Improvement of pharmaceutical properties of insulin through conjugation with glucuronylglucosyl-β-cyclodextrin

Recently, a large number of peptides and proteins have been utilized as active pharmaceutical ingredients in the clinical field. However, the stability of peptide and protein drugs is often low. In addition, some peptides and proteins adsorb onto glass or polypropylene tube. In the present study, to improve these pharmaceutical properties of peptides and proteins, we newly prepared glucuronylglucosyl-β-cyclodextrin (GUG-β-CyD) conjugate with insulin, a model protein drug, and evaluated its enzymatic or thermal stability and adsorption onto glass or polypropylene tube. The insulin conjugate with GUG-β-CyD was successfully prepared by condensation of amine group of insulin and carboxyl group of GUG-β-CyD. Circular dichroism spectra showed that the secondary structure of insulin in this conjugate was retained. Adsorption of insulin onto glass or polypropylene tube was decreased by the conjugation with GUG-β-CyD. Moreover, enzymatic and thermal stabilities of the conjugate were higher than those of insulin and the mixture of insulin and GUG-β-CyD. These results suggest that insulin conjugation with GUG-β-CyD could improve the pharmaceutical properties of insulin.     

Electrical and optical properties of polythiophene prepared by electrochemical polymerization

Electrical conductivities and optical absorptions of neutral and oxidized polythiophene films polymerized by the electrochemical method are reported. The electrical conductivity of polythiophene borofluoride film shows metallic value of ca. 100 S cm^?1 at room temperature and decreases over 10¹⁰ times into semiconductive regime by the electro-chemical or chemical undoping. Absorption spectrum of polythiophene changes by the undoping from the characteristic of metal to interband transition with absorption edge ca. 2.0 eV and maximum absorption coefficient of ～ 10⁵ cm^?1 at 2.7 eV.     

Improvement of some pharmaceutical properties of carmoful by cycrodextrin complexation

Inclusion complexation of carmoful (1-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluorouracil, HCFU) with three cyclodextrins (-, - and -CyDs) were studied by solubility method and X-ray diffractometry. On the basis of the phase solubility diagrams, solid complexes of HCFU with -, - and -CyDs were obtained in the molar ratios (host:guest) of 21, 11 and 11, respectively. The dissolution rate of HCFU from the solid complexes was much greater than that of HCFU itself (-CyD > complex > -CyD complex > -CyD complex > HCFU alone). The hydrolysis of HCFU was suppressed by -CyD, while no appreciable inhibition was observed by - and -CyDs. The rapid dissolving form of HCFU-CyD complexes was found to increase significantly the serum levels of the drug after oral administration to rabbits.     

Utility of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin in an intramuscular injectable preparation of nimodipine

Possible utility of hydroxyalkylated beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CyD) derivatives as parenteral drug carriers was investigated, using nimodipine, a dihydropyridine derivative with calcium antagonistic action, as a model drug. The aqueous solubility of nimodipine increased linearly with increase in the concentration of hydroxyalkylated beta-CyDs, showing an AL-type phase solubility diagram. The stability constant of nimodipine--hydroxyalkylated beta-CyD complexes was in the order of 2,3-dihydroxypropyl-beta-CyD less than beta-CyD less than 2-hydroxyethyl-beta-CyD less than 3-hydroxypropyl-beta-CyD less than 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CyD, and the solubilizing ability of the beta-CyDs was also in that order. The results of powder X-ray diffractometry and thermal analysis suggested 1:3 (guest:host) complex formation of nimodipine with 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CyD in the solid state. The dissolution rate of nimodipine-2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CyD complex was much faster than that of the drug alone. Nimodipine-2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CyD complex gave higher plasma levels of the drug after intramuscular administration to rabbits, i.e., the area under the plasma concentration--time curve and the maximum plasma concentration of the complex were about 2.5 times higher than those of the drug alone. The muscular damage after the injection of nimodipine was reduced by the administration of the complexed form.     

Complex formation of hexakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-α-cyclodextrin with substituted benzenes in aqueous solution

The complex formation of hexakis (2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)--cyclodextrin with substituted benzenes has been investigated by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The sign and shape of the CD spectra markedly differ from the spectra of corresponding -cyclodextrin complexes because of the distorted conformation of the host molecule and/or the difference in the geometry of the host-guest interaction. Enthalpy and entropy changes of the complex formation are determined by using the CD band intensities measured at various temperatures and host concentrations. Negative values of H and S indicate that the hydrophobic interaction is not the major driving force for the complex formation. The guest molecule is suggested to be tightly bound within the host cavity through the induced-fit conformational change of the host molecule.     

Serum-resistant Gene Transfer Activity of Mannosylated Dendrimer/α-Cyclodextrin Conjugate (G3)

Interactions in aqueous dispersion between dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC) liposomes and dissolved cyclodextrins (CD) of different chemical compositions, respectively, were studied. Liposomal dispersions with small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) of monomodal size distribution were prepared and the physical stability of the vesicles both in the presence and absence of cyclodextrin was investigated. For the characterization of the kinetic stability of the dispersions under various conditions, size-distribution functions determined by photon-correlation spectroscopy (PCS) were used. The affinity of cyclodextrins to the liposomes was characterized by ‚binding isothermsȁ9 determined under equilibrium conditions at 25 °C. Based on the quantity of the cyclodextrins bound to the DPPC bilayers, stability constants for the associates were estimated. The physical stability of the liposomes and the possible control of stability were also investigated.     

Alleviation of the chlorpromazine-induced muscular tissue damage by β-cyclodextrin complexation

From the gross and histological examinations, -cyclodextrin (-CyD) was found to reduce the muscular tissue damage produced by chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ) onM. vastus lateralis in rabbits. The protective effect of -CyD may be attributable to the decrease in affinity of CPZ to the tissue membrane through inclusion complexation. There was no appreciable difference in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behaviors between CPZ and its -CyD complex in rabbits. These results suggest that -CyD is useful to reduce the local tissue toxicity of CPZ without altering the pharmacological efficacy.     

Inhibitory Effects of 2,6-Di-O-methyl-3-O-acetyl-β-cyclodextrins with Various Degrees of Substitution of Acetyl Group on Macrophage Activation and Endotoxin Shock Induced by Lipopolysaccharide

The effects of 2,6-di-O-methyl-3-O-acetyl-β-cyclodextrins (DMA-β-CyD) with various degrees of substitution (DS) of an acetyl group of 1.5, 3.8, 6.3 and 7, which are abbreviated to DMA2-β-CyD, DMA4-β-CyD, DMA6-β-CyD and DMA7-β-CyD, respectively, on murine macrophage activation and endotoxin shock induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were examined. Of four DMA-β-CyDs used in the present study, cytotoxicity of DMA-β-CyDs in RAW264.7 cells, a murine macrophage-like cell line, decreased with an increase in the DS values of DMA-β-CyD, and DMA7-β-CyD had no cytotoxicity on RAW264.7 cells up to 100 mM. DMA2-β-CyD and DMA7-β-CyD at the concentration of 5 mM had greater inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with LPS than DMA4-β-CyD and DMA6-β-CyD. In addition, these inhibitory effects of DMA2-β-CyD and DMA7-β-CyD were concentration-dependent. In the in vivo study, all of the mice died within 12 h after intraperitoneal administration of the solution containing LPS and d-galactosamine. When 100 mM DMA7-β-CyD was concomitantly administered with both LPS and d-galactosamine intraperitoneally in mice, the survival rate significantly increased, but DMA4-β-CyD and DMA6-β-CyD did not. In conclusion, we revealed that DS values of DMA-β-CyDs strikingly affect not only the cytotoxic activity but also the inhibitory effects of LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells and fatality of endotoxin shock mice induced by LPS and d-galactosamine. These results suggest the potential use of DMA7-β-CyD as an antagonist of LPS-induced endotoxin shock.     

Enhanced dissolution and oral bioavailability of α-tocopheryl esters by dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin complexation

Inclusion complexation of heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)--cyclodextrin (DM--CyD) with -tocopheryl acetate and -tocopheryl nicotinate in aqueous solution was studied by the solubility method. The aqueous solubilities of the esters were about 10⁵ times increased by DM--CyD complexation. The phase-solubility diagram of the tocopheryl ester-DM--CyD systems showed a typicalA _p type, and the stability constants (K) of high-order complexes were estimated by analyzing the upward curvature of the diagrams. The solid complex of -tocopheryl nicotinate with DM--CyD in a molar ratio of 12 was prepared by the kneading method. The dissolution rate of the solid complex was much greater than that of the drug itself, and the rapidly dissolving form of -tocopheryl nicotinate, as an example, showed a markedly increased bioavailability (about 70-fold) after oral administration to fasted dogs.     

Conformation of permethylated cyclodextrins and the host-guest geometry of their inclusion complexes

Macrocylic conformation of permethylated cyclodextrins and the geometry of their inclusion complexes were examined on the basis of the X-ray data of three permethylated -cyclodextrin complexes and two permethylated -cyclodextrin complexes. The host macrocyclic ring is remarkably distorted owing to steric hindrance involving the methyl groups and the inability to form intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The guest molecules are included within the host cavity, but their position and orientation are quite different from those found in the corresponding cyclodextrin complexes.