Gemini-like molecular clips and tweezers: the influence of structure and guest binding on interfacial tension.

In a series of experiments, we studied the interfacial activity of aromatic aliphatic molecules with rigid gemini-like structures at the interface between toluene and water. These molecules, called clips and tweezers, have rigid central benzene or naphthalene spacer-units, each substituted with two polar groups as well as two rigid aromatic side walls. They can serve as host molecules and selectively bind a variety of electron-deficient aromatic and aliphatic guest molecules. In different experiments, we compared the interfacial tensions with the calculated hydrophilic-lipid-balance (HLB) values of these molecules. The measured interfacial tensions depend as much on the HLB values as on the geometric structure of the water insoluble molecules. The concentration dependence of the surface tension gave evidence for the formation of inverse micellar aggregates, which were formed in the oil phase above a well-defined value of the bulk concentration. The presence of aggregates in the organic liquid could also be investigated by dynamic light scattering measurements. We observed typical diameters of the inverse micellar aggregates in the order of 5.6 nm, and the critical micelle concentrations (cmc's) coincided well with the results of interfacial tension measurements. From the surface excess in the vicinity of the cmc, we calculated the space occupied by a single clip molecule on the self-assembled monolayer. The observed molecular surface area was in agreement with the effective molecular diameters of the molecules. In additional experiments, we could also show that complexes with aromatic guest molecules such as 1,2-4,5-tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) led to a reduction of the amphiphilic clip properties.

Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers of molecular tweezers and clips.

Molecular clips and tweezers are able to selectively bind electron-deficient aromatic and aliphatic substrates. By means of pressure-area isotherms and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), the self-association process and phase behavior of dimethylene-bridged molecular clips and tetramethylene-bridged molecular tweezers each substituted with two acetoxy groups as polar head groups were investigated. In a series of experiments, we observed that the molecular surface area of the clips and tweezers only depended on the skeletal structure and not on the polar groups. The measured areas agreed with the effective molecular diameters of the molecules if the aromatic side walls of the clips or tweezers were assumed to be aligned perpendicularly to the water surface. We compared the phase behavior of the pure molecular clips and tweezers with that of the host-guest complexes of these molecules, which were formed with 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) as the guest molecule. For the clips with a central benzene (I) and naphthalene spacer unit (II), the complex formation with TCNB had no measurable influence on the phase diagrams of the films. We observed, however, a dramatic difference in the BAM images and pi-A isotherms between the pure molecular tweezers III and its complex with TCNB (TCNB@III). In addition to the pi-A isotherms, we used the surface potential (V)-area (A) isotherms to compare the pure tweezers III with the corresponding complex (TCNB@III). There was a strong difference in the maximum surface potential value for the pure tweezers (450 mV) and that for the complex (300 mV). In additional experiments, we prepared LB layers of such molecules, which were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. In comparison to the pure tweezers III, a luminescence emission of charge-transfer (CT) origin was observed for the host-guest complex (TCNB@III) fixed on the solid substrate. It turned out that the spectra were in good agreement with the results observed in chloroform solution.

An enzyme inhibition assay for the quantitative determination of the new bisphosphonate zoledronate in plasma.

Zoledronate, 2-(imidazole-1-yl)-1-hydroxyethane-1,1-bisphosphonic acid is a new 3rd generation bisphosphonate. A specific enzyme inhibition assay was developed for the determination of zoledronate in plasma of animals and man. The multistep synthesis of cholesterol and some of its precursors (lanosterol, squalene) from 14C-labeled mevalonic acid lactone is catalyzed by the S12 fraction of homogenized rat liver in the presence of ATP, NADH and Mg2+. After hydrolysis of the reaction mixture with KOH, lipophilic reaction products were extracted with hexane and the overall yield determined by radiometry. Addition of zoledronate inhibited the formation of cholesterol and its precursors in a dose dependent manner. The described method is suitable to specifically and quantitatively measure concentrations of zoledronate down to 25 ng ml-1 in human and animal (dog, rat) plasma with acceptable reproducibility and accuracy.

Quantitative determination of CGP 61755, a protease inhibitor, in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection.

A liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of CGP 61755 (I) in plasma and urine is described. A similar method for CGP 53437, another HIV-1 protease inhibitor, has been developed and reported previously. After a deproteinization step, a liquid-liquid extraction is performed. Compound I and the internal standard CGP 55749 (II) are hydrolyzed and the primary amine group derivatized using fluorescamine. Chromatography is achieved by isocratic elution with a mobile phase of 30 mM borax buffer (pH 9)-acetonitrile (58:42, v/v). The derivatives of the compounds I and II fluoresce at 480 nm, on excitation at 395 nm and the retention times under these conditions were approximately 6 and 8 min, respectively. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) which is the lowest concentration of the analyte that can be measured with a coefficient of variation and a deviation from theory of less than 20%, was 15 ng/ml plasma and 20 ng/ml urine. The analyte is stable for at least four months in human plasma and sixteen months in dog plasma samples. Different human plasma sources and three different species (rat, rabbit and dog) were tested and no interference between analyte and plasma constituents was observed.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction of single oral doses of valsartan and furosemide.

OBJECTIVE: Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between single oral doses of valsartan (160 mg) and furosemide (40 mg) were investigated in an open, randomized, three-period crossover study in twelve healthy male subjects. METHODS: A washout period of one week was observed between treatments. Pharmacokinetic measurements included plasma concentrations of valsartan and furosemide, and urinary excretion of the latter. Plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma angiotensin II, blood pressure, heart rate, as well as urinary water and electrolyte excretion were determined as pharmacodynamic variables. Efficiency of furosemide for sodium and water excretion was calculated as the ratio of the measured pharmacodynamic effect and the urinary excretion of furosemide. RESULTS: Simultaneous administration of valsartan and furosemide did not modify the pharmacokinetics of valsartan. In contrast, Cmax, AUC, and urinary excretion of furosemide were significantly reduced following simultaneous treatment with valsartan. Inter- and intra-individual variability of the pharmacokinetic variables was high for both furosemide and valsartan. PRA and angiotensin II increased, and blood pressure decreased after all treatments. These effects were most pronounced after the combined treatment. The decrease in blood pressure was additive, at most, while the increase in PRA and angiotensin II appeared to exceed simple addition. No relevant effects on heart rate were observed. The diuretic effect of furosemide, as assessed by urinary water and electrolyte excretion, was unchanged after co-administration of valsartan, despite the lower bioavailability of furosemide after the combined treatment.

Determination of a new antimalarial drug, benflumetol, in blood plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A rapid and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for determination of a new antimalarial drug (benflumetol, BFL) is described. After extraction with hexane-diethyl ether (70:30, v/v) from plasma, BFL was analysed using a C18 Partisil 10 ODS-3 reversed-phase stainless steel column and a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.1 M ammonium acetate (90:10, v/v) adjusted to pH 4.9 with ultraviolet detection at 335 nm. The mean recovery of BFL over a concentration range of 50-400 ng/ml was 96.8 +/- 5.2%. The within-day and day-to-day coefficients of variation were 1.8-4.0 and 1.8-4.2%, respectively. The minimum detectable concentration in plasma for BFL was 5 ng/ml with a C.V. of less than 10%. This method was found to be suitable for clinical pharmacokinetic studies.

Automated quantitative determination of a new polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor (CGP 48 664) and a potential metabolite in human and animal plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A specific and sensitive liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of 4-amidino-1-indanone-2'-amidinohydrazone (CGP 48 664, I) and a potential metabolite, 2-(4-carbamoyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-yliden) hydrazine carboximidamide (CGP 53 391, II), in human and animal plasma was developed. CGP 51 467, a structural analog, was added to the plasma samples (up to 1 ml) as an internal standard. After mixing, the samples were processed automatically using an ASPEC solid-phase extraction system. The final extracts were chromatographed on a 5 microns Purospher RP-18 HPLC column. Chromatography was performed using a gradient system and UV detection. The described HPLC method is suitable for specific and quantitative measurement of concentrations of I, as well as its potential metabolite II down to 5-10 ng/ml in human and animal (dog, rat) plasma with acceptable reproducibility and accuracy.

Comparison of plasma and saliva concentrations of the active monohydroxy metabolite of oxcarbazepine in patients at steady state.

A study was performed in ten patients, stabilized with oxcarbazepine monotherapy (450-750 mg bid) for two weeks minimum, to investigate the possibility of using saliva to monitor the oxcarbazepine therapy. Thirteen paired blood and saliva samples were taken over 24 h. The saliva samples were obtained after stimulation. The analysis performed on the data suggests a dose dependence for the relationship between plasma and saliva concentrations of the main active metabolite, 10, 11-dihydro-10-hydroxycarbamazepine (MHD), and the importance of the type of stimulation for the saliva's production. Therefore it would be preferable to use plasma concentrations to monitor oxcarbazepine therapy, if necessary.

The influence of food on the disposition of the antiepileptic oxcarbazepine and its major metabolites in healthy volunteers.

The effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of the antiepileptic oxcarbazepine (OXC) was investigated in healthy volunteers. Six healthy male volunteers were treated with single peroral doses of 600 mg of oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) after overnight fasting or a fat- and protein-rich breakfast. Mean (+/- SD) areas under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) of the major component in plasma, the active monohydroxy metabolite (MHD), which is responsible for the therapeutic effect in man, were 672 (25) mumol L-1 h when given to the fasted volunteers and 780 (31) mumol L-1 h (p = 0.042) when given after a substantial breakfast. Mean (+/- SD) maximum concentrations (Cmax) were 25.5 (4.8) mumol L-1 when given to the fasted volunteers and 31.4 (5.3) mumol L-1 (p = 0.025) when given after breakfast. Thus, the average AUC was increased by 16% and Cmax by 23% when oxcarbazepine was given with food. The times at which Cmax was reached (tmax) as well as the terminal half-lives were not influenced by concomitant intake of food. The tolerability was the same whether oxcarbazepine was given before or after food in healthy volunteers. The slight effect of food on the kinetics of oxcarbazepine should be of little therapeutic consequence.

Quantitative determination of CGP 53,437, a new HIV protease inhibitor, in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection.

A specific and sensitive liquid chromatographic assay for CGP 53,437 (I), a potent HIV protease inhibitor, is described. The method is based on a deproteinization step, followed by a liquid-liquid extraction with diisopropyl ether. Then a deprotection step of the primary amine and derivatization using fluorescamine is performed. Chromatography is achieved by isocratic elution with a mobile phase of 63 mM borax buffer (pH 9)-acetonitrile (58:42, v/v). The flow-rate of the mobile phase is 1 ml/min. The derivatives of compound I and its internal standard CGP 54,451, II, fluoresce at 480 nm on excitation at 395 nm. The limit of quantitation which is the lowest concentration of the analyte that can be measured with a coefficient of variation and a deviation from theory of less than 20%, was 5 nmol/l plasma. The analyte is stable for at least seven months in spiked human plasma samples. It is also stable after freezing and thawing cycles. Different human plasma sources and plasma samples from three different species (dog, marmoset, and rat) were tested and no interferences from plasma constituents was observed.

Urinary excretion of aminohydroxypropylidene bisphosphonate in cancer patients after single intravenous infusions.

The effect of the rate of infusion of disodium aminohydroxypropylidene bisphosphonate (APD; CGP 23339A), an inhibitor of bone resorption, on urinary excretion of this agent was studied in a randomized open-label study in 20 cancer patients. Ten patients received 60 mg of APD over 4 h, and the remaining 10 patients received the same dose over 24 h. Urine collected during specified intervals for 72 h after the start of the infusion was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography for unchanged APD. Mild and transient adverse experiences were observed in 12 (60%) patients; the most common were headache, fever, and phlebitis at the infusion site. No clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were observed, and none of the experiences were serious enough to require discontinuation of treatment. Cumulative urinary excretion of APD was a linear function of time, increasing rapidly after both the 4- and 24-h infusions were started. The mean (+/- standard deviation) cumulative urinary excretion of APD was 51.1 +/- 13.0% of the dose in the 20 patients, 55.0 +/- 15.0% in the 10 patients given the 4-h infusion, and 47.2 +/- 9.9% in the 10 patients receiving the 24-h infusion. Thus, the rate of infusion of the 60-mg dose did not influence retention of APD at 72 h after the start of therapy. Similarly, the presence or absence of bone metastases did not influence cumulative urinary excretion or the retention of APD.

Influence of food on the disposition of the monoamine oxidase-A inhibitor brofaromine in healthy volunteers.

The effect of food on the bioavailability of brofaromine hydrochloride was investigated in a randomized cross-over study. Eight healthy male volunteers were given single peroral doses of 75 mg brofaromine hydrochloride after overnight fasting or a fat- and protein-rich breakfast. Mean (+/- SD) areas under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) were 9.66 (2.35) mumol l-1 h when given to the fasted volunteers and 11.82 (3.78) mumol l-1 h (p = 0.0413) when given after a substantial breakfast. Mean (+/- SD) maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) were 0.71 (0.13) mumol l-1 when given to the fasted volunteers and 0.85 (0.22) mumol l-1 (p > 0.05) when given after breakfast. Thus, both the average AUC and Cmax were increased by approximately 20 per cent when brofaromine hydrochloride was given with food. The times when Cmax was reached (tmax) as well as the elimination half-lives were not influenced by concomitant intake of food. The tolerability was the same whether brofaromine was given before or after food in healthy volunteers. The slight effect of food on the bioavailability of brofaromine should be of little therapeutic consequence because of the observed wide inter-subject variability of the plasma levels.

Determination of the R-(-) and S-(+) enantiomers of the monohydroxylated metabolite of oxcarbazepine in human plasma by enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography.

An enantioselective liquid chromatographic assay for the simultaneous determination of the S-(+) and R-(-) enantiomers of the monohydroxylated metabolite of oxcarbazepine in human plasma is described. The metabolite is the active principle. The method is based on the extraction of plasma with diethyl ether-dichloromethane (2:1, v/v), separation of the organic phase, evaporation of the solvent and dissolution of the residue in the mobile phase. The two enantiomers were resolved on a Chiralcel OD (250 mm x 4.6 mm I.D.) high-performance liquid chromatographic column. The separation was achieved by isocratic elution with n-hexane-2-propanol (77:23, v/v). The flow-rate of the mobile phase was 1.0 ml/min and the two enantiomers were detected by ultraviolet absorbance at 210 nm. The analytical method is suitable for the quantitative and simultaneous determination of the two enantiomers in plasma at concentrations down to 0.4 mumol/l after administration of oxcarbazepine.

Unmasking of the hypotensive effect of nifedipine in normotensives by addition of the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor benazepril.

OBJECTIVE: To study the pharmacological interaction between a dihydropyridine derivative (nifedipine slow release 20 mg) and inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system (benazepril 10 mg). DESIGN: Single application at intervals of 2 weeks in an open-label three-way cross-over design. SETTING: Institutional pharmacological unit. PARTICIPANTS: Nine healthy male volunteers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES(S): Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded in the supine position for 24 h as well as plasma drug levels, plasma angiotensin converting enzyme activity and active plasma renin concentration. RESULTS: Nifedipine increased active plasma renin two-fold and benazepril increased it five-fold. The combination of the two drugs accelerated the increase of active renin during the first 2 h after drug intake. Whereas no hypertensive effect could be detected after nifedipine or benazepril alone, a significant fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed for up to 9 to 12 h after the combination. The increase in heart rate induced by nifedipine was minimized by the addition of benazepril. There was no interaction between the pharmacokinetics of benazeprilate and nifedipine which would explain these pharmacodynamic effects. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that, in normotensive volunteers, the renin-angiotensin system contributes to mask the hypotensive effect of a single oral dose of dihydropiridine. The concomitant administration of a converting enzyme inhibitor discloses the hypotensive effect and limits the baroreflex-mediated increase in heart rate secondary to vasodilation.

Improved determination of the bisphosphonate pamidronate disodium in plasma and urine by pre-column derivatization with fluorescamine, high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection.

An improved method for the determination of 1-hydroxy-3-aminopropylidene-1,1-bisphosphonate (pamidronate) in human urine and plasma is described. The procedure is based on a co-precipitation of the bisphosphonates (pamidronate and 6-amino-1-hydroxypentilidene-bisphosphonate, used as internal standard) with calcium phosphate. After centrifugation the precipitate is redissolved in hydrochloric acid, followed by a second precipitation. Then the bisphosphonates are dissolved in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, derivatized with fluorescamine, and separated by high-performance liquid chromatography. Using fluorescence detection, the limit of quantitation for pamidronate was 0.8 mumol/l in plasma and 0.7 mumol/l in urine.

Determination of 4-hydroxyandrostenedione in plasma and urine by extractive alkylation and electron-capture gas chromatography.

A sensitive and specific quantitative assay has been developed for the determination of 4-hydroxyandrostenedione (4-OHA), a potent aromatase inhibitor used in the treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancer. This steroid has a high first-pass metabolism and is extensively metabolized, mainly by glucuronidation. Plasma levels of unchanged 4-OHA are very low, even after high peroral doses. The analytical method is based on the addition of 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (internal standard), liquid-liquid extraction from biological material followed by extractive alkylation with pentafluorobenzyl bromide and quantitation by gas chromatography. The method has been validated for sensitivity, accuracy and precision and was found to be suitable for application to pharmacokinetic and bioavailability studies of peroral formulations of 4-OHA.

Burst suppression EEG with baclofen overdose.

The article reports the case history of a patient with baclofen intoxication and burst suppression activity in the EEG several hours after baclofen ingestion. With symptomatic treatment the patient recovered within 5 days and the EEG became normal, again.

Determination of the new monoamine oxidase inhibitor brofaromine and its major metabolite in biological material by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection.

A sensitive gas chromatographic assay for the simultaneous determination of brofaromine [4-(7-bromo-5-methoxy-2-benzofuranyl)piperidine hydrochloride], a new monoamine oxidase-A inhibitor, and its major metabolite was developed and validated. After addition of 4-(5-bromo-2-benzofuranyl)piperidine as internal standard, the compounds were isolated from biological fluids by liquid-liquid extraction at basic pH. After derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride the compounds were chromatographed using a packed column (OV-17) and an electron-capture detector. The limit of quantitation was ca. 0.03 nmol per sample (10 ng) for both compounds. analysis of spiked samples demonstrated the good accuracy and precision of the method, which is suitable for use in pharmacokinetic and bioavailability studies. The method was applied to samples from an experiment in a healthy volunteer treated with a single oral dose of 75 mg of brofaromine hydrochloride. Plasma profiles before and after enzymic hydrolysis showed that about one-third of the total brofaromine in plasma and practically all of the major metabolite (O-desmethylbrofaromine) were present in the conjugated form.

Pharmacokinetics of diclofenac and five metabolites after single doses in healthy volunteers and after repeated doses in patients.

1. The kinetics of diclofenac (I) and five of its metabolites (II-VI) were investigated in three healthy volunteers and in six patients. Compounds I-VI were measured by capillary column gas chromatography in plasma and urine. 2. After a single 100 mg dose of diclofenac sodium to volunteers, the drug was absorbed rapidly and showed peak plasma levels of 10-12 nmol/g. The maximum concentrations of five metabolites were comparatively low (0.36-2.94 nmol/g). The mono- and dihydroxy metabolites (II-V) had apparent terminal half-lives similar to that of I (1-3 h), but the hydroxymethoxy metabolite (VI) had a half-life of about 80 h. Renal elimination of VI within 96 h was about 1% of dose and that of I-VI was 36% (free plus conjugated). 3. Following daily treatment with 2 x 75 mg of an experimental sustained release formulation to patients for 6-10 months, steady-state trough concentrations of I-V in plasma were low (average values: 0.23-0.57 nmol/g). The mean trough concentration of VI was comparatively higher at 3.69 +/- 0.91 nmol/g presumably reflecting its accumulation. Despite this it is unlikely to contribute to the drug's therapeutic activity, since it has been shown in laboratory tests to be devoid of anti-inflammatory activity.