Recent Aspect of Cyclodextrin-Based Drug Delivery System

The pharmaceutically useful cyclodextrins (CyDs) are classified into hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and ionic derivatives. These CyDs can serve as multi-functional drug carriers, through the formation of inclusion complex or the form of CyD/drug conjugate. In addition, the combined use of different CyDs and/or pharmaceutical excipients is capable of alleviating the undesirable properties of drug molecules, improving efficacy and reducing side effects. This contribution outlines the potential use of CyDs in the 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 targeted site.     

Potential use of polypseudorotaxanes of pegylated polyamidoamine dendrimer with cyclodextrins as novel sustained release systems for DNA

In this study, we demonstrated the potential use of polypseudorotaxanes (PPRXs) of polyethylene glycol (PEG, molecular weight: 2000)-grafted polyamidoamine dendrimer (PEG-dendrimer) with cyclodextrins (CyDs) as novel sustained release systems for plasmid DNA (pDNA). PEG-dendrimer/pDNA complex formed PPRXs with α-CyD and γ-CyD solutions, but not with β-CyD solution. In the PEG-dendrimer/CyDs PPRXs systems, 17.9 mol of α-CyD and 8.8 mol of γ-CyD were involved in the PPRXs formation with one PEG chain by α-CyD and γ-CyD, respectively. In addition, the CyDs PPRX formation provided the sustained release of pDNA from PEG-dendrimer complex with pDNA at least 72 h in vitro. In addition, the release of pDNA from CyDs PPRX retarded as the dissolution medium volume decreased. These results suggest that the PEG-dendrimer/CyD PPRX systems can work as a sustained DNA release system, and the PPRX formation with CyDs may be useful as a sustained drug delivery technique for other pegylated polymers.     

Combined use of cyclodextrins and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose stearoxy ether (Sangelose®) for the preparation of orally disintegrating tablets of type-2 antidiabetes agent glimepiride

Despite recent advances in the formulation of orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs), the efforts to enhance the swallowing of the drug after disintegration have been limited. In this study, the feasibility of the combined use of cyclodextrins (CyDs) and a functional drug carrier, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose stearoxy ether (Sangelose^®) was investigated to improve usability of ODTs. Glimepiride, a potent third generation hypoglycemic agent for type 2 diabetes was used as a model drug, because it is poorly water-soluble and elimination half life is fairly short. The direct compression method was employed for the preparation of glimepiride tablets, containing CyDs and Sangelose^®, and various characteristics of the tablets were examined. In the cases of α-CyD and β-CyD, a short disintegration time with an appropriate hardness was obtained, complying with ODT criteria. On the other hand, γ-CyD, HP-β-CyD and HB-β-CyD increased in the hardness and disintegration time of the tablets. The rheological evaluation revealed that CyDs, except γ-CyD, significantly reduced the viscosity of the fluids after disintegration of the tablets, suggesting an ease of swallowing. This was ascribable to the complexation of the hydrophobic stearoyl moiety of Sangelose^® with CyDs after dissolution, leading to the inhibition of the polymer–polymer interaction of Sangelose^® and to the decrease in viscosity of the solution. The interaction of glimepiride with α- and β-CyDs was studied by the solubility method, demonstrating that glimepiride formed water-soluble complexes with these CyDs. Results obtained here suggested that α-CyD and β-CyD can be particularly useful for the Sangelose^®-based ODT formulation, compared to γ-CyD, HP-β-CyD and HB-β-CyD, because of the short disintegration time of the tablets containing α-CyD and β-CyD, their shear-thinning effect on Sangelose^® solutions and their solubility enhancing effect on the drug.     

Cationic supramolecular nanoparticles for co-delivery of gene and anticancer drug

Self-assembly supramolecular nanoparticles (SNPs) are synthesized using polyethylenimine (PEI) crosslinked by cyclodextrins (CyDs), adamantyl doxorubicin and plasmid DNA. SNPs successfully conduct the cooperative co-delivery of chemotherapeutic anticancer drug and plasmid DNA in vitro and in vivo.     

Effect of cyclodextrins on biological membrane. II. Mechanism of enhancement on the intestinal absorption of non-absorbable drug by cyclodextrins.

The effects of two kinds of cyclodextrins (CyDs), alpha- and beta-CyD, on biological membranes were investigated by measuring changes in the absorption of a non-absorbable drug, sulfanilic acid (SA), from the rat small intestine, using in situ and in vitro experiments. After pretreatment with a mucolytic agent, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (N-Ac), only beta-CyD increased the absorption of SA significantly compared to the absorption without pretreatment. The mechanism of the enhancing effect of CyDs on the absorption of SA was discussed. Almost no morphological change in the small intestine was observed by pretreatment with N-Ac alone, N-Ac or alpha- or beta-CyD combinations. The liberation of membrane components differed among the CyDs, e.g., alpha-CyD selectively released phospholipid while beta-CyD released mainly cholesterol from the intestinal membrane. It is suggested that the interaction of membrane components with CyDs may be at least partly responsible for the enhanced absorption of SA. Moreover it was found from in vitro electrophysiological experiment, that the alteration in enhanced permeability caused by beta-CyD occurred primarily in the transcellular pathways, rather than in the paracellular pathways of the small intestine. These results suggest that the enhancement of intestinal absorption by beta-CyD, after removal of the mucin layer from the intestinal surface, is due to the interaction between the membrane components and CyD. This interaction would induce disorder in cell membrane lipid, resulting in the increased permeability of the transcellular route.     

Recent Aspects of Pharmaceutical Application of Cyclodextrins

Because of the multi-functional characteristics and bioadaptability, cyclodextrin (CyD) is capable of alleviating the undesirable properties of drug molecules through the formation of inclusion complexes. This paper outlines the current application of natural and chemically modified CyDs in the various pharmaceutical formulations including peptide and protein drugs. Furthermore, potential use of CyD/drug conjugates in site-specific drug delivery is discussed.     

Study of the interaction of clobazam with cyclodextrins in solution and in the solid state

Inclusion complexes of clobazam with alpha-, beta-, gamma-cyclodextrins (CyDs) and heptakis(2.6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (DM-beta-CyD) in aqueous solution and in the solid phase were studied by the solubility method, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffractometry. In addition, inclusion complex of clobazam with heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin and the solid dispersion of clobazam with methyl cellulose (MC) in a ground mixture were investigated by IR, DSC and X-ray diffractometry. It was observed that DM-beta-CyD had the highest stability constant among the four CyDs in solution. Thermal and X-ray diffraction analyses showed that clobazam molecules existed in a molecularly dispersed state in the ground mixture of CyDs. Infrared spectra showed lower frequency shifts in the case of the ground mixtures of clobazam with natural CyDs, which can be attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonds between the two carbonyl groups of clobazam and hydroxyl groups of natural CyDs. In contrast, higher frequency shifts were observed in the case of the ground mixtures of clobazam with methylated CyDs and MC and these were considered to be due to the monomolecular dispersion of clobazam in a hydrophobic environment. The mode of interaction of clobazam with DM-beta-CyD was different from that with natural CyDs in the ground mixtures. Furthermore, the crystalline inclusion complex of clobazam with DM-beta-CyD was obtained by heating of the coprecipitate in vacuo at 120 degrees C for 1 h.     

Circular dichroic investigation of factors that affect inclusion complexes of cyclodextrins as a drug carrier

Drug/cyclodextrin (CyD) inclusion complexes have become one of the most widely used approaches to increase aqueous solubility of poorly soluble drugs, to increase their bioavailability and stability, to reduce undesirable side effects and prevent drug–drug and drug–excipient interactions. Although drug molecules as well as CyDs exhibit detectable changes in their physicochemical properties upon complexation, to date, the interaction of CyDs with drugs is not well understood. So far, only few methods can be applied to obtain structural information on drug/CyD complexes. Circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) has often been used to study molecular binding, nevertheless, rarely do these studies exploit the full potential of optical techniques. The objective of this article is to highlight important factors that affect drug/CyD binding interaction in particular β-CyD. On the basis of chirality, (S)-(+)-ibuprofen, meta-chlorobenzoic acid and aspirin were used to study binding interaction with β-CyD using CD. Based on CD equations for a simple 1:1 binding complex, the Levenberg–Marquadt non-linear equation was used for binding analysis and the production of simulated graphical presentations to explain the effect of various factors that influence the binding reaction and the binding curve. The results show reliability indicated by the binding constant which is in agreement with literature values. In addition, the effect of guest/host concentrations and the extent of binding on the inclusion complexes are elucidated with accuracy. This work provides useful information that can prove valuable in drug binding studies.     

Absorption enhancement of polypeptide drugs by cyclodextrins. I. Enhanced rectal absorption of insulin from hollow-type suppositories containing insulin and cyclodextrins in rabbits.

The absorption of insulin (from porcine pancreas) from the rectum of rabbits after the administration of hollow-type suppositories containing insulin and five kinds of cyclodextrins (CyDs) was investigated. Three types of suppositories were employed: suppository I containing insulin (approximately 26 IU/mg) and various amounts of each CyD in citric buffer solution at pH 3.0 or powder in its cavity, suppository II containing CyD without insulin, and suppository III containing insulin without CyD. Without CyD, the insulin and glucose levels in plasma were unchanged, whereas a significant increase in the plasma insulin concentration and a marked decrease in the glucose levels were found following simultaneous administration of insulin and CyDs by suppository I. The enhancing effect of CyD on rectal insulin absorption (absorption-enhancing effect) by chemically modified CyDs (heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-CyD (DM-beta-CyD) and 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CyD (HP-beta-CyD)) was higher than those by natural CyDs (alpha-, beta-, and gamma-CyD). The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and Cmax of insulin significantly decreased with the preadministration (administration of CyD 6, 24 and 48 h before rectal insulin administration) of DM-beta-CyD. The absorption-enhancing effect disappeared 24 h after preadministration. These results suggest that CyDs enhance insulin absorption from the rectum, and that attenuation of the membrane transport barrier function in the rectum recovers at a maximum of 24 h after administration of CyDs.     

Inclusion effect and structural basis of cyclodextrins for increased extraction of medicinal alkaloids from natural medicines

The enhancing effects of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrins (CyDs) on the aqueous extraction of ephedrine and berberine from the natural medicines were investigated in HPLC analysis, and the greatest effect was observed for beta- and gamma-CyDs. To clarify the structural basis of such an increased extraction effect with beta-CyD, possible interaction modes of (1R,2S)-ephedrine with alpha-, beta-, and gamma-CyDs were investigated using molecular dynamic simulations in an aqueous solution system. It was shown that the wrapping model of ephedrine by beta-CyD is the most compact and thus increases the solubility most effectively, compared with those by other CyDs. The same mode could be possible for the greatest effect of gamma-CyD on the extraction of berberine from natural medicines. This clearly shows that CyDs are useful additives for the effective extraction of bioactive alkaloids from natural medicines.     

Enhancing effect of cyclodextrins on nasal absorption of insulin and its duration in rabbits.

The absorption of insulin (from porcine pancreas) in rabbits after the nasal administration of aqueous preparations containing insulin and five kinds of cyclodextrins (CyDs) in phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.0 was investigated. Without CyD, the insulin and glucose levels in plasma were unchanged, whereas a marked increase in the plasma levels of insulin and a decrease in glucose concentrations were observed following the simultaneous administration of insulin and CyD such as alpha- and heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-CyD (DM-beta-CyD). The largest enhancing effect on the nasal absorption of insulin was obtained by DM-beta-CyD. To evaluate the duration of the absorption-enhancing effect of CyDs, preadministration (administration of CyD 0.5, 6, 12 and 24 h before insulin administration) was performed. The area under plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and Cmax of insulin significantly decreased with the preadministration of DM-beta-CyD 6, 12 and 24 h before nasal administration. The absorption-enhancing effect disappeared 24h after the preadministration. These findings demonstrate that CyDs enhance the nasal absorption of insulin, and the recovery of the membrane transport barrier function in nasal mucosa is achieved, at the latest, 24 h after the administration of CyDs.     

Effect of cyclodextrins on biological membrane. I. Effect of cyclodextrins on the absorption of a non-absorbable drug from rat small intestine and rectum

The effects of three kinds of cyclodextrins (CyDs), alpha-, beta- and gamma-CyD on biological membranes were investigated by changes in absorption of a non-absorbable drug, sulfanilic acid (SA), from the rat small intestine and rectum using an in situ perfusion technique. The absorption of SA from the intestine was slight and was not affected by the addition of CyDs. After pretreatment with a mucolytic agent, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (N-Ac), the absorption of SA was increased compared with SA alone in the presence of only beta-CyD. Similar treatment with sodium deoxycholate (SDC) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) to gastro-intestinal membrane showed the enhanced absorption of SA by the addition of beta-CyD. The mucin layer on the surface of the gastro-intestinal membrane may play an important role in the absorption of drugs. On the other hand, enhanced absorption of SA from the rat rectum was not induced by beta-CyD with or without pretreatment with N-Ac, SDC or SLS. Simultaneously, the release of neutral sugars in the perfusate after treatment with adjuvants was also observed with N-Ac, SDC and SLS. These results indicate that the mucin layer works as a barrier to the increased absorption of SA by beta-CyD.     

Polyol-responsive pseudopolyrotaxanes based on phenylboronic acid-modified polyethylene glycol and cyclodextrins

Phenylboronic acid (PBA), which reacts with polyols to form cyclic esters, was attached to the amino terminal of polyethylene glycol (PEG) via amide bonds. PBA-PEG was used to prepare pseudopolyrotaxanes (pPRXs) by combining it with cyclodextrins (CyDs). In the case of α-CyD, a single stranded pPRX formed that disintegrated in the presence of catechol (CA), d-fructose (Fru), and d-glucose (Glc). The order of response was CA?>?Fru?>?Glc, which corresponds with the affinities between the PBA moiety and the polyols. In contrast, a pPRX using γ-CyD, which has a double-stranded structure, showed sugar-induced disintegration but did not show a response to CA. We explained these apparently curious responses of the pPRXs using a mechanism based on the penetrability of the polyol-bound PBA toward the cavities of the CyDs. The pPRXs, which are a class of molecular machine, show two selectivities; one is derived from polyol selectivity, and the other is based on the penetrability for CyDs.     

Formation process of cyclodextrin necklace-analysis of hydrogen bonding on a molecular level

By means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we succeeded for the first time in the quantitative analysis of the intramolecular conformation of a supramolecule, cyclodextrin (CyD) necklace, driven by hydrogen bonding. Contrary to the current model, based on macroscopic analyses, which indicates that all CyDs are arranged in head-to-head or tail-to-tail (secondary-secondary or primary-primary hydrogen bonding) conformation, about 20% head-to-tail (primary-secondary hydrogen bonding) conformation was found to exist in the molecule. In addition, comparing the STM results with the theoretical model of the necklace formation, the formation ratio of the tail-to-tail and head-to-tail conformations due to the strength difference between primary-primary and primary-secondary hydrogen bonds of CyDs was directly obtained, for the first time, to be 2:1.     

Interactions of cyclodextrins with aromatic amino acids: a basis for protein interactions

Cyclodextrins (CyD) have proven effects on the stability of proteins and can be used in the formulation of aggregation prone therapeutic proteins. This effect stems from specific interactions between the CyD (preferably β-CyD) and solvent exposed amino acid residues. Here the interaction with hydrophobic aromatic amino acid residues stands out and the interaction between CyDs and these amino acid residues holds the key to understanding the observed effects, which CyDs exerts on proteins and peptides. Here we present a comparative study of the interactions between free and peptide bound aromatic amino acids and their derivatives with α, β and γ-CyDs using NMR spectroscopy. We propose a novel, quantitative means of assessing the penetration depth of guest molecules in CyD cavities, the penetration gauge Π, and apply it to the observed interaction patterns from ROESY NMR spectra. We demonstrate that the penetration depths of the aromatic rings within the CyDs rely highly on the nature of the remainder of the guest molecule. Thus the presence of charges, neighboring amino acids and the specific positioning on the surface of a protein highly influences the penetration depth and geometry of guest–CyD interactions.     

Structure and thermodynamics of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrin dimers. Molecular dynamics studies of the solvent effect and free binding energies

The alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrin (CyDs) dimers were studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in water as an explicit solvent. The relative stability of dimers and the involved molecular interactions were determined. Three possible starting orientations were considered for the dimers: head-to-head, head-to-tail, and tail-to-tail. MD simulations were performed over a period of 5 ns to ensure the stability of the system for both the CyD dimers and monomers. The MM-PBSA methodology was used to obtain the free binding energy of the dimers and to determine the most stable arrangement for each solvated CyD. In a vacuum, MD simulations provided the head-to-head orientation as the most stable orientation for the three CyDs, while in aqueous solution the, the head-to-tail orientation was found to be the most stable for the alpha-CyD dimer and the tail-to-tail orientation the most stable for the beta- and gamma-CyD dimers.     

Improvement of solubility and oral bioavailability of 2-(N-cyanoimino)-5-[(E)-4-styrylbenzylidene]-4-oxothiazolidine (FPFS-410) with antidiabetic and lipid-lowering activities in dogs by 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin

2-(N-Cyanoimino)-5-[(E)-4-styrylbenzylidene]-4-oxothiazolidine (FPFS-410) is a newly synthesized thiazolidine derivative having not only antidiabetic but also lipid-lowering activities. However, this compound has an extremely low aqueous solubility (2.8 (+/-0.33) x 10(-8) M (0.0094+/-0.0011 microg/ml) in 1.0 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) at 25 degrees C). In this study, we investigated the effect of various hydrophilic cyclodextrins (CyDs) on the solubility of FPFS-410 to select a CyD suitable for formulations of the compound. Among various CyDs, 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CyD (HP-beta-CyD) had the highest solubilizing ability to FPFS-410, e.g., the solubility of the compound was increased 200000-fold by the addition of 40 mM HP-beta-CyD, which was attributable to the formation of the 1 : 2 (guest : host) inclusion complexes. The interaction of HP-beta-CyD with FPFS-410 was studied using 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies including ROESY spectroscopy and a molecular modeling calculation. These results suggested that HP-beta-CyD forms a 1:2 (guest : host) inclusion complex with FPFS-410 by including both the stilbene and thiazolidine moieties. FPFS-410/HP-beta-CyD solid complexes with various stoichiometries were prepared by the spray drying and cogrinding methods, and confirmed by powder X-ray diffractometry that these complexes are in an amorphous state. The dissolution of FPFS-410 in water was significantly accelerated by the complexation with HP-beta-CyD. In vivo studies revealed that HP-beta-CyD markedly increases the bioavailability of FPFS-410 after oral administration in dogs. The present results suggest that HP-beta-CyD is useful for improvement of the extremely low bioavailability of FPFS-410.     

Hydrolysis behavior of prednisolone 21-hemisuccinate/beta-cyclodextrin amide conjugate: involvement of intramolecular catalysis of amide group in drug release

Prednisolone 21-hemisuccinate/beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CyD) amide conjugate was prepared by binding prednisolone 21-hemisuccinate covalently to the amino group of mono(6-deoxy-6-amino)-beta-CyD through amide linkage. Prednisolone 21-hemisuccinate was intramolecularly transformed to prednisolone 17-hemisuccinate, and the parent drug, prednisolone, was slowly released from the 21-hemisuccinate with a half life of 69 h in pH 7.0 at 37 degrees C; the drug release at 25 degrees C was less than 10% for 48 h. In sharp contrast, the hydrolysis of prednisolone 21-hemisuccinate/beta-CyD amide conjugate was significantly faster (half life of 6.50 min at 25 degrees C) and gave prednisolone and mono(6-deoxy-6-succimino)-beta-CyD as products. The hydrolysis of the beta-CyD amide conjugate was subject to a specific-base catalysis in the alkaline region. The rapid hydrolysis of the conjugate can be ascribed to the involvement of an intramolecular nucleophilic catalysis of the amide group in the reaction. The succinic acid, bound to a drug through ester linkage at one carboxylic group and bound to a pro-moiety through amide linkage at another carboxylic group, may be useful as a spacer for construction of the immediate release type prodrugs of CyDs.     

Regio- and stereoselective photodimerization of anthracene derivatives included by cyclodextrins

The photodimerization of anthracene derivatives such as 2-anthracenesulfonate or 2-anthracenecarboxylate in aqueous solution was found to proceed regio- and stereoselectively in the presence of β-CyD and γ-CyD, respectively. These reaction selectivities were explained in terms of specific inclusion of these compounds into CyDs.     

Model Analysis for Oral Absorption of a Drug/Cyclodextrin Complex Involving Competitive Inclusion Complexes

The bioavailability parameters of a drug after oral administration of a preparation containing drug/CyD complexes may be modified by formation of competitive inclusion complexes. In this study, we examined the effects of competitors on drug permeation from its CyD complex through in-vitro artificial membranes and in-situ recirculation conditions, for comparison with the results under in-vivo conditions in the bile duct of cannulated rats. Phenacetin, an antipyretic, was used as a model drug, natural CyDs and maltosyl--CyD as host molecules, and benzoic acid derivatives, sodium taurocholate and acetaminophen as competitors. The in-vitro cellophane membrane permeation rate and the in-situ absorption rate of phenacetin were quantitatively predicted by theoretical calculation using the stability constants of drug/CyD and competitor/CyD complexes when CyD weakly interacts with membrane components in lower CyD concentrations (generally below 10 mM). The in-vivo absorption behavior was only qualitatively reproducible by the theoretical calculation, probably because of various physicochemical and physiological factors affecting the absorption. The present results may be useful not only for prediction of intestinal absorption of drugs from CyD preparations, but also for formulation design of CyD preparations containing multi-components.