Association of Genetic polymorphisms of EDN1 gene and Endothelin-1 level in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Jordanian population

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is one of the most potent vasoconstrictors, encoded by the endothelin-1 (EDN1) gene. It has been shown to play an important role in different diseases including Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Various single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the EDN1 gene are related to microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) such as retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy. This study aims to determine the association between two selected EDN1 gene polymorphisms (rs2071942 G > A, rs5370 G > T) and T2DM in the Jordanian population, also to measure the level of ET-1 in T2DM. The samples were collected from the National Center of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Genetics- Amman, Jordan, including 97 patients with T2DM and 80 healthy individuals. PCR-RFLP was used for SNPs genotyping. ET-1 level was determined using IQELISA kits. The univariate analysis for both SNPs didn't show statistically significant differences in the genotype or allele frequencies among T2DM cases as well as in controls. The same results were obtained regarding ET-1 concentration. The subgroup analysis by sex showed that the genotype and allelic frequencies of rs5370, rs2071942 G/A polymorphisms were not significantly different in males and females. Multivariate Analysis adjusted for various confounders didn't express statistical significance difference for occurrences of both SNPs. However, height and gender showed to be significant risk factors for occurrences of heterozygote alleles in both SNPs. On the other hand, the duration of diabetes has appeared to be related to the recessive allele in rs5370.

Simple and rapid quantification of ribociclib in rat plasma by protein precipitation and LC-MS/MS: An application to pharmacokinetics of ribociclib nanoparticles in rats

Ribociclib is a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK4/6) inhibitor and is a standard of care for treating metastatic breast cancer. The drug has moderate oral bioavailability and exhibits permeability-controlled absorption. Novel formulations to enhance ribociclib pharmacokinetics are being developed and tested in rats. This requires developing analytical assays for quantifying ribociclib monitoring in rat plasma. We present a fully validated, sensitive, and simple LC-MS/MS method for measuring ribociclib in rat plasma. Ribociclib-D6 was utilized as an internal standard, and a simple protein precipitation procedure with acetonitrile was used in sample preparation. Excellent assay linearity was observed over a standard curve concentration of 1.008-1027.624 ng/mL. Acceptable intra- and inter-day accuracy and reproductivity were demonstrated for ribociclib quality controls (bias and CV% within ±15%). Complete extraction recovery of ribociclib was achieved, and a negligible matrix effect of analyte to internal standard ratio was observed. Ribociclib was stable at various conditions, including bench-top, freeze-thaw, and short-term stability. Overall, the presented method is simple, sensitive, accurate, and precise and was successfully applied to quantify ribociclib in plasma samples from a pharmacokinetic study of ribociclib suspension and nanoparticle formulation in rats.

Ribociclib Hybrid Lipid-Polymer Nanoparticle Preparation and Characterization for Cancer Treatment

Ribociclib is a newly approved orally administered drug for breast cancer. This study aimed to prepare, characterize, and evaluate hybrid lipid-polymer nanoparticles (PLNs) of ribociclib to enhance its in vitro dissolution rate, pharmacokinetics, and anticancer efficacy. Ribociclib-loaded PLNs were prepared by solvent evaporation using the Box-Behnken design to optimize formulation variables. Particle size, entrapment efficiency, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), in vitro release cytotoxicity, molecular modeling, and pharmacokinetic studies were examined. The ribociclib-loaded PLN (formula 1, F1) was optimized in terms of particle size (266.9 ± 4.61 nm) and encapsulation efficiency (59.1 ± 2.57 mg/mL). DSC and thermogravimetric characterization showed the absence of a crystalline structure in the prepared PLNs, confirmed by FTIR, and showed no interactions between the components and the drug. AFM showed well-dispersed heterogeneously shaped nanoparticles. The in vitro release profile exhibited significant results for the optimized formula, reaching 100% at 600 and 90 min at pH 6.8 and 1.2, respectively. The low IC₅₀ obtained by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay suggests that optimized PLN might serve as an effective delivery vehicle for cancer treatment, especially breast and lung cancer. Molecular modeling revealed several hydrogen bonds. A pharmacokinetic study in rats showed that the ribociclib formula had a 6.5-fold increase in maximum concentration (C_max) and a 5.6-fold increase in area under the curve (AUC). Regarding the everted intestinal sac absorption, formula 1 increased ribociclib penetration relative to the physical combination and pure medication. In conclusion, optimized PLNs with enhanced physicochemical and cytotoxic properties and improved pharmacokinetic parameters were successfully prepared.

Theoretical evaluation of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers with different peripheral groups as a purinethol drug delivery system in aqueous medium

In this work, density functional theory calculations were used to study the association of PUR with amine- and acetyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers considering implicit solvent effect at neutral and low pH conditions. Frontier molecular orbitals' analysis indicates that the electronic properties of dendrimers are extremely sensitive to the presence of PUR molecule at both neutral and low pH conditions. Encapsulation of PUR molecule into the both amine- and acetyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers leads to a Gibbs free energy of (ΔG) - 20.25 kcal.mol^-1 at physiological pH. The corresponding ΔG values reduce to the - 1.45 and - 0.91 kcal.mol^-1 at low pH, indicating that the drug molecule is released easily at low pH. The calculated recovery times for amine- (3.87 ×10² and 3.87 ×10², at neutral and low pH, respectively) and acetyl-terminated (5.34 ×10¹⁰ and 1.81 ×10^-1, at neutral and low pH, respectively) dendrimers suggest that acetylation can improve the release pattern of drug molecule.

Solubilization of a novel antitumor drug ribociclib in water and ten different organic solvents at different temperatures

OBJECTIVE

This study reports new solubility and physicochemical data for ribociclib (RCB) in water and ten organic solvents including "methanol (MeOH), ethanol (EtOH), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), n-butanol (n-BuOH), propylene glycol (PG), polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400), acetone, ethyl acetate (EA), Transcutol-HP (THP), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)" at 293.2-313.2 K and 101.1 kPa.

SIGNIFICANCE

The obtained data are useful for the industrial applications of RCB.

METHODS

The solubility of RCB was measured and regressed using "van't Hoff, Buchowski-Ksiazczak λh, the modified Apelblat, and Jouyban models."

RESULTS

The overall deviations of <4.0% were recorded for all four models. The maximum mole fraction solubility of RCB was 2.66 × 10^-2 in PEG-400 at 313.2 K, however, the lowest one was in the water. The RCB solubility increased with temperature and the order followed in the water and ten different organic solvents was PEG-400 (2.66 × 10^-2) > THP (1.00 × 10^-2) > PG (5.39 × 10^-3) > DMSO (5.00 × 10^-3) > n-BuOH (3.23 × 10^-3) > acetone (3.11 × 10^-3) > IPA (1.58 × 10^-3) > EA (1.41 × 10^-3) > EtOH (1.37 × 10^-3) > MeOH (8.10 × 10^-4) > water (2.38 × 10^-5) at 313.2 K. The maximum solute-solvent interactions were found in RCB-PEG-400 in comparison with other combination of RCB and solvents. "Apparent thermodynamic analysis" indicated an "endothermic and entropy-driven dissolution" of RCB in water and ten organic solvents.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on all these data and observations, PEG-400 can be used as the best co-solvent for RCB solubilization.

Pharmacokinetics and Bioequivalence of Two Empagliflozin, with Evaluation in Healthy Jordanian Subjects under Fasting and Fed Conditions

The current study is a randomized, open-label, two-period, two-sequence, two-way crossover pharmacokinetic study in healthy Jordanian subjects to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence profile of two cases of empagliflozin 10 mg under fasting and fed conditions. The plasma concentrations of empagliflozin were determined using an HPLC-MS/MS method. Tolerability and safety were assessed throughout the study. This study included 26 subjects, 26 in both fasting and fed groups.The pharmacokinetic parameters, which included the area under the concentration–time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC_0–inf) and the final quantifiable concentration (AUC_0–last), maximum serum concentration (C_max), and time to reach the maximum drug concentration (T_max) were found to be within an equivalence margin of 80.00–125.00%. The pharmacokinetic profiles show that the empagliflozin test and parent reference cases were bioequivalent in healthy subjects. The two treatments’ safety evaluations were also comparable.

Development and Validation of HPLC Method for Five Gliptins in Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms in Finished Marketed Products

Aim:

The aim is to develop and validate a single quantitative method for all DPP-IV inhibitors (Alogliptin, Vildagliptin, Sitagliptin, Saxagliptin, and Linagliptin).

Background:

Metformin is the most used antihyperglycemic drug in diabetes, therefore it is preferred to be combined with other classes of antihyperglycemic drugs, specially gliptins. Formulating these two drug classes in one pharmaceutical dosage form would be more efficacious to control hyperglycemia than having either drug alone.

Objective:

This study was designed and performed to develop a new, simple, and reliable method of analysis for assaying simultaneously five types of gliptins (Alogliptin, Linagliptin, Saxagliptin, Sitagliptin, and Vildagliptin) and Metformin, which has not been documented before.

Methods:

The present method was carried out using a C18 column (250x4.6 mm), 5μm particle size, mobile phase consisting of water to acetonitrile ratio 85:15% (v/v) and the pH was set by orthophosphoric acid at 3, 10 μl injection volume, 0.5 ml flow rate, 25oC temperature, and the eluent was monitored at 232 nm.

Results:

The assay's selectivity showed no interference with inactive ingredients in the formulation, and the %recovery from each drug dosage forms at three different concentrations were within the acceptable limits of the ICH guidelines. Although the method showed robustness towards the flow rate, it showed significant change at 230 or 234 nm.

Conclusion:

The present analytical method is comprehensive and universal for measuring the five drugs and Metformin. Such an analytical method can be applied to the present available combined drug dosage forms of Metformin and one type of gliptins and the possible future of triple combinations of two gliptins and Metformin.

Eco-friendly stability-indicating RP-HPTLC method for sildenafil analysis, characterization and biological evaluation of its oxidized stress degradation product

A feasible and cost effective reverse-phase high-performance thin layer chromatography (RP-HPTLC) based method was developed for the quantification of sildenafil (SLD) using eco-friendly EtOH:H2O (9.5:0.5 v/v) as mobile phase. SLD was subjected to stress conditions according to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The drug undergoes significant structural changes under oxidative stress condition to the N-oxide derivative. The oxidation product Sildenafil N-oxide (SDL N-oxide) designated in the European Pharmacopeia (EP) as impurity B was characterized utilizing 1D- and 2D-NMR as well as High Resolution Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectroscopy. The aphrodisiac potency of SDL N-oxide in comparison with SLD was evaluated in vivo using rats as experimental animal model. The evaluation based on the following parameters: mount, intromission and ejaculation latencies (ML, IL and EL, respectively), mounting and intromission frequencies (MF and IF, respectively), and postejaculatory interval (PEI). SLD N-oxide expressed similar aphrodisiac effect to SLD but with less potency. Molecular docking of SDL N-oxide along with the parent drug SLD, indicated a strong binding affinity and similar binding pattern within the active site of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5). However, the docking score of SLD N-oxide was slightly lower as compared to SLD in agreement with the biological study findings.

Exploitation of Design-of-Experiment Approach for Design and Optimization of Fast-Disintegrating Tablets for Sublingual Delivery of Sildenafil Citrate with Enhanced Bioavailability Using Fluid-Bed Granulation Technique

Sildenafil citrate undergoes first-pass metabolism, resulting in poor oral bioavailability at 25-41% of the administered dose. This study aimed to design and optimize fast-disintegrating tablets for the sublingual delivery of sildenafil citrate to improve bioavailability and facilitate rapid onset of action. The design-of-experiment (DoE) approach using 32 full factorial design was conducted to develop a new formulation of sildenafil fast-disintegrating sublingual tablets (FDSTs) using the fluid-bed granulation technique. The levels of partially pre-gelatinized starch (5-15%) and microcrystalline cellulose (10-60%) were selected as independent formulation variables. The prepared FDSTs were investigated for physical properties. Further, the optimum formulation was chosen for in vivo study in rabbits. Regression analysis showed that independent variables have a significant (p < 0.05) influence on critical attributes of FDSTs. The optimized formulation showed acceptable mechanical strength (friability < 1.0%) with very fast disintegration (14.561 ± 0.84 s) and dissolution (94.734 ± 2.76% after 15 min). Further, the optimized formulation demonstrated a significant increase (p < 0.01) in Cmax and AUC0-∞ with short tmax compared to the market product (Viagra®). Based on these results, using the DoE approach, a high level of assurance was achieved for FDSTs' product quality and performance.

Solubility determination and solution thermodynamics of olmesartan medoxomil in (PEG-400 + water) cosolvent mixtures

The solubility and solution thermodynamic properties of a weakly water-soluble compound olmesartan medoxomil (OLM) in binary 'polyethylene glycol (PEG-400) + water' cosolvent compositions were determined. The 'mole fraction solubility (x _e)' of OLM in binary 'PEG-400 + water' cosolvent compositions and pure solvents (PEG-400 and water) was determined at 'T = 295.15-330.15 K' and 'p = 0.1 MPa'. The Hansen solubility parameter (HSP) of OLM, pure PEG-400, pure water, and binary 'PEG-400 + water' cosolvent compositions free of OLM were also predicted. The obtained x _e values of OLM were correlated using 'van't Hoff, modified Apelblat, Yalkowsky-Roseman, Jouyban-Acree and Jouyban-Acree-van't Hoff' computational models with the error values of <4.0%. The maximum and minimum x _e value of OLM was predicted in neat PEG-400 (1.15 × 10^-2 at T = 330.15 K) and neat water (1.90 × 10^-7 at T = 295.15 K), respectively. The OLM HSP was predicted to be more close with that of neat PEG-400. The x _e value of OLM was found increased significantly with increase in temperature and PEG-400 mass fraction in all 'PEG-400 + water' cosolvent compositions including neat PEG-400 and neat water. An 'apparent thermodynamic analysis' studies presented an 'endothermic and entropy-driven dissolution' of OLM in all 'PEG-400 + water' cosolvent compositions including pure PEG-400 and pure water.

Influence of Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (Candesartan) and Angiotensin-Converting-Enzyme Inhibitor (Enalapril) Combined with Glimepiride on Glycated Hemoglobin in Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetic Rats (NIDDM)

Background: Antihypertensive agents like Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEIs) and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Blockers (ARBs) are commonly indicated for patients with both hypertension and diabetes. However, the effect of these agents on blood sugar level or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is still controversial. This study aims at investigating the short, and long term effects of ACEIs and ARBs on blood sugar level and HbA1c of a group of streptozocin (STZ)-induced NIDDM rats when given in combination with Glimepiride (antidiabetic drug from Sulfonylureas group). Methods: Diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced in 100 Wistar albino adult male and female laboratory rats above 8 weeks old, and weigh between 250-300 gm by the administration of Streptozocin 75% α-anomer. Two weeks later, the 100 rats were then randomized into four groups (25 rats each). Group one was the untreated control group (received placebo only), while other groups (II, III, and IV) were treated by Glimepiride only, Glimepiride plus ARB (Candesartan), and Glimepiride plus ACEI (Enalapril) respectively. HbA1C levels were measured at baseline (pre-test/directly after randomization) to ensure that there was no significant difference between study groups at the baseline, post-test (after two weeks), and delayed-post-test (12 weeks after randomization/ 10 weeks after post-test) to measure short and long-term changes in the study groups. Results: There was no significant difference (p-values >0.05) between the four groups (groups I, II, III, and IV) in the HbA1C mean level at the beginning of this study (two-weeks after randomization and injection of STZ) (mean = 7.62 ±SD = 0.41, 7.72 ±SD = 0.48, 7.66 ±SD = 0.47, and 7.52 ±SD = 0.51respectively). However, two weeks later, treated groups (groups II, III, and IV) showed moderate reduction of HbA1C mean level compared to the untreated (placebo) group I, that was significant in groups III, and IV, and insignificant in group II (mean =7.43±SD 0.54, 6.97±SD 0.33, 6.72±SD 0.26, and 7.71 ±SD 0.44 respectively). Furthermore, treated groups (groups II, III, and IV) showed significant dramatic reduction of HbA1C mean level when compared to the untreated group (group I) (mean = 6.22 ±SD 0.51, 5.24 ±SD 0.62, 5.22 ±SD 0.13, and 7.62 ±SD 0.42 respectively).Overall, treated groups showed significantly lower HbA1C level than placebo groups. Moreover, Glimepiride + Enalapril combination showed a stronger hypoglycemic effect than the Glimepiride + Candesartan combination at post, and post-delayed tests, however, these differences were not significant. Conclusion: The addition of either ACEIs like Enalapril, or ARBs like Candesartan to Sulfonylureas like Glimepiride to in NIDDM patients will synergize its anti-diabetic effect in NIDDM subjects, and might increase the possibility of hypoglycemia. Caution and/or dose adjustment should be considered upon using these agents together in patients with hypertension along with diabetes.

Chitosan surface modified PLGA nanoparticles loaded with brigatinib for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

In the current study, surface-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) of brigatinib (BRB) were prepared by studying the variables PLGA (polymer), PVA (stabilizer) and chitosan (coater) against experimentally obtained responses. The optimized NPs (F2) were evaluated in vitro for differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size, polydispersity index (PDI) and drug entrapment (EE), in vitro release, hematocompatibility and in vitro anticancer studies. The optimized NPs’ (F2) composition, PLGA (75 mg), PVA (0.55% w/v), chitosan (0.75% w/v) and 30 mg of BRB was found to be optimum with particle size (406.3 ± 5.1 nm), PDI (0.277), ζ potential (30.4 ± 3.3 mV) and %EE (82.32%). The in vitro release profile showed a sustained release pattern of the F2 nanoparticles of BRB. The 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay revealed a significant anticancer activity for F2 NPs against A549 cell lines in comparison to free BRB. The result obtained in this work indicated the immense potential of nanoparticles to effectively deliver the BRB to the cancer site for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Anticancer Efficacy of Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System of Sunitinib Malate

Sunitinib malate (SM) is reported as a weakly soluble drug in water due to its poor dissolution rate and oral bioavailability. Hence, in the current study, various "self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS)" of SM were prepared, characterized and evaluated for the enhancement of its in vitro dissolution rate and anticancer efficacy. On the basis of solubilization potential of SM in various excipients, "Lauroglycol-90 (oil), Triton-X100 (surfactant) and Transcutol-P (cosurfactant)" were selected for the preparation of SM SNEDDS. SM-loaded SNEDDS were developed by spontaneous emulsification method, characterized and evaluated for "thermodynamic stability, self-nanoemulsification efficiency, droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), surface morphology, refractive index (RI), the percent of transmittance (% T) and drug release profile." In vitro dissolution rate of SM was significantly enhanced from an optimized SNEDDS in comparison with SM suspension. The optimized SNEDDS of SM with droplet size of 42.3 nm, PDI value of 0.174, ZP value of -36.4 mV, RI value of 1.339, % T value of 97.3%, and drug release profile of 95.4% (after 24 h via dialysis membrane) was selected for in vitro anticancer efficacy in human colon cancer cells (HT-29) by MTT assay. MTT assay indicated significant anticancer efficacy of optimized SM SNEDDS against HT-29 cells in comparison with free SM. The results of this study showed the great potential of SNEDDS in the enhancement of in vitro dissolution rate and anticancer efficacy of poorly soluble drug such as SM.

Preparation, Evaluation and Bioavailability Studies of Eudragit Coated PLGA Nanoparticles for Sustained Release of Eluxadoline for the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Eluxadoline is a newly approved orally administered drug used for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea. It is reported as a poorly water-soluble drug due to which its dissolution rate and oral bioavailability are very poor. In this work, various plain PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) (F1–F4) were prepared and optimized based on particle size, PDI, zeta potential and percent drug entrapment efficiency (EE). The developed plain NPs (F1–F4) showed average particle size ranging from 260.19 to 279.76 nm with smooth surface and EE of 17.83–56.29%. The optimized plain NPs (F3) had particle size of 273.76 ± 7.25 nm with a low PDI value 0.327, zeta potential - 30.63 ± 2.47 mV and % EE of 56.29 ± 2.56%. The optimized F3 NPs was further submitted for enteric coating using Eudragit S100 polymer and evaluated in terms of particles characterization, in vitro release and pharmacokinetic studies in rats. The bioavailability of plain and coated nanaoparticles were enhanced by 6.8- and 18.5-fold, respectively, compared to normal suspension. These results revealed that the developed coated NPs could be used for its oral delivery for an effective treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea.