Chemical delivery systems and soft drugs: Retrometabolic approaches of drug design

Inclusion of metabolic considerations in the drug design process leads to significant development in the field of chemical drug targeting and the design of safer drugs during past few years which is a part of an approach now designated as Retro metabolic drug design (RMDD). This approach represents systematic methodologies that integrate structure–activity and structure–metabolism relationships and are aimed to design safe, locally active compounds with an improved therapeutic index. It embraces two distinct methods, chemical delivery systems and a soft drug approach. Present review recapitulates an impression of RMDD giving reflections on the chemical delivery system and the soft drug approach and provides a variety of examples to embody its concepts. Successful application of such design principles has already been applied to a number of marketed drugs like esmolol; loteprednol etc., and many other candidates like beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, alkylating agents, antimicrobials etc., are also under investigation.     

A physiologically based kinetic (PBK) model describing plasma concentrations of quercetin and its metabolites in rats

Biological activities of flavonoids in vivo are ultimately dependent on the systemic bioavailability of the aglycones as well as their metabolites. In the present study, a physiologically based kinetic (PBK) model was developed to predict plasma concentrations of the flavonoid quercetin and its metabolites and to tentatively identify the regiospecificity of the major circulating metabolites. The model was developed based on in vitro metabolic parameters and by fitting kinetic parameters to literature available in vivo data. Both exposure to quercetin aglycone and to quercetin-4′-O-glucoside, for which in vivo data were available, were simulated. The predicted plasma concentrations of different metabolites adequately matched literature reported plasma concentrations of these metabolites in rats exposed to 4′-O-glucoside. The bioavailability of aglycone was predicted to be very low ranging from 0.004%-0.1% at different oral doses of quercetin or quercetin-4′-O-glucoside. Glucuronidation was a crucial pathway that limited the bioavailability of the aglycone, with 95–99% of the dose being converted to monoglucuronides within 1.5–2.5 h at different dose levels ranging from 0.1 to 50 mg/kg bw quercetin or quercetin-4′-O-glucoside. The fast metabolic conversion to monoglucuronides allowed these metabolites to further conjugate to di- and tri-conjugates. The regiospecificity of major circulating metabolites was observed to be dose-dependent. As we still lack in vivo kinetic data for many flavonoids, the developed model has a great potential to be used as a platform to build PBK models for other flavonoids as well as to predict the kinetics of flavonoids in humans.     

Absorption,tissue distribution,tissue metabolism and safety of α-mangostin in mangosteen extract using mouse models

The commercially available herbal products as the form of extract were usually mixtures containing various compounds. In spite of the purported efficacy in each active constituent, the coexisting constituents in the herbal extract might interfere with the efficacy and safety and affect the pharmacokinetic properties of active constituents. To compare for the pharmacokinetic properties of α-mangostin, a major bioactive compound, in mangosteen extract and pure α-mangostin, the pharmacokinetics as well as tissue distribution, in vitro metabolism, plasma protein binding and safety evaluation were conducted in mice because a mouse model is required a small amount of compounds and useful to develop disease models. The absorption of α-mangostin was increased and hepatic metabolism of α-mangostin was decreased in mice treated with mangosteen extract. However, the intestinal metabolism α-mangostin is comparable and still extensive in mice treated with α-mangostin and mangosteen extract. Intraperitorial LC₅₀ of α-mangostin and mangosteen extract was 150 and 231 mg/kg, respectively. These findings may be valuable to explain the different pharmacokinetics and safety of α-mangostin and mangosteen extract. Furthermore, these findings are useful to design the efficacy and safety investigation of α-mangostin or mangosteen extract in mice with disease models or combination therapies to extrapolate into the clinical levels.     

Transport characteristics of isorhamnetin across intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers and the effects of transporters on it

Flavonoid isorhamnetin occurs in various plants and herbs, and demonstrates various biological effects in humans. This work will clarify the isorhamnetin absorption mechanism using the Caco-2 monolayer cell model. The isorhamnetin transport characteristics at different concentrations, pHs, temperatures, tight junctions and potential transporters were systemically investigated. Isorhamnetin was poorly absorbed by both passive diffusion and active transport mechanisms. Both trans- and paracellular pathways were involved during isorhamnetin transport. Active transport under an ATP-dependent transport mechanism was mediated by the organic anion transporting peptide (OATP); isorhamnetin’s permeability from the apical to the basolateral side significantly decreased after estrone-3-sulfate was added (p < 0.01). Efflux transporters, P-glycoproteins (P-gp), breast cancer resistance proteins (BCRP) and multidrug resistance proteins (MRPs) participated in the isorhamnetin transport process. Among them, the MRPs (especially MRP2) were the main efflux transporters for isorhamnetin; transport from the apical to the basolateral side increased 10.8-fold after adding an MRP inhibitor (MK571). This study details isorhamnetin’s cellular transport and elaborates isorhamnetin’s absorption mechanisms to provide a foundation for further studies.     

两种齐墩果酸纳米粒的体外细胞摄取研究

目的:研究人肝癌细胞株HepG2对同时包载齐墩果酸(OA)和香豆素6的乳酸羟基乙酸共聚物纳米粒(OCPN)和乳酸羟基乙酸共聚物-水溶性维生素E纳米粒(OCPTN)的体外摄取情况。方法:以超声乳化-溶剂挥发法制备OCPTN和OCPN,其中香豆素6为荧光标记物;采用高效液相色谱法测定两种纳米粒中香豆素6的载药量,体外测定HepG2细胞对分别含100、200、400μg/ml(低、中、高质量浓度)香豆素6的OCPTN、OCPN混悬液的摄取率,显微镜观察HepG2细胞对OCPTN的摄取情况。结果:OCPTN和OPTN中香豆素6的载药量分别为7.6%、6.3%;低、中、高质量浓度OCPTN的细胞摄取率为(62.1±1.2)%、(53.6±1.3)%、(40.9±1.5)%,分别是相同质量浓度OCPN的细胞摄取率[(36.8±1.5)%、(31.2±1.9)%、(22.4±1.3)%]的1.69、1.72、1.83倍;镜下观察OCPTN被HepG2细胞摄取,处于细胞核周围。结论:OCPN和OCPTN均能被HepG2细胞摄取,且OCPTN的被摄取性更强。     

The pharmacokinetics of the effervescent vs. conventional tramadol/paracetamol fixed-dose combination tablet in patients after total gastric resection

BackgroundTramadol/paracetamol is a fixed-dose combination prescribed for the relief of moderate to severe pain. The combination acts synergistically and guarantees the rapid onset of paracetamol and the prolonged analgesic effect of tramadol with good tolerability. These drugs are often used in various formulations in the treatment of patients with postoperative pain, e.g. after stomach resection. Gastrectomy leads to pathophysiological changes within the alimentary tract, which may affect the process of drug absorption. The aim of the research was an analysis of the pharmacokinetics of tramadol/paracetamol from effervescent and conventional tablets in patients after total gastrectomy.MethodsThe research was carried out on patients after gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction. The patients received two tramadol/paracetamol fixed-dose combination tablets in a single orally administered dose of 75/650 mg (2 × 37.5/325 mg). The patients were subjected to one of the two study drug group with: I. effervescent tablet (ET) (n = 14; mean [SD] age, 63.4 [10.1] years; weight, 75.5 [15.3] kg; and BMI, 26.0 [4.6] kg/m²) and II. conventional tablet (CT) (n = 12; mean [SD] age, 66.8 [7.7] years; weight, 79.8 [17.8] kg; and BMI, 27.4 [5.3] kg/m²). Blood samples were collected within 10 h after the drug administration. The plasma concentrations of tramadol and paracetamol were measured with validated HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) method with UV detection.ResultsThe comparison of the paracetamol and tramadol C_max ratio for the ET group with that of the CT group gave ratios of 1.16 [90% confidence interval (CI) 1.06, 1.27] and 0.86 (90% CI 0.72, 1.02), respectively. The comparison of the paracetamol and tramadol AUC_0–t ratio for the ET group with that of the CT group showed ratios of 0.99 (90% CI 0.88, 1.10) and 1.00 (90% CI 0.82, 1.22), respectively. The comparison of the difference for the effervescent and conventional formulation gave an estimated decrease in t_max of 0.5 h for paracetamol and 0.13 h for tramadol.ConclusionsIn view of the changes in the pharmacokinetics of paracetamol and tramadol in the patients after gastric resection for both formulations compared the conventional tablet seems to be more appropriate due to the comparable rate of absorption of both substances, higher concentrations of tramadol and comparable exposure to paracetamol.     

Fatal esophageal perforation caused by oral iron

In a 47-year-old male with Ménétrier's disease (protein-losing gastropathy) the histamine-H₂-receptor antagonist Cimetidine stops the protein loss and improves the clinical condition. Gastric perfusion studies on net and bidirectional ionic fluxes, protein secretion rates, and permeability, with simultaneous recording of the transmural electrical potential difference indicate that Cimetidine decreases a paracellular protein secretion by ‘tightening’ the tight junctions of the gastric epithelium.     

Glucoamylase absorption and desorption process

This paper reports the study of glucoamylase absorption and desorption processes on spherical particles constituting acrylic supports. The kinetic (reaction order, half-life of the reaction, reaction rate constant), and thermodynamic parameters (activation energy, pre-exponential factor) of the glucoamylase immobilization reaction dynamics inside the acrylic supports have been studied. Hindrance of the penetrants (protein molecules), which defeats the polymer's cohesive forces and passes through the diffusional barriers towards the sites available to receive it, denotes the influence of the diffusion phenomena, and might be expressed by the values of the effective diffusion coefficient and of the energetic parameters, as well. The desorption dynamics of glucoamylase in specific buffer concentration gradients and temperature are dependent on the eluent volume and on the protein eluate.     

Transmural Ionic Fluxes and Electrical Potential Difference in the Human Jejunum During Perfusion with a Dihydroxy Bile Acid

Perfusion studies of the proximal jejunum were performed in healthy volunteers to define the influence of glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDC) 2.5 mmol/l on the net movements of water and electrolytes, the bidirectional fluxes of sodium, potassium, and chloride, and the transmural electrical potential difference (PD). The flux data supported the notion that active sodium transport is inhibited by luminal GCDC, which on the other hand elicits active secretion of chloride. PD was 3±1 mV, lumen negative, and was not influenced by GCDC. The flux data fit a previously proposed model for the GCDC effect.     

牡荆素鼠李糖苷的大鼠在体肠吸收动力学

目的 研究牡荆素鼠李糖苷(RHV)的大鼠在体肠吸收动力学特征.方法 采用HPLC法测定RHV在肠循环液中的药物浓度;采用UV法测定肠循环液中酚红浓度;以大鼠原位灌注模型考查RHV的肠吸收动力学情况.结果 RHV 浓度为20、10、5μg·ml-1的吸收速率常数(Ka)分别为0.0416、0.0478、0.0312 h-1;肠循环液pH4、6、8时RHV的Ka分别为0.0253、0.0478、0.0588 h-1;RHV在十二指肠、空肠、回肠和结肠时的Ka分别为0.0479、0.0308、0.0322、0.0305 h-1.结论 RHV 浓度对RHV的Ka无显著性影响;在pH4～8时,随肠循环液pH的增大,RHV的Ka增加;RHV在大鼠十二指肠、空肠、回肠和结肠的吸收无显著性差异(P＞0.05);RHV在大鼠肠道的吸收呈一级动力学过程,吸收机制为被动扩散.