The pharmacokinetics and disposition of GDC-0879, a small molecule B-RAF kinase inhibitor, was characterized in mouse, rat, dog, and monkey.
In mouse and monkey, clearance (CL) of GDC-0879 was moderate (18.7–24.3 and 14.5?±?2.1?ml min?1 kg?1, respectively), low in dog (5.84?±?1.06?ml min?1 kg?1) and high in rat (86.9?±?14.2?ml min?1 kg?1). The volume of distribution across species ranged from 0.49 to 1.9?l kg?1. Mean terminal half-life values ranged from 0.28?h in rats to 2.97?h in dogs. Absolute oral bioavailability ranged from 18% in dog to 65% in mouse.
Plasma protein binding of GDC-0879 in mouse, rat, dog, monkey, and humans ranged from 68.8% to 81.9%.
In dog, the major ketone metabolite (G-030748) of GDC-0879 appeared to be formation rate-limited.
Based on assessment in dogs, the absorption of GDC-0879 appeared to be sensitive to changes in gut pH, food and salt form (solubililty), with approximately three- to four-fold change in areas under the curve (AUCs) observed.
5-{2-[4-(3,4-Difluorophenoxy)-phenyl]-ethylsulfamoyl}-2-methyl-benzoic acid (1) is a novel, potent, and selective agonist of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α).
In preclinical species, compound 1 demonstrated generally favourable pharmacokinetic properties. Systemic plasma clearance (CLp) after intravenous administration was low in Sprague–Dawley rats (3.2?±?1.4?ml min?1 kg?1) and cynomolgus monkeys (6.1?±?1.6?ml min?1 kg?1) resulting in plasma half-lives of 7.1?±?0.7?h and 9.4?±?0.8?h, respectively. Moderate bioavailability in rats (64%) and monkeys (55%) was observed after oral dosing. In rats, oral pharmacokinetics were dose-dependent over the dose range examined (10 and 50?mg kg?1).
In vitro metabolism studies on 1 in cryopreserved rat, monkey, and human hepatocytes revealed that 1 was metabolized via oxidation and phase II glucuronidation pathways. In rats, a percentage of the dose (approximately 19%) was eliminated via biliary excretion in the unchanged form.
Studies using recombinant human CYP isozymes established that the rate-limiting step in the oxidative metabolism of 1 to the major primary alcohol metabolite M1 was catalysed by CYP3A4.
Compound 1 was greater than 99% bound to plasma proteins in rat, monkey, mouse, and human.
No competitive inhibition of the five major cytochrome P450 enzymes, namely CYP1A2, P4502C9, P4502C19, P4502D6 and P4503A4 (IC50’s?>?30 μM) was discerned with 1.
Because of insignificant turnover of 1 in human liver microsomes and hepatocytes, human clearance was predicted using rat single-species allometric scaling from in vivo data. The steady-state volume was also scaled from rat volume after normalization for protein-binding differences. As such, these estimates were used to predict an efficacious human dose required for 30% lowering of triglycerides.
In order to aid human dose projections, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships for triglyceride lowering by 1 were first established in mice, which allowed an insight into the efficacious concentrations required for maximal triglyceride lowering. Assuming that the pharmacology translated in a quantitative fashion from mouse to human, dose projections were made for humans using mouse pharmacodynamic parameters and the predicted human pharmacokinetic estimates.
First-in-human clinical studies on 1 following oral administration suggested that the human pharmacokinetics/dose predictions were in the range that yielded a favourable pharmacodynamic response.
Domperidone was evaluated in direct and time-dependent cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A inhibition assays in human liver microsomes with midazolam and testosterone as probe substrates.
Domperidone was found to be a modest mechanism-based inhibitor of human and rat CYP3A. For human CYP3A, the inactivation constant (KI) is 12 μM, and the maximum inactivation rate (kinact) is 0.037?min?1.
A rat interaction study was conducted between midazolam and either a single dose or five daily doses of domperidone. Although a single oral dose of 10?mg kg?1 domperidone did not affect the pharmacokinetics of 10?mg kg?1 oral midazolam, five daily oral doses of domperidone almost doubled the area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC) of midazolam, and increased the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of midazolam by 72%.
Based on the simulation and rat in vitro–in vivo extrapolation, it is predicted that co-administration of domperidone in humans could modestly increase (approximately 50%) the exposure of drugs that are primarily cleared by CYP3A.
Cytoprotective effects of liquiritigenin (LQ) against liver injuries have been reported, but its pharmacokinetics has not been studied in acute hepatitis. Thus, pharmacokinetics of LQ and its two conjugated glucuronide metabolites: 4′-O-glucuronide (M1) and 7-O-glucuronide (M2), in rats with acute hepatitis induced by d-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide (GalN/LPS) rats or carbon tetrachloride-treated (CCl4-treated) rats were evaluated.
LQ was administered intravenously (20?mg kg?1) and orally (50?mg kg?1) to control GalN/LPS and CCl4-treated rats. Expression of uridine 5′-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferases 1A (UGT1A) and in vitro metabolism of LQ in hepatic and intestinal microsomes were also measured.
After intravenous administration of LQ, area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of LQ in GalN/LPS rats was significantly smaller than that in controls due to faster non-renal clearance, as a result of its greater free fraction in plasma and faster hepatic blood flow rate than the controls. In CCl4-treated rats, the AUCM1, 0?8 h/AUCLQ and AUCM2, 0?8 h/AUCLQ ratios were significantly greater than the controls due to decrease in biliary excretion of M1 and M2. However, no significant pharmacokinetic changes were observed in both acute hepatitis rats after oral administration due to comparable intestinal metabolism of LQ.
Modification of oral dosage regimen of LQ may not be necessary in patients with acute hepatitis; but human studies are required.
The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is a major determinant of cell cycling and proliferation. Its deregulation is associated with the development of many cancers.
GDC-0941, a potent and selective inhibitor of PI3K, was characterised preclinically in in vitro and in vivo studies.
Plasma protein binding was extensive, with free fraction less than 7%, and blood-to-plasma ratio ranged from 0.6 to 1.2 among the species tested. GDC-0941 human hepatic clearance was predicted to be moderate by liver microsomal incubations. GDC-0941 had high permeability in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells.
The clearance of GDC-0941 was high in mouse (63.7?mL/min/kg), rat (49.3?mL/min/kg) and cynomolgus monkey (58.6?mL/min/kg), and moderate in dog (11.9?mL/min/kg). The volume of distribution ranged from 2.52?L/kg in rat to 2.94?L/kg in monkey. Oral bioavailability ranged from 18.6% in monkey to 77.9% in mouse.
Predicted human clearance and volume of distribution using allometry were 6?mL/min/kg and 2.9?L/kg, respectively. The human efficacious doses were predicted based on results from preclinical pharmacokinetic studies and xenograft models.
GDC-0941 preclinical characterisation and predictions of its properties in human supported its progression towards clinical development. GDC-0941 is currently in phase II clinical trials.
Species differences in the pharmacokinetics of KW-7158 [(2S)-(+)-3,3,3-Trifluoro-2-hydroxy-2-methyl-N-(5,5,10-trioxo-4,10-dihydrothieno[3,2-c][1]benzothiepin-9-yl)propanamide] were studied in in vivo and in vitro experiments.
The exposure ratio of hydrolyzed metabolite (M2, primary metabolite in human plasma)/KW-7158 was higher than the ratio of thiophen-to-furan converted metabolite (M1)/KW-7158 in human subjects after oral administration, but the mouse, rat and dog studies gave opposite results.
M2 was produced in the highest amount by the 9000g supernatant of small intestine, followed by that of liver and kidney in human subjects. After correction for protein contents, the results obtained suggested that the small intestine plays a major role in the metabolism to M2 for the first pass effect after oral administration of KW-7158.
The formation of M2 was independent of the presence of NADPH and was inhibited by various esterase inhibitors.
These observations suggested that the predominant enzymes or isozymes involved in the formation of M2 are esterases, which differ between humans and animals. Such differences may be one of the reasons for the species differences in the pharmacokinetics of KW-7158 between humans and animals.
Valspodar is a P-glycoprotein inhibitor widely used in preclinical and clinical studies for overcoming multidrug resistance. Despite this, the pharmacokinetics of valspodar in rat, a commonly used animal model, have not been reported. Here, we report on the pharmacokinetics of valspodar in Sprague–Dawley rats following intravenous and oral administration of its Cremophor EL formulation, which has been used for humans in clinical trials.
After intravenous doses, valspodar displayed properties of slow clearance and a large volume of distribution. Its plasma unbound fraction was around 15% in the Cremophor EL formulation used in the study. After 10?mg kg?1 orally it was rapidly absorbed with an average maximal plasma concentration of 1.48?mg l?1 within approximately 2?h. The mean bioavailability of valspodar was 42.8%.
In rat, valspodar showed properties of low hepatic extraction and wide distribution, similar to that of its structural analogue cyclosporine A.
Compound A [1-methyl-N-{(1S)-1-[5-(2-naphthyl)-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-7-oxooctyl}piperidine-4-carboxamide is a potent class I histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor that demonstrated good antiproliferative activity against human tumour cell lines of different origin.
This compound showed high in vivo clearance in rats (160?ml min?1 kg?1) due to metabolism. The main metabolite detected in urine after intravenous dosing was characterized as a dihydrohydroxy S-mercapturic acid conjugate. Following oral dosing, however, the mercapturic acid derivative was no longer the main metabolite but the major metabolites were mono- and di-glucuronide conjugates of oxidized species having a mass shift of +34 m/z with respect to the parent.
Comparison of plasma concentration after intra-arterial infusion and intravenous infusion and incubation with microsomes from different tissues (liver, kidney, small intestine and lung) in the presence of β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) indicated that the compound was highly cleared by the lung.
Oxidation of the naphthalene moiety was demonstrated to be the cause of the high in vivo clearance of compound A and the potential for bioactivation of this group was flagged.
2-Acetyl-4(5)-tetrahydroxybutyl imidazole (THI) has been shown to reduce rodent peripheral blood lymphocytes through increasing lymphoid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) by inhibiting S1P lyase. The objective of this study was to characterize the relationship between systemic THI exposure, splenic S1P concentrations, and lymphopenia in rats.
Following the oral administration of 10 and 100?mg kg?1 THI to male rats, THI was rapidly absorbed and reached a plasma peak level at 1?h post-dosing. Splenic S1P increased and reached the peak level at 24?h. Blood lymphocyte count decreased as the splenic S1P level increased. THI plasma concentration was linked to splenic S1P concentration using an indirect model incorporated with a four-step signal transduction model. In turn, the S1P level was directly coupled with blood lymphocyte number. The integrated model simultaneously captured the splenic S1P and blood lymphocyte responses.
This pharmacokinetic–biomarker–pharmacodynamic model resolved the remarkable discrepancy between plasma THI concentration and the pharmacological response and quantitatively described the relationship of THI exposure, S1P, and lymphopenic response.
Intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1988 is a small molecule lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) antagonist being considered for its anti-inflammatory properties. Following intravenous administration of ICAM1988, clearances in mice, rats, dogs, and monkeys were 17.8, 3.31, 15.4, and 6.85 ml min?1 kg?1, respectively.
In mass balance studies using [14C]-ICAM1988 in rats dosed intravenously, unchanged ICAM1988 contributed to 25.1% of the dose.
In rats, the systemic bioavailability of ICAM1988 was improved to 0.28 when the drug was administered orally as its isobutyl ester, ICAM2660. In rats, this was consistent with the complete in vitro conversion of ICAM2660 to ICAM1988 in plasma, and liver and intestinal S9.
In dogs and monkeys, ICAM2660 did not improve the bioavailability of ICAM1988. This is consistent with limited in vitro conversion of ICAM2660 to ICAM1988 in plasma and liver S9.
In human in vitro studies, ICAM2660 conversion to ICAM1988 in liver was similar to rats while no conversion in plasma and intestinal S9 fractions were observed. Based on the in vitro metabolism similarities of human and rat, it would be anticipated that in human oral administration of ICAM2660 would improve the systemic exposure of ICAM1988.
A recent focus was to investigate whether antofloxacin, an 8-NH2 derivative of levofloxacin, inhibited cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2 activity in rats.
Phenacetin, the representative substrate of CYP1A2, was used as the model drug to evaluate the activity of CYP1A2. In an in vivo study, an oral single dose of antofloxacin (20?mg?kg?1) did not affect the pharmacokinetic behaviour of phenacetin, but a multidose (20?mg?kg?1 twice daily for 7.5 days) significantly increased phenacetin’s area under the curve (AUC). In an in vitro study, only when pre-incubated with β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, a reduced form (NADPH) system in rat liver microsomes, did antofloxacin inhibit phenacetin O-deethylation. The inhibition was NADPH-, pre-incubation time-, and antofloxacin concentration-dependent.
A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model with mechanism-based inhibition was successfully developed for predicting the interaction between antofloxacin and phenacetin in vivo from the in vitro data. The simulated AUC was 1.4-fold of the control, which was near the observed value of 1.6-fold. From the results, it can be concluded that the inhibition of CYP1A2 by antofloxacin is mechanism-based.
ZYTP1 is a novel Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase protein inhibitor being developed for cancer indications.
The focus of the work was to determine if ZYTP1 had a perpetrator role in the in vitro inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes to aid dosing decisions during the clinical development of ZYTP1.
ZYTP1 IC50 for CYP1A2, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6 and 3A4/5 was determined using human liver microsomes and LC-MS/MS detection. CYP3A4/5 IC50 of depropylated metabolite of ZYTP1 was also determined. Time dependent inhibition of CYP3A4/5 by ZYTP1 was also assessed using substrates, testosterone and midazolam.
The mean IC50 values of ZYTP1 were >100 µM for CYP1A2, 2B6 and 2D6, while 56.1, 24.5, 39.5 and 23.3–58.7 µM for CYP2C8, 2C9, 2C19 and 3A4/5, respectively. The CYP3A4/5 IC50 of depropylated metabolite was 11.95–24.51 µM. Time dependent CYP3A4/5 inhibition was noted for testosterone and midazolam with IC50 shift of 10.9- and 39.9-fold, respectively. With midazolam, the kinact and KI values of ZYTP1 were 0.075?min?1 and 4.47 µM for the CYP3A4/5 time dependent inhibition, respectively.
Because of potent inhibition of CYP3A4/5, drugs that undergo metabolism via CYP3A4/5 pathway should be avoided during ZYTP1 therapy.
Piperaquine (PQ) is part of a first-line treatment regimen for Plasmodium falciparum malaria recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). We aimed to determine the major metabolic pathway(s) of PQ in vitro. A reliable, validated tandem mass spectrometry method was developed. Concentrations of PQ were measured after incubation with both human liver microsomes (HLMs) and expressed cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s).
In pooled HLMs, incubations with an initial PQ concentration of 0.3 µM resulted in a 34.8 ± 4.9% loss of substrate over 60 min, corresponding to a turnover rate of 0.009 min?1 (r2 = 0.9223). Miconazole, at nonspecific P450 inhibitory concentrations, resulted in almost complete inhibition of PQ metabolism.
The greatest inhibition was demonstrated with selective CYP3A4 (100%) and CYP2C8 (66%) inhibitors. Using a mixture of recombinant P450 enzymes, turnover for PQ metabolism was estimated as 0.0099 min?1; recombinant CYP3A4 had a higher metabolic rate (0.017 min?1) than recombinant CYP2C8 (p < .0001).
Inhibition of CYP3A4-mediated PQ loss was greatest using the selective inhibitor ketoconazole (9.1 ± 3.5% loss with ketoconazole vs 60.7 ± 5.9% with no inhibitor, p < .0001).
In summary, the extent of inhibition of in vitro metabolism with ketoconazole (83%) denotes that PQ appears to be primarily catalyzed by CYP3A4. Further studies to support these findings through the identification and characterization of PQ metabolites are planned.
The R- and S-enantiomer of N-(4-(3-(1-ethyl-3,3-difluoropiperidin-4-ylamino)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-4-yloxy)-3-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-oxo-2,3-dihydropyridazine-4-carboxamide are novel MET kinase inhibitors that have been investigated as potential anticancer agents. The effect of the chirality of these compounds on preclinical in vivo pharmacokinetics and toxicity was studied.
The plasma clearance for the S-enantiomer was low in mice and monkeys (23.7 and 7.8?mL min?1 kg?1, respectively) and high in rats (79.2?mL min?1 kg?1). The R/S enantiomer clearance ratio was 1.5 except in rats (0.49). After oral single-dose administration at 5?mg kg?1 the R/S enantiomer ratio of AUCinf was 0.95, 1.9 and 0.41 in mice, rats and monkeys, respectively.
In an oral single-dose dose-ranging study at 200 and 500?mg kg?1 and multi-dose toxicity study in mice plasma AUC exposure was approximately 2- to 3-fold higher for the R-enantiomer compared to the S-enantiomer. Greater toxicity of the S-enantiomer was observed which appeared to be due to high plasma Cmin values and tissue concentrations approximately 24?h after the final dose.
Both enantiomers showed low to moderate permeability in MDCKI cells with no significant efflux, no preferential distribution into red blood cells and similar plasma protein binding in vitro.
Overall, the differences between the enantiomers with respect to low dose pharmacokinetics and in vitro properties were relatively modest. However, toxicity results warrant further development of the R-enantiomer over the S-enantiomer.
Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGBE) causes forestomach hyperplasia and neoplasia in mice when administered chronically by inhalation.
The study was initiated to test the physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model prediction that 2-butoxyacetaldehyde (BAL), a transient, labile intermediate in the oxidation of EGBE to butoxyacetic acid (BAA), is unlikely to achieve concentrations sufficient to cause DNA damage in target tissues.
Male and female B6C3F1 mice were administered a high oral dose of EGBE (600?mg?kg?1), and tissues were collected at 5, 15, 45 and 90?min following the dose. The tissues were processed for determination of EGBE, BAL and BAA by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
BAL was detected at low concentrations in all tissues sampled and at all time points following EGBE administration (about 0.3–33?μM). BAL concentrations were highest in the initial samples (5?min) in all tissues and declined from that point.
BAL concentrations in liver and forestomach tissues corresponded to the peak concentrations predicted by an already published PBPK model, and are higher than BAL concentrations that could be achieved by inhalation exposure to EGBE.
Mouse inhalation exposure to EGBE is therefore unlikely to generate BAL concentrations in tissues sufficient to initiate a carcinogenic response.
The aim was to identify the individual human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes responsible for the in vitro N-demethylation of hydromorphone and to determine the potential effect of the inhibition of this metabolic pathway on the formation of other hydromorphone metabolites.
Hydromorphone was metabolized to norhydromorphone (apparent Km = 206?? 822?μM, Vmax = 104 ? 834?pmol?min?1?mg?1 protein) and dihydroisomorphine (apparent Km = 62 ? 557?μM, Vmax = 17 ? 122?pmol?min?1?mg?1 protein) by human liver microsomes.
In pooled human liver microsomes, troleandomycin, ketoconazole and sulfaphenazole reduced norhydromorphone formation by an average of 45, 50 and 25%, respectively, whereas furafylline, quinidine and omeprazole had no effect. In an individual liver microsome sample with a high CYP3A protein content, troleandomycin and ketoconazole inhibited norhydromorphone formation by 80%.
The reduction in norhydromorphone formation by troleandomycin and ketoconazole was accompanied by a stimulation in dihydroisomorphine production.
Recombinant CYP3A4, CYP3A5, CYP2C9 and CYP2D6, but not CYP1A2, catalysed norhydromorphone formation, whereas none of these enzymes was active in dihydroisomorphine formation.
In summary, CYP3A and, to a lesser extent, CYP2C9 catalysed hydromorphone N-demethylation in human liver microsomes. The inhibition of norhydromorphone formation by troleandomycin and ketoconazole resulted in a stimulation of microsomal dihydroisomorphine formation.
The pharmacokinetics of lipoyl vildagliptin, a novel dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) inhibitor, was studied in rats after oral administration for developing it as an antidiabetic agent.
A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to determine lipoyl vildagliptin in rat plasma. After an overnight fasting, rats were orally given lipoyl vildagliptin. Following a single oral dose of 25, 50, and 100?mg·kg?1, Tmax values were from 1.25 to 1.84?h, CL/F values were around 100?l h?1 kg?1. In the dose range, Cmax values (63.9–296?μg·l?1) and AUC0–∞values (260–1214?μg·h·l?1) were proportional to the doses.
In conclusion, this LC-MS/MS method for the determination of lipoyl vildagliptin in rat plasma was selective and sensitive. In rats, lipoyl vildagliptin displayed linear pharmacokinetics after a single oral dose in the range of 25–100?mg·kg?1. Lipoyl vildagliptin might have very high CL/F values and Vd/F values, which indicated that the bioavailability of this drug might be low or lipoyl vildagliptin might distribute extensively or accumulate in tissues in view of its high liposolubility.
Zinc acexamate (ZAC) is ionized to zinc and ?-acetamidocaproic acid (AACA). Thus, the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of zinc and AACA after intravenous (50?mg kg?1) and oral (100?mg kg?1) administration of ZAC were evaluated in rats. Also the pharmacokinetics of AACA after intravenous (10, 20, 30, and 50?mg kg?1) and oral (20, 50, and 100?mg kg?1) administration of ZAC and the first-pass extractions of AACA at a ZAC dose of 20?mg kg?1 were evaluated in rats.
After oral administration of ZAC (20?mg kg?1), approximately 0.408% of the oral dose was not absorbed, the F value was approximately 47.1%, and the hepatic and gastrointestinal (GI) first-pass extractions of AACA were approximately 8.50% and 46.4% of the oral dose, respectively. The incomplete F value of AACA was mainly due to the considerable GI first-pass extraction in rats.
Affinity of rat tissues to zinc and AACA was low—the tissue-to-plasma (T/P) ratios were less than unity. The equilibrium plasma-to-blood cells partition ratios of AACA were independent of initial blood ZAC concentrations of 1, 5, and 10?µg ml?1—the mean values were 0.481, 0.490, and 0.499, respectively. The bound fractions of zinc and AACA to rat plasma were 96.6% and 39.0%, respectively.
The metabolism and excretion of a GABAA partial agonist developed for the treatment of anxiety, CP-409,092; 4-oxo-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid (4-methylaminomethyl-phenyl)-amide, were studied in rats following intravenous and oral administration of a single doses of [14C]CP-409,092.
The pharmacokinetics of CP-409,092 following single intravenous and oral doses of 4 and 15?mg kg?1, respectively, were characterized by high clearance of 169?±?18?ml min?1 kg?1, a volume of distribution of 8.99?±?1.46 l kg?1, and an oral bioavailability of 2.9% ± 3%.
Following oral administration of 100?mg kg?1 [14C]CP-409,092, the total recovery was 89.1% ± 3.2% for male rats and 89.3% ± 0.58% for female rats. Approximately 87% of the radioactivity recovered in urine and faeces were excreted in the first 48?h. A substantial portion of the radioactivity was measured in the faeces as unchanged drug, suggesting poor absorption and/or biliary excretion. There were no significant gender-related quantitative/qualitative differences in the excretion of metabolites in urine or faeces.
The major metabolic pathways of CP-409,092 were hydroxylation(s) at the oxo-tetrahydro-indole moiety and oxidative deamination to form an aldehyde intermediate and subsequent oxidation to form the benzoic acid. The minor metabolic pathways included N-demethylation and subsequent N-acetylation and oxidation.
The present work demonstrates that oxidative deamination at the benzylic amine of CP-409,092 and subsequent oxidation to form the acid metabolite seem to play an important role in the metabolism of the drug, and they contribute to its oral clearance and low exposure.
O2′, O3′, O5′-tri-acetyl-N6-(3-hydroxylaniline)adenosine (WS070117), a new structure-type lipid regulator, is being developed in pre-clinical study. In order to monitor drug kinetics it is essential to understand pre-analytical factors that may affect drug assay.
In vitro stability and metabolism were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method in this study. The hydrolysis products were identified by HPLC–mass spectrometry (MS)/MS method. The esterases involved in WS070117 hydrolysis was assigned via inhibition rate assay.
It was found that WS070117 was chemically unstable in alkaline solutions compared to acidic and near neutral solutions. Enzymatic hydrolysis was even more rapid. Hydrolytic rate constants differ between species, being 4.24, 5.96?×?10?3 and 6.85?×?10?2 min?1 in rat, dog and human plasma at 37°C, respectively. The hydrolysis was catalyzed by plasma esterase because NaF (sodium fluoride: a general esterase inhibitor) inhibited WS070117 hydrolysis and metabolite production. Hydrolysis was fast in rat plasma and was catalysed by carboxylesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. In dog plasma, carboxylesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and paraoxonase were mainly responsible. Butyrylcholinesterase was the major esterase involved in WS070117 hydrolysis in human plasma. The WS070117 hydrolysis in plasma proceeded by gradual loss of acetyl groups.
The knowledge of in vitro drug stability and metabolic pathways identified in this study will be essential for future pre-clinical and clinical pharmacokinetics studies.