Improved passive oral drug delivery via prodrugs

MS, Pires MM. Bioluminescence-Based Determination of Cytosolic Accumulation of Antibiotics in Escherichia coli

Antibiotic resistance is an alarming public health concern that affects millions of individuals across the globe each year. A major challenge in the development of effective antibiotics lies in their limited ability to permeate cells, noting that numerous susceptible antibiotic targets reside within the bacterial cytosol. Consequently, improving the cellular permeability is often a key consideration during antibiotic development, underscoring the need for reliable methods to assess the permeability of molecules across cellular membranes. Currently, methods used to measure permeability often fail to discriminate between the arrival within the cytoplasm and the overall association of molecules with the cell. Additionally, these techniques typically possess throughput limitations. In this work, we describe a luciferase-based assay designed for assessing the permeability of molecules in the cytosolic compartment of Gram-negative bacteria. Our findings demonstrate a robust system that can elucidate the kinetics of intracellular antibiotic accumulation in live bacterial cells in real time.

Bioluminescence-Based Determination of Cytosolic Accumulation of Antibiotics in Escherichia coli

Antibiotic resistance is an alarming public health concern that affects millions of individuals across the globe each year. A major challenge in the development of effective antibiotics lies in their limited ability to permeate into cells, noting that numerous susceptible antibiotic targets reside within the bacterial cytosol. Consequently, improving cellular permeability is often a key consideration during antibiotic development, underscoring the need for reliable methods to assess the permeability of molecules across cellular membranes. Currently, methods used to measure permeability often fail to discriminate between arrival within the cytoplasm and the overall association of molecules with the cell. Additionally, these techniques typically possess throughput limitations. In this work, we describe a luciferase-based assay designed for assessing the permeability of molecules into the cytosolic compartment of Gram-negative bacteria. Our findings demonstrate a robust system that can elucidate the kinetics of intracellular antibiotics accumulation in live bacterial cells in real time.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of a series of potential prodrugs of a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor

BTK has become a particularly attractive therapeutic target in autoimmune diseases and B-cell malignancies, making BTK inhibitors a valuable and important therapeutic option. We present the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a series of prodrugs of a BTK inhibitor with an insoluble 2,5-diaminopyrimidine structure. Tails containing different solubilizing groups were added to the parent molecule via an ester linkage. Prodrug 5a showed good aqueous solubility and could be efficiently converted to the parent in a human plasma stability study. The rational prodrug design was supported by molecular studies and a dramatically reduced BTK kinase-inhibitory potential. Taken together, the chemical, biological, and molecular studies suggest that prodrug derivatization of the 2,5-diaminopyrimidine scaffold could be a potential strategy for advancing this series of BTK inhibitors into the therapeutic arena.

Opportunities and challenges of fatty acid conjugated therapeutics

Instability, poor cellular uptake and unfavorable pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of many therapeutic molecules require modification in their physicochemical properties. The conjugation of these APIs with fatty acids has demonstrated an enhancement in their lipophilicity and stability. The improvement in the formulations that resulted from the conjugation of a drug with a fatty acid includes increased half-life, enhanced cellular uptake and retention, targeted tumor delivery, reduced chemoresistance in cancer, and improved blood-brain-barrier (BBB) penetration. In this review, various therapeutic molecules, including small molecules, peptides and oligonucleotides, that have been conjugated with fatty acid have been thoroughly discussed along with various conjugation strategies. The application of nano-system based delivery is gaining a lot of attention due to its ability to provide controlled drug release, targeting and reducing the extent of side effects. This review also covers various nano-carriers that have been utilized for the delivery of fatty acid drug conjugates. The enhanced lipophilicity of the drug-fatty acid conjugate has shown to enhance the affinity of the drug towards these carriers, thereby increasing the entrapment efficiency and formulation performance.

Drug-Lipid Conjugates for Enhanced Oral Drug Delivery

Oral drug delivery route is one of the most convenient and extensively utilised routes for drug administration. But there exists class of drugs which exhibit poor bioavailability on oral drug administration. Designing of drug-lipid conjugates (DLCs) is one of the rationale strategy utilised in overcoming this challenge. This review extensively covers the various dimensions of drug modification using lipids to attain improved oral drug delivery. DLCs help in improving oral delivery by providing benefits like improved permeability, stability in gastric environment, higher drug loading in carriers, formation of self-assembled nanostructures, etc. The clinical effectiveness of DLCs is highlighted from available marketed drug products along with many DLCs in phase of clinical trials. Conclusively, this drug modification strategy can potentially help in augmenting oral drug delivery in future.

The environmental pollutant, polychlorinated biphenyls, and cardiovascular disease: a potential target for antioxidant nanotherapeutics

Despite production having stopped in the 1970s, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) represent persistent organic pollutants that continue to pose a serious human health risk. Exposure to PCBs has been linked to chronic inflammatory diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, as well as hepatic disorders, endocrine dysfunction, neurological deficits, and many others. This is further complicated by the PCB's strong hydrophobicity, resulting in their ability to accumulate up the food chain and to be stored in fat deposits. This means that completely avoiding exposure is not possible, thus requiring the need to develop intervention strategies that can mitigate disease risks associated with exposure to PCBs. Currently, there is excitement in the use of nutritional compounds as a way of inhibiting the inflammation associated with PCBs, yet the suboptimal delivery and pharmacology of these compounds may not be sufficient in more acute exposures. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge of PCB toxicity and some of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nanocarrier systems that may be useful as an enhanced treatment modality for reducing PCB toxicity.

The HK2 Dependent "Warburg Effect" and Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation in Cancer: Targets for Effective Therapy with 3-Bromopyruvate

This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about the metabolism of cancer cells, especially with respect to the "Warburg" and "Crabtree" effects. This work also summarizes two key discoveries, one of which relates to hexokinase-2 (HK2), a major player in both the "Warburg effect" and cancer cell immortalization. The second discovery relates to the finding that cancer cells, unlike normal cells, derive as much as 60% of their ATP from glycolysis via the "Warburg effect", and the remaining 40% is derived from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Also described are selected anticancer agents which generally act as strong energy blockers inside cancer cells. Among them, much attention has focused on 3-bromopyruvate (3BP). This small alkylating compound targets both the "Warburg effect", i.e., elevated glycolysis even in the presence oxygen, as well as mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in cancer cells. Normal cells remain unharmed. 3BP rapidly kills cancer cells growing in tissue culture, eradicates tumors in animals, and prevents metastasis. In addition, properly formulated 3BP shows promise also as an effective anti-liver cancer agent in humans and is effective also toward cancers known as "multiple myeloma". Finally, 3BP has been shown to significantly extend the life of a human patient for which no other options were available. Thus, it can be stated that 3BP is a very promising new anti-cancer agent in the process of undergoing clinical development.

Lipid-based drug carriers for prodrugs to enhance drug delivery

The combination of lipid drug delivery systems with prodrugs offers several advantages including improved pharmacokinetics, increased absorption, and facilitated targeting. Lipidization and use of lipid carriers can increase the pharmacological half-life of the drug, thus improving pharmacokinetics and allowing less frequent dosing. Lipids also offer advantages such as increased absorption through the intestines for oral drug absorption and to the CNS for brain delivery. Furthermore, the use of lipid delivery systems can enhance drug targeting. Endogenous proteins bind lipids in the blood and carry them to the liver to enable targeting of this organ. Drugs with significant side effects in the stomach can be specifically delivered to enterocytes by exploiting lipases for prodrug activation. Finally, lipids can be used to target the lymphatic system, thus bypassing the liver and avoiding first-pass metabolism. Lymphatic targeting is also important for antiviral drugs in the protection of B and T lymphocytes. In this review, both lipid-drug conjugates and lipid-based carriers will be discussed. An overview, including the chemistry and assembly of the systems, as well as examples from the clinic and in development, will be provided.

Biological conversion of aripiprazole lauroxil - An N-acyloxymethyl aripiprazole prodrug

N-acyloxyalkylation of NH-acidic compounds can be a prodrug approach for e.g. tertiary or some N-heterocyclic amines and secondary amides and have the potential to modify the properties of the parent drug for specific uses, for example its physicochemical, pharmacokinetic or biopharmaceutical properties. Aripiprazole lauroxil was prepared as a model compound for such prodrugs and its bioconversion was investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Theoretically, N-acyloxyalkyl derivates of NH-acid compounds undergo a two-step bioconversion into the parent NH-acidic drug through an N-hydroxyalkyl intermediate. However, to our knowledge no published studies have investigated the formation of an intermediate in vivo. In the present study, it was demonstrated that the assumed N-hydroxymethyl intermediate was readily observed both in vitro and in vivo. In vivo, the observed plasma concentration of the intermediate was at the same level as the drug (aripiprazole). When prodrug intermediates are formed, it is important to make a proper pharmacological, pharmacokinetic and toxicological evaluation of the intermediates to ensure patient safety; however, several challenges were identified when testing an N-acyloxyalkyl prodrug. These included the development of a suitable bioanalytical method, the accurate prediction of prodrug bioconversion and thereby the related pharmacokinetics in humans and the toxicological potential of the intermediate.

Esterification enhanced intestinal absorption of ginsenoside Rh2 in Caco-2 cells without impacts on its protective effects against H₂O₂-induced cell injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)

Ginsenoside Rh2 and its octyl ester derivative (Rh2-O) were investigated for their transcellular transport in the Caco-2 cell system and their protective effect against oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Results showed that the transport rates for apical-to-basolateral (AP-BL) flux of Rh2 (0.21 × 10⁻⁶ cm/s) was enhanced by the synthesis of its esterified derivative Rh2-O (1.93 × 10⁻⁶ cm/s) over the concentrations of 10-50 μM. In addition, both Rh2 and its esterified derivative Rh2-O exhibited similar protective effects against oxidative damage induced by H₂O₂. Pretreatment of Rh2 and Rh2-O significantly decreased the activation of caspase-3 known to play a key role in H₂O₂-induced cell apoptosis. These results were consistent with that of a flow cytometry assay analyzing HUVECs apoptosis. The present study demonstrated that the absorption of ginsenoside Rh2 in vitro can be significantly enhanced by synthesis of its ester derivative. Meanwhile, no significant discrepancy between Rh2 and Rh2-O on their bioactivities against the oxidative damage induced by H₂O₂ was observed, which means that esterification of Rh2 might have a higher bioavailability than Rh2 in vitro without impacts on pharmaceutical actions.

Impact of preformulation on drug development

INTRODUCTION

Preformulation assists scientists in screening lead candidates based on their physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties. This data is useful for selection of new chemical entities (NCEs) for preclinical efficacy/toxicity studies which is a major section under investigational new drug application. A strong collaboration between discovery and formulation group is essential for selecting right NCEs in order to reduce attrition rate in the late stage development.

AREAS COVERED

This article describes the significance of preformulation research in drug discovery and development. Various crucial preformulation parameters with case studies have been discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

Physicochemical and biopharmaceutical characterization of NCEs is a decisive parameter during product development. Early prediction of these properties helps in selecting suitable physical form (salt, polymorph, etc.) of the candidate. Based on pharmacokinetic and efficacy/toxicity studies, suitable formulation for Phase I clinical studies can be developed. Overall these activities contribute in streamlining efficacy/toxicology evaluation, allowing pharmacologically effective and developable molecules to reach the clinic and eventually to the market. In this review, the magnitude of understanding preformulation properties of NCEs and their utility in product development has been elaborated with case studies.

Absorption mechanism of ginsenoside compound K and its butyl and octyl ester prodrugs in Caco-2 cells

Ginsenoside compound K (CK) is a bioactive compound with poor oral bioavailability due to its high polarity, while its novel ester prodrugs, the butyl and octyl ester (CK-B and CK-O), are more lipophilic than the original drug and have an excellent bioavailability. The aim of this study was to examine the transport mechanisms of CK, CK-B, and CK-O using human Caco-2 cells. Results showed that CK had a low permeability coefficient (8.65 × 10(-7) cm/s) for apical-to-basolated (AP-BL) transport at 10-50 μM, while the transport rate for AP to BL flux of CK-B (2.97 × 10(-6) cm/s) and CK-O (2.84 × 10(-6) cm/s) was significantly greater than that of CK. Furthermore, the major transport mechanism of CK was found as passive transcellular diffusion with active efflux mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp). In addition, it was found that CK-B and CK-O were not the substrate of efflux transporter since the selective inhibitors (verapamil and MK-571) of efflux transporter had little effects on the transport of CK-B and CK-O in the Caco-2 cells. These results suggest that improving the lipophilicity of CK by acylation can significantly improve the transport across Caco-2 cells.

Prodrugs--from serendipity to rational design

The prodrug concept has been used to improve undesirable properties of drugs since the late 19th century, although it was only at the end of the 1950s that the actual term prodrug was introduced for the first time. Prodrugs are inactive, bioreversible derivatives of active drug molecules that must undergo an enzymatic and/or chemical transformation in vivo to release the active parent drug, which can then elicit its desired pharmacological effect in the body. In most cases, prodrugs are simple chemical derivatives that are only one or two chemical or enzymatic steps away from the active parent drug. However, some prodrugs lack an obvious carrier or promoiety but instead result from a molecular modification of the prodrug itself, which generates a new active compound. Numerous prodrugs designed to overcome formulation, delivery, and toxicity barriers to drug utilization have reached the market. In fact, approximately 20% of all small molecular drugs approved during the period 2000 to 2008 were prodrugs. Although the development of a prodrug can be very challenging, the prodrug approach represents a feasible way to improve the erratic properties of investigational drugs or drugs already on the market. This review introduces in depth the rationale behind the use of the prodrug approach from past to present, and also considers the possible problems that can arise from inadequate activation of prodrugs.

Prodrugs available on the Brazilian pharmaceutical market and their corresponding bioactivation pathways

The aim of this paper was to emphasize the importance of prodrug design to therapy, by examining examples available on the Brazilian pharmaceutical market. The principles of prodrug design are briefly discussed herein. Examples of prodrugs from many important therapeutic classes are shown and their advantages relative to the drugs they are derived from are also discussed. Considering the importance of these therapeutic classes, from both therapy and economic standpoints, prodrug design is a very valuable aspect in the research of new drugs and for the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.

Decomposition of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine 5'-monophosphate (AZTMP) prodrugs in biological media studied by on-line solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

Using a column-switching HPLC method previously described, we studied the behavior of some mononucleotide prodrugs (pronucleotides) of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine in various biological media. From UV data, this method allowed quantification of transient metabolites resulting from prodrug bioconversion. The kinetic data related to the successive steps were calculated according to pseudo-first-order kinetic models and optimized using mono- or poly-exponential regressions. Various metabolites were identified by co-injection with authentic samples and/or ESI-MS coupling. The results led us to propose, for each considered pronucleotide, a global decomposition pathway ending in the selective delivery of the corresponding mononucleotide. Associated to the determination of other parameters (lipophilicity, aqueous solubility), the present study contributes to the search of suitable pharmacological properties for further in vivo evaluations.

Prodrugs: design and clinical applications

Prodrugs are bioreversible derivatives of drug molecules that undergo an enzymatic and/or chemical transformation in vivo to release the active parent drug, which can then exert the desired pharmacological effect. In both drug discovery and development, prodrugs have become an established tool for improving physicochemical, biopharmaceutical or pharmacokinetic properties of pharmacologically active agents. About 5-7% of drugs approved worldwide can be classified as prodrugs, and the implementation of a prodrug approach in the early stages of drug discovery is a growing trend. To illustrate the applicability of the prodrug strategy, this article describes the most common functional groups that are amenable to prodrug design, and highlights examples of prodrugs that are either launched or are undergoing human trials.

Prodrugs of nucleoside analogues for improved oral absorption and tissue targeting

Nucleoside analogues are widely used for the treatment of antiviral infections and anticancer chemotherapy. However, many nucleoside analogues suffer from poor oral bioavailability due to their high polarity and low intestinal permeability. In order to improve oral absorption of these polar drugs, prodrugs have been employed to increase lipophilicity by chemical modification of the parent. Alternatively, prodrugs targeting transporters present in the intestine have been exploited to facilitate the transport of the nucleoside analogues. Valacyclovir and valganciclovir are two successful valine ester prodrugs transported by the PepT1 transporter. Recently, research efforts have focused on design of prodrugs for tissue specific delivery to improve efficacy and safety. This review presents advances of prodrug approaches for improved oral absorption of nucleoside analogues and recent developments in tissue targeting.

Prodrugs of 3-(3,4-dichlorobenzyloxy)-2-amino-6-fluorobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (MGS0039): A potent and orally active group II mGluR antagonist with antidepressant-like potential

3-(3,4-Dichlorobenzyloxy)-2-amino-6-fluorobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid 5 (MGS0039) is a highly selective and potent group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) antagonist (antagonist activities for mGluR2; IC50=20.0 nM, mGluR3; IC50=24.0 nM) and is detected in both plasma (492 ng/mL) and brain (13.2 ng/g) at oral administration of 10 ng/mL [J. Med. Chem.2004, 47, 4750], but the oral bioavailability of 5 was 10.9%. In order to improve the oral bioavailability of 5, prodrugs of 5 were discovered by esterification of carboxyl group on C6-position of bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane ring. Among these compounds, 6-alkyl esters exhibited approximately 10-fold higher concentrations of 5 in the plasma and brain of rats after oral administration (e.g., ethyl ester of 5; plasma, Cmax=20.7+/-1.3 microM) compared to oral administration of 5 (plasma, Cmax=2.46+/-0.62 microM). 3-(3,4-Dichlorobenzyloxy)-2-amino-6-fluorobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid 6-heptyl ester (7ao), a prodrug of MGS0039, showed antidepressant-like effects in rat forced swimming test and mouse tail suspension test following oral administration. Moreover, following oral administration of 7ao in mice, high concentrations of MGS0039 were detected in both the brain and plasma, while 7ao was barely detected. In this paper, we report the synthesis, in vitro metabolic stabilities, and pharmacokinetic profiles of the prodrugs of 5, and the antidepressant-like effects of 7ao.

Cationic Analog of Deoxycholate as an Oral Delivery Carrier for Ceftriaxone

A great number of currently available drugs and those being developed that fall under the class III of the BCS (biopharmaceutical classification system) possess high therapeutic potential but cannot be delivered by peroral absorption. In this study, we synthesized a cationic analog of deoxycholic acid and evaluated its efficacy as a potential oral drug carrier for anionic BCS class III drugs using ceftriaxone as a model drug. Cationic deoxycholylethylamine (DCEA), one of cationic analogs of deoxycholic acid, was synthesized and made into physical complexes at varied molar ratios with an anionic ceftriaxone. These drug complexes were formulated with propylene glycol and their oral bioavailabilities were evaluated. The results of the partition coefficient study revealed a highly water soluble ceftriaxone that became more hydrophobic as the molar ratio of the carrier in the complex increased. When the ceftriaxone/DCEA formulation was administered into a nonclosed segment of duodenum of rats, C(max) (the maximum drug concentration in plasma) and AUC (area under the curve) were significantly increased and its bioavailability was increased up to 70%. Therefore, the new cationic carriers proposed in this study could improve the absorption of BCS class III drugs in the intestine with maintaining their full biological activity.

IDENTIFICATION OF ESTERASES EXPRESSED IN CACO-2 CELLS AND EFFECTS OF THEIR HYDROLYZING ACTIVITY IN PREDICTING HUMAN INTESTINAL ABSORPTION

The absorption characteristics of temocapril were investigated using Caco-2 cells, and the esterases expressed in Caco-2 cells were identified. Temocapril was almost completely hydrolyzed to temocaprilat during transport across Caco-2 cells. Hydrolysis experiments of temocapril in Caco-2 cell 9000g supernatant (S9) and brush-border membrane vesicles showed that temocapril was mainly hydrolyzed within the cells after uptake, after which the temocaprilat formed was transported to both the apical and basolateral surfaces. In native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis by detection of hydrolase activity for 1-naphthylbutyrate, Caco-2 cell S9 showed a band with high esterase activity and another band with extremely low activity. The proteins in the major and minor bands were identified as carboxylesterase-1 (hCE-1) and carboxylesterase-2 (hCE-2). The abundant expression of hCE-1 in Caco-2 cells was supported by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In the normal human small intestine, hCE-2 is abundantly present, although the human liver expresses much higher levels of hCE-1 and lower levels of hCE-2. The expression pattern of carboxylesterases in Caco-2 cells is completely different from that in human small intestine but very similar to that in human liver. Since the substrate specificity of hCE-1 differs from that of hCE-2, it is suggested that the prediction of human intestinal absorption using Caco-2 cell monolayers should be performed carefully in the case of ester- and amide-containing drugs such as prodrugs.

Unique technology for solubilization and delivery of highly lipophilic bioactive molecules

We have produced a family of novel carriers enabling water solubilization of highly lipophilic molecules. The compound carriers were synthesized by conjugating polyethylene glycol to alpha-tocopherol, tocotrienols, beta-sitosterol or cholesterol via an alkanedioyl linker. These PEG- conjugates were amphiphilic and formed stable non-covalent complexes (nanomicelles) with a wide range of molecules including vitamins, carotenoids, ubiquinones, poly-unsaturated fatty acids and polyene macrolide antibiotics. The resulting formulations were water-soluble, non-toxic and had excellent stability. This solubilization method represents a major advance in the delivery of lipophilic molecules and could be used to reformulate drugs with near term patent expiry or those that have failed clinical trials due to low solubility. Furthermore, the technology could also be applied for delivery of active ingredients for dietary supplement, functional food, cosmetic and animal health industries.

Absorption of ester prodrugs in Caco-2 and rat intestine models

The aim of this study was to elucidate the absorption mechanism in Caco-2 and rat intestine models in order to improve the accuracy of prediction of oral absorption of ester prodrugs. Pivampicillin and cefcapene pivoxil hydrochloride (CFPN-PI), ester-type oral antibiotics, were chosen as model ester prodrugs. The level of esterase activity in Caco-2 cells was lower than that measured in the rat jejunum when p-nitrophenyl acetate was used as a substrate. Almost complete ester hydrolysis occurred before the ester prodrugs reached the basolateral side of the monolayer, and the disappearance of prodrugs was thought to be due to metabolism or transport after addition to the apical side of the monolayer. When pivampicillin and CFPN-PI were used, the amounts of ampicillin and cefcapene (CFPN) produced by hydrolysis of prodrugs were increased because intracellular degradation of prodrugs resulted in intracellular accumulation. On the other hand, when ampicillin or CFPN was used, only a small amount of the drug reached the basolateral side of the monolayers and no intracellular accumulation was observed. The permeability of CFPN-PI, the solubility of which is dependent on the acidity of gastric juice, across a Caco-2 monolayer or rat intestine, was also investigated by using an in vitro system that mimics the physiological state of the human gastrointestinal tract. The oral absorption of CFPN-PI in humans is predicted to be good either in the Caco-2 model or in the rat intestine model. It is concluded that our system may be a valuable tool for evaluation of oral absorption of ester prodrugs metabolized during permeation through the intestinal epithelium. Broader evaluation of such a system is warranted.

Development of water-soluble prodrugs of the HIV-1 protease inhibitor KNI-727: importance of the conversion time for higher gastrointestinal absorption of prodrugs based on spontaneous chemical cleavage

We designed and synthesized a series of water-soluble prodrugs of the HIV-1 protease inhibitor KNI-727 (1), which is a sparingly water-soluble drug with a water solubility of 5.5 microg/mL. These prodrugs, which contain a water-soluble auxiliary with two tandem-linked units, i.e., a self-cleavable spacer and a solubilizing moiety with an ionized amino function, exhibited a marked increase in water solubility (>10(4)-fold) compared with the parent drug 1. The mechanism of conversion to the parent drug 1 is not enzymatic but through a chemical cleavage at the spacer via an intramolecular cyclization-elimination reaction through an imide formation under physiological conditions. To diversify the conversion time for the parent drug regeneration, chemical modification of the auxiliary was carried out focusing on the introduction of cyclic tertiary amines, which can modify the basicity and/or conformational flexibility of the terminal amino function at the solubilizing moiety, and the change in bond length, which can attenuate the five-membered ring intermediate formation in the cleavage. These newly synthesized water-soluble prodrugs exhibited a practical water solubility with values greater than 50 mg/mL and enabled the constant regeneration of the parent drug 1 with diversified conversion times ranging from 4 min to 34 h as t(1/2) values under physiological conditions. All the water-soluble prodrugs tested regenerated the parent drug 1 in vivo as well as in vitro. A clear increase in the gastrointestinal absorption was observed in prodrugs 8, 12, and 13 with bioavailability (BA) values of 23%, 26%, and 29%, respectively. These BA values were 1.5-1.9-fold higher than that in the administration of the parent drug 1 alone. Other prodrugs showed only a similar or decreased BA compared to the parent drug 1. From these results, we found that not only a high water solubility but also an appropriate conversion time of the prodrug with a relatively narrow limit of around 35 min via intraduodenal administration was necessary for significant improvement of the gastrointestinal absorption in water-soluble prodrugs based on the spontaneous chemical cleavage. This is the first successful water-soluble prodrug that suggests an increased BA value greater than the parent drug in HIV-1 protease inhibitors and is the first study to show the importance of optimal conversion time in water-soluble prodrugs. Consequently, a water-soluble strategy that can control the conversion time would be extensively applicable to improve the gastrointestinal absorption of sparingly water-soluble drugs. The present information is an intriguing discovery and is one of the key factors that will contribute to the future design of practical water-soluble prodrugs.

Pharmacodynamic response of entacapone in rats after administration of entacapone formulations and prodrugs with varying bioavailabilities

The aim of this in vivo study was to assess the effect of improved oral bioavailability of entacapone on its actual pharmacodynamic response, COMT inhibition in erythrocytes. Rats were administered entacapone orally as a suspension, as a plain solution, an entacapone/HP-beta-CD solution, two N-alkyl-carbamate ester prodrugs and intravenously as a solution. Also the relationship between pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic responses of entacapone was investigated. The administration of entacapone as a solution (plain solution pH 7.4; F=34.8% or entacapone/HP-beta-CD solution pH 3.0; F = 18.5%) resulted in significantly higher degree of COMT inhibition in erythrocytes than could be achieved by administering entacapone as a suspension (pH 3.0; F=8.9%). The inhibitory Emax model did not reveal any significant differences in EC50 estimates of entacapone suspension, entacapone/HP-beta-CD solution or entacapone solution. The overall pharmacodynamic response of entacapone (AUE; area under effect-time curve) was dependent on the pharmacokinetic response (AUC; area under concentration-time curve) irrespective of the entacapone formulation and dosage form. However, this dependency did not extend to formulations producing very high peak concentrations of entacapone in plasma; high plasma concentrations reached transiently after administration of entacapone solution had only a minor effect on the overall pharmacodynamic response (AUE). The inhibitory Emax model revealed that a plateau of COMT inhibition near to Emax is attained by plasma concentrations under 2000 ng/ml, irrespective of the formulation. This supports the results concerning the dependence of AUE on AUC.