The binding of penicillins to bovine serum albumin

Interactions of Two Amphiphilic Penicillins with Myoglobin in Aqueous Buffered Solutions: A Thermodynamic and Spectroscopy Study

The interactions and complexation process of the amphiphilic penicillins sodium cloxacillin and sodium dicloxacillin with horse myoglobin in aqueous buffered solutions of pH 4.5 and 7.4 have been examined by equilibrium dialysis, zeta-potential, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and UV-Vis absorbance techniques. A more opened structure of the protein molecules is detected as a consequence of the reduction of pH from 7.4 to 4.5. Binding isotherms and derived Hill coefficients reflect a cooperative binding behavior. Gibbs energies of binding per mole of drug were obtained from equilibrium dialysis data and compared with those derived from the zeta potential taking into account cooperativity. DeltaGads degrees values so obtained are large and negative at low concentrations where binding to the "high-energy" sites occurs and decreases with the drug concentration. The enthalpies of binding have been obtained from ITC and are small and exothermic so that the Gibbs energies of binding are dominated by large increases in entropy consistent with hydrophobic interactions. Other thermodynamic quantities of the binding mechanism, that is, entropy, DeltaSITCi, Gibbs energy, DeltaGITCi, the binding constant, KITCi, and the number of binding sites, ni, were also obtained, confirming the above results. From ITC data and following a theoretical model, the number of bound and free penicillin molecules was calculated, being higher at pH 4.5 than at pH 7.4. The binding of penicillin causes a conformational transition on protein structure as a consequence of the resulting intramolecular repulsion between the penicillin molecules bound to the protein. Thermodynamic quantites (the Gibbs energy of the transition in water, DeltaGw degrees , and in a hydrophobic environment, DeltaGhc degrees) of the denaturation process were calculated, indicating that at pH 4.5 some of the histidine residues are protonated, becoming accessible to solvent and giving rise to a more opened protein structure.

Modulation of nonspecific binding in ultrafiltration protein binding studies

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to reduce or prevent nonspecific binding (NSB) of compounds to ultrafiltration (UF) protein binding (PB) testing units.

METHODS

UF units (regenerated cellulose, MWCO 10K) were used for PB and NSB measurements with or without pretreatment with 5% tween 80 (TW 80) or 5% benzalkonium chloride (BAK) on the filter membrane. Dosing solutions (10 microM) in human serum and pH 7.4 phosphate-buffered saline were centrifuged at 3,000 g and room temperature after 1-h incubation in UF testing units. In parallel, a 96-well equilibrium dialyzer was used for PB and NSB measurements in equilibrium dialysis (ED) at 37 degrees C for 4 h. Samples of UF and ED were analyzed by LC/MS or LSC.

RESULTS

Severe NSB was observed for etoposide, hydrocortisone, propranolol, and vinblastine in UF. In contrast, TW 80 or BAK pre-treatment on the filter membrane decreased the NSB from 87-95% to 13-64% without causing a significant change in membrane integrity. When NSB was below 50% as a result of pretreating agents, PB data of marker compounds were comparable to those of ED.

CONCLUSIONS

The pretreated membrane with TW 80 or BAK showed significantly less NSB for compounds that had a tendency toward high membrane binding. A modified UF method with pretreatment improved the performance of UF and was able to produce comparable PB results to ED.

Differential binding of tetracyclines with serum albumin and induced structural alterations in drug-bound protein

Interaction of tetracycline (TC) derivatives viz. oxytetracycline, doxycycline, demeclocycline and chlorotetracycline with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and concomitant changes in protein conformation were studied using fluorescence quenching and circular dichroism measurements. Fluorescence data revealed the presence of one to three binding sites on BSA for different TC derivatives. Binding studies with the marker ligands, warfarin and bilirubin, elucidated site-I as a primary binding site for TCs on albumin. Scatchard analysis revealed the binding affinity (K(a)) and capacity (n) for these derivatives vary in the range from 0.8 to 3.2 x 10(6) l/mole and 1.3-3.4, respectively. Significant reduction (60-45%) in secondary structure (alpha-helical content) of BSA was noticed upon interaction with different TC derivatives in presence of Cu (II) ions. High affinity binding of TCs with BSA signifies drug stability. However, excessive binding at higher TC concentrations in combination with Cu (II) induces conformational change in protein structure, which may exert detrimental effect on cellular protein.

Role of plasma albumin in renal elimination of a mercapturic acid. Analyses in normal and mutant analbuminemic rats

Biosynthesis of N-acetylcysteine S-conjugates of xenobiotics (mercapturic acids) occurs via interorgan metabolism and the renal transtubular transport system plays an important role in elimination of the final metabolites from the organism. To assess the behavior of a mercapturic acid in the circulation, plasma clearance of radioactive S-benzyl-N-acetylcysteine and its interaction with plasma proteins were studied in normal and mutant analbuminemic rats (NAR). Intravenously injected S-benzyl-N-acetylcysteine rapidly disappeared from the circulation both in NAR and normal animals. However, its plasma clearance was significantly higher in NAR (45.7 ml kg-1 min-1) than in normal rats (25.2 ml kg-1 min-1). Ultrafiltration analysis revealed that 18.4% and 80.1% of the mercapturate bound to plasma protein(s) from NAR and normal rats, respectively, at 50 microM ligand concentration. The mercapturic acid bound to plasma albumin with an association constant of 2.24 X 10(5) M-1 and the number of binding sites was 1.18/mol albumin. The binding was competitively inhibited by probenecid and L-tryptophan. Concomitant administration of this mercapturic acid with equimolar amounts of albumin resulted in a marked decrease in the plasma clearance (26.2 ml kg-1 min-1) and an increase in the urinary secretion of this ligand in NAR. 30 min after injection of the mercapturic acid (10 mumol/kg body weight), 27.3% and 60.4% of the injected dose was recovered from urine and kidneys of NAR and normal rats respectively. About 41% of the dose was recovered in NAR urine when the ligand was injected bound to an equimolar amount of albumin. These results suggested that albumin is important for the renal accumulation and urinary elimination of the circulating mercapturic acid.

Binding of physostigmine to rat and human plasma and crystalline serum albumins

The binding of 3H-physostigmine (3H-Ph) to human and rat plasma proteins and crystalline serum albumin was studied by ultrafiltration technique. This study showed that the percentage of 3H-Ph bound to rat plasma slightly decreased from 49% to 41% whereas human plasma showed an increase in binding from 29% to 43% over a 50-fold increase in drug concentration. Human plasma samples which were collected in a bag coated with citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 solution bound 50% less 3H-Ph than samples collected with EDTA indicating a drug-drug interaction between 3H-Ph and anticoagulants. No significant change in binding was observed if the samples were frozen prior to use. Scatchard plots for binding of 3H-Ph resulted in a positive slope for human plasma and a negative slope for rat plasma; whereas curvilinear Scatchard plots with negative slopes were obtained for binding to human and rat crystalline serum albumin.

Binding of cefalotin to human serum albumin

Binding of cefalotin to human serum albumin was studied in vitro by equilibrium dialysis and the quantitative measurement of cefalotin was made by fluorimetric assay. The binding rate of cefalotin to human serum albumin found to be 61,1%. The determination of drug binding parameters showed a large number of binding sites (n = 9.36) and a moderate affinity (K = 3898 M-1).

Comparison between in-vivo and in-vitro tissue-to-plasma unbound concentration ratios (Kp,f) of quinidine in rats

The comparison between in-vivo and in-vitro tissue-to-plasma concentration ratio of drug unbound (Kp,f) has been made using quinidine as a model for weak basic drugs. In-vitro Kp,f-values were calculated from the binding data to tissue homogenates determined by equilibrium dialysis. In-vivo Kp,f-values were calculated from the tissue distribution data after intravenous administration of quinidine, by considering the difference in the unbound concentration between plasma and the tissues produced by the pH difference across the cell membrane. It was concluded that the extensive tissue distribution of quinidine observed in-vivo may be explained by tissue binding and the pH-difference across the cell membrane in most tissues.

Comparative study of the binding of acylureidopenicillins and carbenicillin to human serum proteins

The binding of the acylureidopenicillins azlocillin and mezlocillin to serum proteins was investigated by means of equilibrium dialysis and ultracentrifugation. The penicillin concentrations were determined by the agar diffusion test and by circular dichroism. The degree of binding is dependent on the penicillin concentration. At a mean penicillin concentration of 20 microgram/ml 39% of azlocillin is bound by serum proteins and 35% of mezlocillin. The acylureidopenicillins are bound to about the same degree by the two proteins albumin and gamma globulin, which occur in different concentrations in serum. The binding affinity delta F degree for the interaction between azlocillin and mezlocillin to human albumin is equal to -15,389 J/mol. The corresponding values for the binding of ampicillin and carbenicillin are -17,340 and -16,800 J/mol. Albumin has one binding site of a high affinity and two binding sites of a low affinity for the acylureidopenicillins. Measurements of partition coefficients of the penicillins for isobutanol and aqueous solution show that the interaction between acylureidopenicillins and serum is mainly hydrophobic in nature. This can be deduced from the fact that for example in the presence of sisomicin azlocillin is not displaced from its albumin binding site, in contrast to carbenicillin. The reason for this difference in behaviour lies in the fact that carbenicillin, like sisomicin, is bound to the serum proteins mainly by ionic bonds. In the case of azlocillin, however, hydrophobic bounds predominate which are not influenced by the ionic bonds of sisomicin.

[Pharmaco-kinetic aspects of protein-binding (author's transl)]

Binding of drugs to plasma proteins will influence distribution and elimination especially if factors interfere altering the extent of binding. These factors are: dependence on species, age, H+-concentration, speed of i.v. injection or the interaction of another drug for instance. Considering the quantitative aspects changes in binding to the plasma proteins will turn only then relevant to drug action if the extent of alteration is very large or the drugs are bound to a very high degree. But the scene changes completely if the binding to other proteins of the organism is considered. Experimental results concerning the binding of drugs to hemoglobin and muscle tissue suggest that this kind of binding is possibly more effective in pharmacokinetics than binding to plasma proteins.

Studies of the thermodynamics and nature of interaction between serum albumin and penicillins

The possibility of a calorimetric determination of the number of homogeneous independent binding sites on the protein molecule surface is presented, together with the possibility of the determination of interaction heat and association constants for the binding of small molecules to one such site. Thermodynamic characteristics of interaction of 10 penicillins and methyl orange with primary and secondary binding sites of bovine serum albumin have been obtained using this technique. The data show that hydrogen bonds between the component parts of the complexes studied are absent. The main contribution to free energy change at forming these complexes is made by hydrophobic interactions. Electrostatic forces are also of some importance, their contribution into the complex formation is more significant in the case of quinacillin and carbenicillin which have an additional charged carboxyl group.

Reversibility of protein binding of penicillins: an in vitro study employing a rapid diafiltration process

The reversibility of human serum protein binding of oxacillin, nafcillin, and cephalothin was investigated by using a diafiltration technique. While the temperature, pH, and protein concentration were kept constant, 20% of the serum volume was exchanged every 4 to 5 min. The binding of all three drugs was rapidly reversible, and the percentage of protein binding remained the same throughout the experiment.

Interaction of the anticoagulant drug warfarin and its metabolites with human plasma albumin

The interaction of the anticoagulant drug warfarin and its metabolites with human plasma albumin was studied by equilibrium dialysis. A 20-fold variation of buffer ionic strength (0.017-0.340) caused no significant change in the warfarin association constant. But the binding strength rose significantly as the pH was increased from 6.0 to 9.0 and then declined at pH 10.0. The 6-, 7-, and 8-hydroxywarfarin metabolites showed a 7- to 23-fold reduction in binding strength at pH 10.0. These data indicate that the molecular basis of the interaction is nonelectrostatic and that the introduction of polar hydroxyl groups on the coumarin nucleus by metabolism reduces its hydrophobic binding surface. The interaction was markedly exothermic and showed a positive entropy (increased molecular disorder), which suggests cooperative hydrogen and hydrophobic bonding as the molecular basis for the binding of warfarin to albumin. The marked albumin binding and nonpolar character of warfarin explains the respective absence and presence of the unchanged drug in urine and plasma of warfarintreated patients, while the more polar character and lesser albumin binding of the metabolites probably determines their absence in plasma and presence in urine. The relatively marked binding to albumin of the 4'-hydroxywarfarin metabolite suggests that it may occur in the plasma of warfarin-treated patients. The data suggest that a direct correlation exists between the interaction of warfarin with plasma albumin and the interaction with the warfarin receptor site.