprofen conjugate

The kinetics of fenoprofen release from poly[alpha,beta-(N-2-hydroxyethyl-DL-aspartamide)]-fenoprofen conjugate (PHEA-Fen) in aqueous buffer solutions (pH 10 and 1.1), simulated gastric (SGF) and intestinal fluids (SIF) was studied. In borate buffer pH 10, the following rate constants were obtained: k=0.2659 (t=60 degrees C) and k=0.0177 h(-1) (t=37 degrees C) and in glycine buffer solution pH 1.1 k=0.0036 h(-1). In SGF and SIF fenoprofen release did not occur in significant extend within 12 h. The hydrolysis of the ester bond between the polymeric carrier and fenoprofen followed the pseudo first-order kinetics, with activation energy indicative for the breakage of a sigma bond (E(a)=100.6 kJ mol(-1)). The concentration of the released fenoprofen was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Synthesis of new covalently bound kappa-carrageenan-AZT conjugates with improved anti-HIV activities

This paper describes the first covalent synthesis of kappa-carrageenan-3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) conjugates. A succinate diester spacer was used to covalently couple AZT onto kappa-carrageenan, resulting in a tripartite prodrug. Two methods (UV and radioactive counting) are described and validated to determine the AZT loading onto the kappa-carrageenan carrier. This polymeric carrier, through its own intrinsic anti-HIV activity, is expected to act not only as a drug delivery agent but also as an anti-HIV agent. Synergism between the two drugs (kappa-carrageenan and AZT) was demonstrated when MT-4 cells were preincubated with the kappa-carrageenan-AZT conjugate prior to HIV-1-infection. A threshold of AZT loaded onto the kappa-carrageenan was required to achieve this synergistic effect. Such kappa-carrageenan-AZT conjugates could be of great therapeutic interest because these conjugates, which contain a low AZT concentration, present improved anti-HIV activities relative to free AZT. Moreover, kappa-carrageenan is a well-tolerated biopolymer, already used in the food industry.

Polymeric prodrug for release of an antitumoral agent by specific enzymes

The clinical usefulness of antitumor chemotherapy has been strongly limited by the lack of specificity of most anticancer drugs, which act also against healthy cells. The aim of this work was to design, synthesize, and evaluate a macromolecular prodrug of Cytarabine, a known antitumor drug, which is a specific substrate for plasmin enzyme whose concentration is high in various kinds of tumor mass as a result of plasminogen activator secretion. alpha,beta-Poly(N-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA), a known synthetic and biocompatible polyamino acid, was used as a drug carrier, and Cytarabine was linked to PHEA by D-Val-Leu-Lys spacer synthesized beginning from Cbz-D-Val-LeuOH dipeptide and N6-CbzLys methyl ester. The content of Cytarabine in the purified PHEA-D-Val-Leu-Lys-Cytarabine conjugate was equal to 3% w/w. In vitro experiments in the presence of plasmin evidenced the ability of this enzyme to strongly increase drug release from the macromolecular prodrug, as well as plasma incubation shows high stability of drug-polymer linkage. The direct linkage of Cytarabine to PHEA was also performed and, like PHEA-D-Val-Leu-Lys-Cytarabine conjugate, the obtained PHEA-Cytarabine conjugate showed high stability in plasma, but no release of Cytarabine was revealed in the presence of plasmin.

Macromolecular prodrugs. VIII. Synthesis of polymer-gemfibrozil conjugates

Gemfibrozil is covalently linked to two similar polymers: poly[alpha,beta-(N-2-hydroxyethyl-DL-aspartamide)] and poly[alpha,beta-(N-3-hydroxypropyl-DL-aspartamide)]. The synthesised polymer drug conjugates differ in average molecular mass, type of covalent bonding, length of spacer, drug-loading and solubility.

New biodegradable hydrogels based on an acryloylated polyaspartamide cross-linked by gamma irradiation

Alpha, beta-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA), a synthetic biocompatible macromolecule, was functionalized with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) in order to introduce in its side chains residues having double bonds and ester groups. The copolymer (PHG), obtained from PHEA and GMA, had a degree of derivatization of 29 mol%. PHG aqueous solutions are cross-linked by gamma radiation at 0 degrees C either in the presence or absence of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) giving rise to new hydrogel systems. In both cases gelation occurs at quite low doses (0.26 and 0.4 kGy, respectively). The obtained networks were characterized by FT-IR spectrophotometry which confirmed that the cross-linking process involves the vinyl groups of the polymer chains. Swelling measurements evidenced the high affinity of aqueous media at different pH-values towards PHG hydrogels. The sol fractions of the irradiated samples, properly purified, were characterized by FT-IR and 1H-NMR analyses and reduced viscosity measurements. Finally, in vitro chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis studies suggested that the prepared samples undergo a partial degradation at pH 1 and 10 or after incubation with enzymes such as esterase, pepsin, and alpha-chymotrypsin.

Studies of macromolecular prodrugs of zidovudine

The current problems in controlling severe viral infections such as AIDS as well as the lack of effective and safe therapeutic measures for such diseases have caused interest in systems such as macromolecular prodrugs potentially able to solve heavier drawbacks of conventional antiviral therapy. This review focuses on various approaches proposed in the literature in this field. Neoglycoproteins and synthetic protein-like structure polymers have been mainly proposed. In the first group, the possibility of incorporating into the polymeric structures a determined amount of sugar molecules make them interesting candidates for targeting of infected blood cells. The conjugate of zidovudine (AZT) and an anti-transferrin receptor antibody OX-26 has been proposed for brain targeting. The conjugate of AZT with alpha,beta-poly(N-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA) showed good release properties in a prolonged time.

Bioconjugation in pharmaceutical chemistry

Polymer conjugation is of increasing interest in pharmaceutical chemistry for delivering drugs of simple structure or complex compounds such peptides, enzymes and oligonucleotides. For long time drugs, mainly with antitumoral activity, have been coupled to natural or synthetic polymers with the purpose of increasing their blood permanence time, taking advantage of the increased mass that reduces kidney ultrafiltration. However only recently complex constructs were devised that exploit the 'enhanced permeability and retention' (EPR) effect for an efficient tumor targeting, the high molecular weight for adsorption or receptor mediated endocytosis and finally a lysosomotropic targeting, taking advantage of acid labile bonds or cathepsin susceptible polypeptide spacers between polymer and drug. New original, very active conjugates of this type, as those based on poly(hydroxyacrylate) polymers, are already in advanced state of development. Labile oligonucleotides, including antisense drugs, were also successfully coupled to polymers in view of an increased cell penetration and stabilization towards nucleases. However, the most active research activity resides in the field of polypeptides and proteins delivery, mainly for the two following reasons: first of all because a great number of therapeutically interesting compounds are now being produced by genetic engineering in large quantity and, secondly, because these products are difficult to administer to patients for several inherent drawbacks. Proteins are in fact easily digested by many endo- and exo-peptidases present in blood or in other body districts; most of them are immunogenic to some extent and, finally, they are rapidly excreted by kidney ultrafiltration. Covalent polymer conjugation at protein surface was demonstrated to reduce or eliminate these problems, since the bound polymer behaves like a shield hindering the approach of proteolytic enzymes, antibodies, or antigen processing cell. Furthermore, the increase of the molecular weight of the conjugate allows to overcome the kidney elimination threshold. Many successful results were already obtained in peptides and proteins, conjugated mainly to water soluble or amphiphilic polymers like poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), dextrans, or styrenemaleic acid anhydride. Among the most successful are the conjugates of asparaginase, interleukin-2 or -6 and neocarcinostatin, to remind some antitumor agents, adenosine deaminase employed in a genetic desease treatment, superoxide dismutase as scavenger of toxic radicals, hemoglobin as oxygen carrier and urokinase and streptokinase as proteins with antithrombotic activity. In pharmaceutical chemistry the conjugation with polymers is also of great importance for synthetic applications since many enzymes without loss of catalytic activity become soluble in organic solvents where many drug precursors are. The various and often difficult chemical problems encountered in conjugation of so many different products prompted the development of many synthetic procedures, all characterized by high specificity and mild condition of reaction, now known as 'bioconjugation chemistry'. Bioconjugation developed also the design of new tailor-made polymers with the wanted molecular weight, shape, structure and with the functional groups needed for coupling at the wanted positions in the chain.

New biodegradable hydrogels based on a photocrosslinkable modified polyaspartamide: synthesis and characterization

alpha,beta-Poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA), a synthetic water-soluble biocompatible polymer, was derivatized with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), in order to introduce in its structure chemical residues having double bonds and ester groups. The obtained copolymer (PHG) contained 29 mol% of GMA residues. PHG aqueous solutions at various concentrations ranging from 30 to 70 mg/ml were exposed to a source of UV rays at lambda 254 nm in the presence or in the absence of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS); the formation of compact gel phases was observed beginning from 50 mg/ml. The obtained networks were characterized by FT-IR spectrophotometry and swelling measurements which evidenced the high affinity of PHG hydrogels towards aqueous media at different pH values. In vitro chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis studies suggested that the prepared samples undergo a partial degradation both at pH 1 and pH 10 and after incubation with enzymes such as esterase, pepsin and alpha-chymotrypsin. Finally, the effect of irradiation time on the yield and the properties of these hydrogels was investigated and the sol fractions coming from irradiated samples, properly purified, were characterized by FT-IR and 1H-NMR analyses.