Structure-affinity relationships of Val-Val and Val-Val-Val stereoisomers with the apical oligopeptide transporter in human intestinal Caco-2 cells

Potential Development of Tumor-Targeted Oral Anti-Cancer Prodrugs: Amino Acid and Dipeptide Monoester Prodrugs of Gemcitabine

One of the main obstacles for cancer therapies is to deliver medicines effectively to target sites. Since stroma cells are developed around tumors, chemotherapeutic agents have to go through stroma cells in order to reach tumors. As a method to improve drug delivery to the tumor site, a prodrug approach for gemcitabine was adopted. Amino acid and dipeptide monoester prodrugs of gemcitabine were synthesized and their chemical stability in buffers, resistance to thymidine phosphorylase and cytidine deaminase, antiproliferative activity, and uptake/permeability in HFF cells as a surrogate to stroma cells were determined and compared to their parent drug, gemcitabine. The activation of all gemcitabine prodrugs was faster in pancreatic cell homogenates than their hydrolysis in buffer, suggesting enzymatic action. All prodrugs exhibited great stability in HFF cell homogenate, enhanced resistance to glycosidic bond metabolism by thymidine phosphorylase, and deamination by cytidine deaminase compared to their parent drug. All gemcitabine prodrugs exhibited higher uptake in HFF cells and better permeability across HFF monolayers than gemcitabine, suggesting a better delivery to tumor sites. Cell antiproliferative assays in Panc-1 and Capan-2 pancreatic ductal cell lines indicated that the gemcitabine prodrugs were more potent than their parent drug gemcitabine. The transport and enzymatic profiles of gemcitabine prodrugs suggest their potential for delayed enzymatic bioconversion and enhanced resistance to metabolic enzymes, as well as for enhanced drug delivery to tumor sites, and cytotoxic activity in cancer cells. These attributes would facilitate the prolonged systemic circulation and improved therapeutic efficacy of gemcitabine prodrugs.

The development of orally administrable gemcitabine prodrugs with D-enantiomer amino acids: enhanced membrane permeability and enzymatic stability

Gemcitabine prodrugs with D- and L-configuration amino acids were synthesized and their chemical stability in buffers, resistance to glycosidic bond metabolism, enzymatic activation, permeability in Caco-2 cells and mouse intestinal membrane, anti-proliferation activity in cancer cell were determined and compared to that of parent drug, gemcitabine. Prodrugs containing D-configuration amino acids were enzymatically more stable than ones with L-configuration amino acids. The activation of all gemcitabine prodrugs was 1.3-17.6-fold faster in cancer cell homogenate than their hydrolysis in buffer, suggesting enzymatic action. The enzymatic activation of amino acid monoester prodrugs containing D-configuration amino acids in cell homogenates was 2.2-10.9-fold slower than one of amino acid monoester prodrugs with L-configuration amino acids. All prodrugs exhibited enhanced resistance to glycosidic bond metabolism by thymidine phosphorylase compared to parent gemcitabine. Gemcitabine prodrugs showed superior the effective permeability in mouse jejunum to gemcitabine. More importantly, the high plasma concentration of d-amino acid gemcitabine prodrugs was observed more than one of L-amino acid gemcitabine prodrugs. In general, the 5'-mono-amino acid monoester gemcitabine prodrugs exhibited higher permeability and uptake than their parent drug, gemcitabine. Cell proliferation assays in AsPC-1 pancreatic ductal cell line indicated that gemcitabine prodrugs were more potent than their parent drug, gemcitabine. The transport and enzymatic profiles of 5'-D-valyl-gemcitabine and 5'-D-phenylalanyl-gemcitabine suggest their potential for increased oral uptake and delayed enzymatic bioconversion as well as enhanced uptake and cytotoxic activity in cancer cells, would facilitate the development of oral dosage form for anti-cancer agents and, hence, improve the quality of life for the cancer patients.

Selection of suitable prodrug candidates for in vivo studies via in vitro studies; the correlation of prodrug stability in between cell culture homogenates and human tissue homogenates

PURPOSE

To determine the correlations/discrepancies of drug stabilities between in the homogenates of human culture cells and of human tissues.

METHODS

Amino acid/dipeptide monoester prodrugs of floxuridine were chosen as the model drugs. The stabilities (half-lives) of floxuridine prodrugs in human tissues (pancreas, liver, and small intestine) homogenates were obtained and compared with ones in cell culture homogenates (AcPC-1, Capan-2, and Caco-2 cells) as well as human liver microsomes. The correlations of prodrug stability in human small bowel tissue homogenate vs. Caco-2 cell homogenate, human liver tissue homogenate vs. human liver microsomes, and human pancreatic tissue homogenate vs. pancreatic cell, AsPC-1 and Capan-2, homogenates were examined.

RESULTS

The stabilities of floxuridine prodrugs in human small bowel homogenate exhibited the great correlation to ones in Caco-2 cell homogenate (slope = 1.0-1.3, r2 = 0.79-0.98). The stability of those prodrugs in human pancreas tissue homogenate also exhibited the good correlations to ones in AsPC-1 and Capan-2 cells homogenates (slope = 0.5-0.8, r2 = 0.58-0.79). However, the correlations of prodrug stabilities between in human liver tissue homogenates and in human liver microsomes were weaker than others (slope = 1.3-1.9, r2 = 0.07-0.24).

CONCLUSIONS

The correlations of drug stabilities in cultured cell homogenates and in human tissue homogenates were compared. Those results exhibited wide range of correlations between in cell homogenate and in human tissue homogenate (r2 = 0.07 - 0.98). Those in vitro studies in cell homogenates would be good tools to predict drug stabilities in vivo and to select drug candidates for further developments. In the series of experiments, 5'-O-D-valyl-floxuridine and 5'-O-L-phenylalanyl-L-tyrosyl-floxuridine would be selected as candidates of oral drug targeting delivery for cancer chemotherapy due to their relatively good stabilities compared to other tested prodrugs.

Pharmaceutical and pharmacological importance of peptide transporters

Peptide transport is currently a prominent topic in membrane research. The transport proteins involved are under intense investigation because of their physiological importance in protein absorption and also because peptide transporters are possible vehicles for drug delivery. Moreover, in many tissues peptide carriers transduce peptidic signals across membranes that are relevant in information processing. The focus of this review is on the pharmaceutical relevance of the human peptide transporters PEPT1 and PEPT2. In addition to their physiological substrates, both carriers transport many β-lactam antibiotics, valaciclovir and other drugs and prodrugs because of their sterical resemblance to di- and tripeptides. The primary structure, tissue distribution and substrate specificity of PEPT1 and PEPT2 have been well characterized. However, there is a dearth of knowledge on the substrate binding sites and the three-dimensional structure of these proteins. Until this pivotal information becomes available by X-ray crystallography, the development of new drug substrates relies on classical transport studies combined with molecular modelling. In more than thirty years of research, data on the interaction of well over 700 di- and tripeptides, amino acid and peptide derivatives, drugs and prodrugs with peptide transporters have been gathered. The aim of this review is to put the reports on peptide transporter-mediated drug uptake into perspective. We also review the current knowledge on pharmacogenomics and clinical relevance of human peptide transporters. Finally, the reader's attention is drawn to other known or proposed human peptide-transporting proteins.

Enhanced cancer cell growth inhibition by dipeptide prodrugs of floxuridine: increased transporter affinity and metabolic stability

Dipeptide monoester prodrugs of floxuridine were synthesized, and their chemical stability in buffers, resistance to glycosidic bond metabolism, affinity for PEPT1, enzymatic activation and permeability in cancer cells were determined and compared to those of mono amino acid monoester floxuridine prodrugs. Prodrugs containing glycyl moieties were the least stable in pH 7.4 buffer ( t 1/2 < 100 min). The activation of all floxuridine prodrugs was 2- to 30-fold faster in cell homogenates than their hydrolysis in buffer, suggesting enzymatic action. The enzymatic activation of dipeptide monoester prodrugs containing aromatic promoieties in cell homogenates was 5- to 20-fold slower than that of other dipeptide and most mono amino acid monoester prodrugs ( t 1/2 approximately 40 to 100 min). All prodrugs exhibited enhanced resistance to glycosidic bond metabolism by thymidine phosphorylase compared to parent floxuridine. In general, the 5'-O-dipeptide monoester floxuridine prodrugs exhibited higher affinity for PEPT1 than the corresponding 5'-O-mono amino acid ester prodrugs. The permeability of dipeptide monoester prodrugs across Caco-2 and Capan-2 monolayers was 2- to 4-fold higher than the corresponding mono amino acid ester prodrug. Cell proliferation assays in AsPC-1 and Capan-2 pancreatic ductal cell lines indicated that the dipeptide monoester prodrugs were equally as potent as mono amino acid prodrugs. The transport and enzymatic profiles of 5'- l-phenylalanyl- l-tyrosyl-floxuridine, 5'- l-phenylalanyl- l-glycyl-floxuridine, and 5'- l-isoleucyl- l-glycyl-floxuridine suggest their potential for increased oral uptake, delayed enzymatic bioconversion and enhanced resistance to metabolism to 5-fluorouracil, as well as enhanced uptake and cytotoxic activity in cancer cells, attributes that would facilitate prolonged systemic circulation for enhanced therapeutic action.

Enhanced absorption and growth inhibition with amino acid monoester prodrugs of floxuridine by targeting hPEPT1 transporters

A series of amino acid monoester prodrugs of floxuridine was synthesized and evaluated for the improvement of oral bioavailability and the feasibility of target drug delivery via oligopeptide transporters. All floxuridine 5'-amino acid monoester prodrugs exhibited PEPT1 affinity, with inhibition coefficients of Gly-Sar uptake (IC50) ranging from 0.7 - 2.3 mM in Caco-2 and 2.0 - 4.8 mM in AsPC-1 cells, while that of floxuridine was 7.3 mM and 6.3 mM, respectively. Caco-2 membrane permeabilities of floxuridine prodrugs (1.01 - 5.31 x 10(-6 )cm/sec) and floxuridine (0.48 x 10(-6 )cm/sec) were much higher than that of 5-FU (0.038 x 10(-6) cm/sec). MDCK cells stably transfected with the human oligopeptide transporter PEPT1 (MDCK/hPEPT1) exhibited enhanced cell growth inhibition in the presence of the prodrugs. This prodrug strategy offers great potential, not only for increased drug absorption but also for improved tumor selectivity and drug efficacy.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Tripeptidic Promoieties Targeting the Intestinal Peptide Transporter hPEPT1

The human intestinal proton coupled di/tri-peptide transporter hPEPT1 promotes the oral bioavailability of several drug compounds. The strategy behind the present work is that by linking a suitable di- or tripeptidic promoiety to a drug substance, by a hydrolysable ester bond, it may give rise to a prodrug that targets hPEPT1. 29 tripeptides were designed based on known structural requirements for substrates binding hPEPT1. Serine, homoserine, or threonine was incorporated in the tripeptide as hydroxy group donors in order for them to be linked to carboxylic drug substances. Optimisation of the promoiety included a study of 14 unnatural tripeptides whose diversity was expressed by VolSurf descriptors. A total of 29 tripeptides was synthesised by solid phase peptide synthesis and a standard Fmoc protocol. The affinity of the tripeptides to hPEPT1 was determined by measuring the inhibition of [(14)C]Gly-Sar in mature Caco-2 cell monolayers which resulted in K(i) values ranging from 0.22 to 25 mM or above. Translocation through the intestinal membrane, mediated by hPEPT1, was measured by recording the membrane potential relative to that induced by the known substrate Gly-Sar. The change in membrane potential is caused by influx of protons due to the co-transport of substrates and protons by hPEPT1 and is, as such, an indication of translocation. A K(i) value of 0.30 mM combined with efficient translocation indicated that H-Phe-Ser-Ala-OH is a suitable lead promoiety for targeted hPEPT1 prodrug design.

A rapid in vitro screening for delivery of peptide-derived peptidase inhibitors as potential drug candidates via epithelial peptide transporters

Targeting drugs or prodrugs to a specific enzyme by simultaneously targeting cell membrane carriers for efficient transport should provide the highest bioavailability along with specificity at the site of action. The peptide transporters PEPT1 and PEPT2 are expressed in a variety of tissues, including the brush-border membranes of epithelial cells of the small intestine and kidney. The transporters accept a wide range of substrates and are therefore good targets for a transporter-mediated drug delivery. Here, we report a screening procedure for peptidomimetic drug candidates combining two independent expression systems: 1) a competition assay in transgenic Pichia pastoris yeast cells expressing either mammalian PEPT1 or PEPT2 for identifying substrate interaction with the transporter binding site; and 2) a Xenopus laevis-based oocyte expression of the peptide transporter for assessing electrogenic transport of drug candidates. Based on the known oral availability and in vivo efficacy of the dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPIV) inhibitor isoleucine-thiazolidide and its peptide-like structure, we first tested whether this compound is a substrate of epithelial peptide transporters. Additionally, a series of structurally related inhibitors were analyzed for transport. We identified various compounds that serve as substrates of the intestinal peptide transporter PEPT1. In contrast, none of these DPIV inhibitors showed electrogenic transport by PEPT2, although a variety of the compounds displayed good affinities for competition in peptide uptake in PEPT2-expressing cells, suggesting that they may serve as efficient inhibitors. In conclusion, we have applied an in vitro screening system that predicts efficient intestinal absorption of peptide-derived peptidase inhibitors via PEPT1 in vivo.

The intestinal H+/peptide symporter PEPT1: structure–affinity relationships

Peptide transporter 1, PEPT1, of the mammalian enterocyte is presently under intense investigation in many laboratories because of its nutritional importance in the absorption of protein hydrolysis products and because more recent studies have shown that many drugs and prodrugs gain entry into the systemic circulation via PEPT1. Until the exact structural features of the substrate binding site of PEPT1 become available, for example by X-ray crystallography, determination of affinities followed by proof of actual membrane translocation will have to suffice when testing for possible new substrates for PEPT1. Affinity constants reflect the strength of their interaction with the binding site of the transporter. A review of the literature shows a wide range of affinity constants between 2 microM and 30 mM. We consider affinity constants for substrates or inhibitors of PEPT1 lower than 0.5 mM as high affinity, between 0.5 and 5.0 mM as medium affinity and above 5 mM as low affinity. Values above 15 mM we consider with great caution. In this mini-review we discuss affinities and structural determinants which affect affinities of a variety of substrates for PEPT1.

Transport characteristics of peptides and peptidomimetics: II. Hydroxyethylamine bioisostere-containing peptidomimetics as substrates for the oligopeptide transporter and P-glycoprotein in the intestinal mucosa

Peptide bond bioisosteres, such as hydroxyethylamine (Hea), have frequently been used to stabilize metabolically labile peptide bonds in peptidomimetic drug design in an effort to increase the oral bioavailability of drug candidates. However, the impact of the peptide bond bioisosteres on the cell permeation characteristics of peptidomimetics is not well understood, particularly with respect to the effects on the substrate activity for proteins that can restrict (e.g. P-glycoprotein, P-gp) or facilitate (e.g. the oligopeptide transporter, OPT) intestinal mucosal permeation of peptidomimetics. In this study, terminally free and terminally modified (N-acetylated and C-amidated) peptidomimetics of H-Ala-Phe-OH and H-Ala-Phe-Ala-OH with the Ala-Phe peptide bonds replaced by Hea bioisosteres were synthesized. Transport characteristics of these peptidomimetics were investigated using Caco-2 cell monolayers as an in vitro model of the intestinal mucosa. The study showed that the Hea bioisostere stabilized the peptidomimetics to protease metabolism in Caco-2 cells. All terminally free peptidomimetics showed significant affinity and substrate activity for OPT. The affinity and substrate activity for OPT were stereoselective for peptidomimetics containing an S,S-configuration for the two adjacent chiral centers related to the Hea bioisostere. Three of the four terminally modified peptidomimetics showed significant substrate activity for P-gp and, interestingly, the substrate activity for P-gp was also stereoselective; however, it was in favor of an R,R-configuration for the two adjacent chiral centers related to the Hea bioisostere.

Transport characteristics of peptides and peptidomimetics: I. N-methylated peptides as substrates for the oligopeptide transporter and P-glycoprotein in the intestinal mucosa

Peptides and peptidomimetics often exhibit poor oral bioavailability due to their metabolic instability and low permeation across the intestinal mucosa. N-Methylation has been used successfully in peptide-based drug design in an attempt to improve the metabolic stability of a peptide-based lead compound. However, the effect of N-methylation on the absorption of peptides through the intestinal mucosa is not well understood, particularly when transporters, i.e. the oligopeptide transporter (OPT) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp), modulate the passive diffusion of these types of molecules. To examine this, terminally free and terminally modified (N-acetylated and C-amidated) analogs of H-Ala-Phe-Ala-OH with N-methyl groups on either the Ala-Phe or Phe-Ala peptide bond were synthesized. Transport studies using Caco-2 cell monolayers, an in vitro model of the intestinal mucosa, showed that N-methylation of the Ala-Phe peptide bond of H-Ala-Phe-Ala-OH stabilized the molecule to protease degradation, and the resulting analog exhibited significant substrate activity for OPT. However, N-methylation of the Phe-Ala peptide bond of H-Ala-Phe-Ala-OH did not stabilize the molecule to protease degradation, and the substrate activity of the resulting molecule for OPT could not be determined. Interestingly, N-methylation of the Phe-Ala peptide bond of the terminally modified tripeptide Ac-Ala-Phe-Ala-NH2 decreased the substrate activity of the molecule for the efflux transporter P-gp. In contrast, N-methylation of the Ala-Phe peptide bond of the terminally modified tripeptide Ac-Ala-Phe-Ala-NH2 increased the substrate activity of the molecule for P-gp.

Membrane transporters

Carrier-mediated drug transport is relatively unexplored in comparison with passive transcellular and paracellular drug transport. Yet, there is a host of transporter proteins that can be targeted for improving epithelial drug absorption. Generally, these are transport mechanisms for amino acids, dipeptides, monosaccharides, monocarboxylic acids, organic cations, phosphates, nucleosides, and water-soluble vitamins. Among them, the dipeptide transporter mechanism has received the most attention. Dipeptide transporters are H(+)-coupled, energy-dependent transporters that are known to play an essential role in the oral absorption of beta-lactam antibiotics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, renin inhibitors, and an anti-tumor drug, bestatin. Moreover, several investigators have demonstrated the utility of the dipeptide transporter as a platform for improving the oral bioavailability of drugs such as zidovudine and acyclovir through dipeptide prodrug derivatization. Thus far, at least four proton-coupled peptide transporters have been cloned. The first one cloned was PepT1 from the rabbit small intestine. The focus of this presentation will be structure-function, intracellular trafficking, and regulation of PepT1. Disease, dietary, and possible excipient influences on PepT1 function will also be discussed.