Protective effects of cyclodextrins on drug-induced hemolysis in vitro

In vivo Efficacy and Safety Evaluation of Lactosyl-β-cyclodextrin as a Therapeutic Agent for Hepatomegaly in Niemann-Pick Type C Disease

Niemann-Pick type C disease (NPC) is a fatal, autosomal recessive disorder, which causes excessive accumulation of free cholesterol in endolysosomes, resulting in progressive hepatomegaly and neurodegeneration. Currently, 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CyD) is used at a high dose for the treatment of NPC, risking lung toxicity and hearing loss during treatment. One method to reduce the required dose of HP-β-CyD for the treatment of hepatomegaly is to actively deliver β-cyclodextrin (β-CyD) to hepatocytes. Previously, we synthesized lactosyl-β-CyD (Lac-β-CyD) and demonstrated that it lowers cholesterol in NPC model liver cells. In the present study, we studied the efficacy and safety of Lac-β-CyD treatment of hepatomegaly in Npc1^−/− mice. After subcutaneous administration, Lac-β-CyD accumulated in the liver and reduced hepatomegaly with greater efficacy than HP-β-CyD. In addition, subcutaneous administration of a very high dose of Lac-β-CyD was less toxic to the lungs than HP-β-CyD. Notably, the accumulation of intracellular free cholesterol in endolysosomes of NPC-like liver cells was significantly lower after administration of Lac-β-CyD than after treatment with HP-β-CyD. In conclusion, these results suggest that Lac-β-CyD is a candidate for the effective treatment of hepatomegaly in NPC.

Interactions between cyclodextrins and cellular components: Towards greener medical applications?

In the field of host-guest chemistry, some of the most widely used hosts are probably cyclodextrins (CDs). As CDs are able to increase the water solubility of numerous drugs by inclusion into their hydrophobic cavity, they have been widespread used to develop numerous pharmaceutical formulations. Nevertheless, CDs are also able to interact with endogenous substances that originate from an organism, tissue or cell. These interactions can be useful for a vast array of topics including cholesterol manipulation, treatment of Alzheimer's disease, control of pathogens, etc. In addition, the use of natural CDs offers the great advantage of avoiding or reducing the use of common petroleum-sourced drugs. In this paper, the general features and applications of CDs have been reviewed as well as their interactions with isolated biomolecules leading to the formation of inclusion or exclusion complexes. Finally, some potential medical applications are highlighted throughout several examples.

Design and evaluation of cyclodextrin-based drug formulation

The pharmaceutically useful cyclodextrins (CyDs) are classified into hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and ionic derivatives. Because of the multi-functional characteristics and bioadaptability, these CyDs are capable of alleviating the undesirable properties of drug molecules through the formation of inclusion complexes or the form of CyD/drug conjugates. This review outlines the current application of CyDs in design and evaluation of CyD-based drug formulation, focusing on their ability to enhance the drug absorption across biological barriers, the ability to control the rate and time profiles of drug release, and the ability to deliver a drug to a targeted site.

[Pharmaceutical application of cyclodextrins as multi-functional drug carriers]

Owing to the increasingly globalized nature of the cyclodextrin (CyD)-related science and technology, development of the CyD-based pharmaceutical formulation is rapidly progressing. The pharmaceutically useful CyDs are classified into hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and ionic derivatives. Because of the multi-functional characteristics and bioadaptability, these CyDs are capable of alleviating the undesirable properties of drug molecules through the formation of inclusion complexes or the form of CyD/drug conjugates. This review outlines the current application of CyDs in drug delivery and pharmaceutical formulation, focusing on the following evidences. 1) The hydrophilic CyDs enhance the rate and extent of bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. 2) The amorphous CyDs such as 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CyD are useful for inhibition of polymorphic transition and crystallization rates of drugs during storage. 3) The delayed release formulation can be obtained by the use of enteric type CyDs such as O-carboxymethyl-O-ethyl-beta-CyD. 4) The hydrophobic CyDs are useful for modification of the release site and/or time profile of water-soluble drugs with prolonged therapeutic effects. 5) The branched CyDs are particularly effective in inhibiting the adsorption to hydrophobic surface of containers and aggregation of polypeptide and protein drugs. 6) The combined use of different CyDs and/or pharmaceutical additives can serve as more functional drug carriers, improving efficacy and reducing side effects. 7) The CyD/drug conjugates may provide a versatile means for the constructions of not only colonic delivery system but also site-specific drug release system, including gene delivery. On the basis of the above-mentioned knowledge, the advantages and limitations of CyDs in the design of advanced dosage forms will be discussed.

Protective effect of sulfobutyl ether beta-cyclodextrin on DY-9760e-induced hemolysis in vitro

The hemolytic behavior of a novel cytoprotective agent, DY-9760e (3-[2-[4-(3-chloro-2-methylphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-5,6-dimethoxy-1-(4-imidazolylmethyl)-1H-indazole dihydrochloride 3.5 hydrate) was investigated using rabbit erythrocytes. Further, the effects of water-soluble cyclodextrin derivatives, such as 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CyD) and sulfobutyl ether of beta-cyclodextrin (SBE-beta-CyD), on the hemolytic activity of DY-9760e were studied. DY-9760e induced hemolysis at concentrations >0.2-0.3 mM in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) of pH 4.0 and 6.0, where DY-9760e is predominantly in dicationic and monocationic forms, respectively. The hemolytic activity of the monocationic DY-9760e was higher than that of the dicationic species, and the hemolysis at pH 4.0 involved the formation of methemoglobin. DY9760e induced the morphological change of erythrocytes towards membrane invagination at both pH 4.0 and 6.0. SBE7-beta-CyD significantly suppressed the DY-9760e-induced hemolysis and morphological change at both pH 4.0 and 6.0, as well as the formation of methemoglobin at pH 4.0. On the other hand, HP-beta-CyD suppressed only the hemolysis, but neither the morphological change nor the formation of methemoglobin. In addition, the inhibitory effect of SBE7-beta-CyD on the hemolysis was greater than that of HP-beta-CyD. The superior inhibitory effect of SBE7-beta-CyD on the DY-9760-induced hemolysis, the morphological change, and the formation of methemoglobin may be attributable to the formation of a stable inclusion complex with DY-9760e and to the weaker hemolytic activity of SBE7beta-CyD than HP-beta-CyD. These results suggest potential use of SBE7-beta-CyD as a parenteral carrier for DY-9760e.

Interaction between surface active drug (FK906:rennin inhibitor) and cyclodextrins in aqueous solution

The aggregation behavior of FK906, which is a peptide like hypertensive agent, in aqueous solution was studied by static light scattering, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and surface tension. These experiments showed a clear critical micelle concentration (cmc) at around 6.3 x 10(-3) to 1.3 x 10(-2) M of FK906 aqueous solution. The result of 1H NMR experiments revealed that FK906 aggregates primarily by hydrophobic interactions involving the benzyl moiety. The Debye plots from light-scattering studies showed that the apparent molecular weight of aggregated FK906 molecule is 1670 which corresponds to 2-3 molecules of FK906. The effect of alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins on the surface tension of FK906 aqueous solution was investigated. It appeared that the addition of alpha-cyclodextrin showed very small shift of cmc, but that of beta-cyclodextrin shifted the cmc to much higher concentration. The investigation on the surface tension of FK906 aqueous solution in the presence of beta-cyclodextrin indicated that FK906 forms a 1:1 complex with beta-cyclodextrin. On the basis of these experiments, it appears that beta-cyclodextrin has an ability to change the surface active property of FK906 in its aqueous solution. Therefore, it is expected that the addition of beta-cyclodextrin to FK906 aqueous solution may prevent the adsorption onto container walls and/or reduce the local irritancy.

Pharmaceutical applications of cyclodextrins. 2. In vivo drug delivery

The objective of this Review is to summarize and critique recent findings and applications of both unmodified and modified cyclodextrins for in vivo drug delivery. This review focuses on the use of cyclodextrins for parenteral, oral, ophthalmic, and nasal drug delivery. Other routes including dermal, rectal, and pulmonary delivery are also briefly addressed. This Review primarily focuses on newer findings concerning cyclodextrin derivatives which are likely to receive regulatory acceptance due to improved aqueous solubility and safety profiles as compared to the unmodified cyclodextrins. Many of the applications reviewed involve the use of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrins (HP-beta-CDs) and sulfobutylether-beta-cyclodextrins (SBE-beta-CDs) which show promise of greater safety while maintaining the ability to form inclusion complexes. The advantages and limitations of HP-beta-CD, SBE-beta-CD, and other cyclodextrins are addressed.

Protection of erythrocytes against hemolytic agents by cyclodextrin polysulfate

Cyclodextrins generally exhibit hemolytic activity, some at concentrations as low as 1-10 mg/mL or lower. However, we found previously that a highly polysulfated cyclodextrin has no demonstrable hemolytic activity (Macarak et al., Biochem Pharmacol 42: 1502-1503, 1991). In the present study, we determined that, in fact, cyclodextrin polysulfate (CDS) actively protected erythrocytes against hemolysis induced by a wide spectrum of hemolytically active substances, ranging from pharmaceuticals, such as chlorpromazine, to solid suspensions of siliceous particles. The protective action was also effective against the hemolytic action of non-sulfated cyclodextrins. The similar kinetic responses of the erythrocytes to CDS protection against such chemically and structurally diverse hemolytic agents suggest a common mechanism involving the cell. Addition of the sulfated cyclodextrins to other cyclodextrin compounds used to solubilize poorly soluble pharmaceutical agents can extend the allowable maximum dosage without deleterious hemolytic action.

Effects of cyclodextrins on chlorpromazine-induced haemolysis and central nervous system responses

Cyclodextrins (CyDs) protected the human erythrocytes from haemolysis induced with chlorpromazine (CPZ) in isotonic solution, depending upon the magnitude of the stability constant of CPZ-CyD complexes (beta-greater than-gamma-greater than alpha-CyD). From the observations of CPZ uptake into erythrocytes and changes in surface activity of CPZ, the protective effects of CyDs in vitro appeared to be due to the decrease in effective haemolytic concentration of CPZ through inclusion complex formation rather than the direct interaction of CyDs with the erythrocyte membrane. The effect of beta-CyD on some central nervous system (c.n.s.) actions of CPZ in rats was also investigated to see if there were any advantages in the use of beta-CyD complexes given by injection. The results suggest that beta-CyD does not after the time-course or magnitude of the effects of CPZ on the c.n.s.