Azole endothelin antagonists. 3. Using delta log P as a tool to improve absorption

Determination of alkane/water partition coefficients of polar compounds using hydrophilic interaction chromatography

In this study, the retention factors (logk) of 44 polar neutral compounds were measured using hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC). This retention parameter was compared with experimental logPalk obtained by a traditional method (shake-flask) or with the calculated logPalk for the most hydrophilic compounds. A good correlation was obtained between logk90 (measured with a mobile phase containing 90% acetonitrile) and logPalk. In contrast, no correlation was obtained between the retention factor and logPoct. This method could thus represent an advantageous alternative and reliable method to characterise the lipophilicity of polar compounds in an alkane/water system by chromatography, providing an important insight in (Q)SAR studies to predict drug permeation through numerous biorelevant membranes.

Lipophilicity and its relationship with passive drug permeation

In this review, we first summarize the structure and properties of biological membranes and the routes of passive drug transfer through physiological barriers. Lipophilicity is then introduced in terms of the intermolecular interactions it encodes. Finally, lipophilicity indices from isotropic solvent systems and from anisotropic membrane-like systems are discussed for their capacity to predict passive drug permeation across biological membranes such as the intestinal epithelium, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or the skin. The broad evidence presented here shows that beyond the predictive power of lipophilicity parameters, the various intermolecular forces they encode allow a mechanistic interpretation of passive drug permeation.

Hydrogen bonding descriptors in the prediction of human in vivo intestinal permeability

Hydrogen bonding has been identified as an important parameter for describing drug permeability. Recently, we derived models for predicting intestinal permeability using the hydrogen bonding descriptors polar surface area (PSA) and number of hydrogen bond donors (HBD), and a lipophilicity descriptor [J. Med. Chem. 41 (1998) 4939]. We have now explored other types of hydrogen bonding descriptors to see if these improve the models. Both an experimental hydrogen bonding descriptor, deltalogP, and calculated descriptors, based either on semiempirical calculations or on experimentally derived hydrogen bond strength values of small molecules, were used. Principal component analyses (PCA) were performed in order to characterize the different parameters, using both a drug data set and a data set of small non-drug-like molecules for which deltalogP-values had been published. For a set of diverse drug molecules, for which human intestinal permeability data was available, a PLS-analysis was performed to study the correlation of permeability to the different hydrogen bonding parameters. No correlation could be identified between deltalogP and human intestinal permeability in this data set. However, the combination of a hydrogen bond donor descriptor, a general hydrogen bonding descriptor and a lipophilicity descriptor enabled the prediction of human intestinal permeability, whereas hydrogen bond acceptor descriptors were found to be less important. The obtained models successfully predicted the intestinal permeability values of two external data sets.

Synthesis and NMR characterization of a novel class of thienomorphinans

[formula: see text] Synthesis of four novel thieno derivatives 4-7 featuring the codeine skeletal backbone is reported. Characterization by 1H and 13C NMR is also discussed, along with binding profile for opioid receptors.

Combined molecular lipophilicity descriptors and their role in understanding intramolecular effects

Traditional lipophilicity parameters (log P and log D) are well-known physico-chemical descriptors largely used in QSAR studies. Besides their numerical value, log P data contain a variety of information about inter- and intramolecular forces affecting partitioning and its related biological phenomena. The deconvolution of information from log P can be accessed only by adequate interpretative tools, such as new lipophilic-combined descriptors, of which features and some applications are presented in this review.

Strategies toward predicting peptide cellular permeability from computed molecular descriptors

The therapeutic efficacy of an orally administered drug is dictated not only by its pharmacological properties such as potency and selectivity, but also its pharmacokinetic properties such as its access to the site of activity. Thorough evaluation of the physicochemical and biological barriers to drug delivery is essential to the selection and successful development of drug candidates. We have demonstrated previously that cellular permeability, as a primary component of drug delivery, is principally dependent upon the desolvation potential of the polar functionalities in the molecule and, secondarily, upon the solute lipophilicity [Conradi, R.A., Hilgers, A.R., Ho, N.F.H., Burton, P.S. (1992). The influence of peptide structure on transport across Caco-2 cells. II. Peptide bond modification which results in improved permeability. Pharm. Res. 9, 473-479]. Increasingly sophisticated computational methods are becoming available for describing molecular structural features proposed to correlate with such molecular physicochemical determinants of permeability. Herein we examine the relationships of various computationally derived molecular geometric descriptors for a set of peptides and peptidomimetics, in the context of experimentally measured hydrogen-bond potentials and lipophilicities, with their cellular permeabilities. These descriptors include molecular volume, polar and non-polar surface areas and projected molecular cross-sectional areas. Particular attention is paid to the roles of solvation treatments and other computational factors in descriptor generation, deconvolution of cellular transport mechanisms and statistical analyses of the resulting data for the development of valid, structure-based and mechanistically meaningful models of cellular permeability. No significant correlation of cellular permeability with computed descriptors was found. This was primarily because of our inability to identify surrogates for hydrogen-bond desolvation potential for the solutes from among these descriptors.

In vitro and in situ permeability of a 'second generation' hydroxypyridinone oral iron chelator: correlation with physico-chemical properties and oral activity

PURPOSE

The in vitro and in situ transport of CGP 65015 ((+)-3-hydroxy-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxyphenyl-methyl-1H-pyridin-4-on e), a novel oral iron chelator, is described. The predictive power of these data in assessing intestinal absorption in man is described.

METHODS

Caco-2 epithelial monolayer and in situ rat jejunum perfusion intestinal permeability models were utilized. In vivo iron excretion and preliminary animal pharmacokinetic experiments were described. Ionization constants and octanol/aqueous partition coefficients were measured potentiometrically. Solubilities and intrinsic dissolution rates were determined using standard procedures.

RESULTS

Caco-2 cell (Papp approximately 0.25 x 10(-6) cm x s(-1)) and rat jejunum (Pw approximately 0.4) permeabilities of CGP 65015 were determined. The log D(pH 7.4) of CGP 65015 was 0.58 and its aqueous solubility was < 0.5 mg x ml(-1) (pH 3-9). The intrinsic dissolution rate of CGP 65015 in USP simulated intestinal fluid was 0.012 mg x min(-1) x cm(-2). CGP 65015 promotes iron excretion effectively and dose dependently in animals.

CONCLUSIONS

Caco-2 and rat intestinal permeabilities predict incomplete oral absorption of CGP 65015 in man. Preliminary rat pharmacokinetics support this. Physico-chemical data are, also, in line and suggest that CGP 65015 may, in addition, be solubility/dissolution rate limited in vivo. Nevertheless, early animal pharmacological data demonstrate that CGP 65015 is a viable oral iron chelator candidate.

Estimation of blood-brain barrier crossing of drugs using molecular size and shape, and H-bonding descriptors

The influence of physicochemical properties, including lipophilicity, H-bonding capacity and molecular size and shape descriptors on brain uptake has been investigated using a selection of marketed CNS and CNS-inactive drugs. It is demonstrated that the polar surface area of a drug can be used as a suitable descriptor for the drugs' H-bonding potential. A combination of a H-bonding and a molecular size descriptor, i.e., the major components of lipophilicity and permeability, avoiding knowledge of distribution coefficients, is proposed to estimate brain penetration potential of new drug candidates. Previously reported experimental surface activity data appear to be strongly correlated to molecular size of the drug compounds. Present analysis offers a modern basis for property-based design and targeting of CNS drugs.