Rapamycin-Loaded, CapryolTM 90 and Oleic Acid Mediated Nanoemulsions: Formulation Development, Characterization and Toxicity Assessment.

This study was planned to explore the capability of nanoemulsions (NEs) consisting of CapryolTM 90 and oleic acid for the delivery of rapamycin (RAP). Permeability and cytotoxicity of RAP-loaded NEs were also inspected. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were created with oleic acid and CapryolTM 90 (as oil phase) and four surfactants and co-surfactants at various weight ratios (Rsm). Selected NEs from O/W region on the phase diagrams with the drug concentration of 1 mg/mL, were prepared via the spontaneous emulsification technique, characterized for particle size and subjected to stability tests at various temperatures over 9-12 months. Cumulative drug release was determined for a period of 48 h using a dialysis sac. The assay of RAP was determined using HPLC technique. Cytotoxicity of NEs was evaluated by MTT assay on breast cancer cell line, namely SKBR-3. The permeability of RAP-loaded NEs across Caco-2 monolayers was assessed by measurement of TEER (transepithelial electrical resistance) value. The intracellular uptake of coumarin 6-loaded NEs by SKBR-3 cells was also investigated using florescence microscopy. NEs containing oleic acid/Tween 20/propylene glycol, CapryolTM 90/Tween 20/iso-propanol, and CapryolTM 90/Cremophor® RH40/Transcutol® P showed more cytotoxicity and permeability compared with the RAP methanolic solution. The minimum toxic concentration of RAP in NE formulations was found to be 7.5 µg/mL. The highest intracellular uptake was observed for the NE composed of CapryolTM 90/Tween 20/iso-propanol which was in consistent with the results obtained from cytotoxicity and permeability tests. The overall results implicated that this novel carrier was effective for enhancing RAP permeation in Caco-2 cell membrane along with enhancement of cytotoxicity.

Application of Guanidine Hcl to Improve Enantioseparation of a Model Basic Drug, Cetirizine, By Capillary Electrophoresis Using Sulfated Β-Cyclodextrin.

A common approach in resolving enantiomers of chiral basic drugs by capillary electrophoresis (CE) is to use cyclodextrins (especially their anionic derivatives) as chiral selector in the acidic buffer (pH ≤ 3) in normal or reversed (carrier) mode. Then, some organic modifiers are added to the buffer solution if the resolution is not satisfactory. In case of cetirizine (CTN), applying the same approach, i.e. a reversed mode capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method with an acidic buffer and sulfated-ß-cyclodextrine (S-bCD) as chiral selector, was failed and no complete enantioseparation was achieved. Different organic modifiers, like urea and triethylamine HCl, were used to improve chiral resolution which led to partial resolution of the two peaks. Then, guanidine HCl at a concnetration of 100 mM was added to the running buffer and an acceptable resolution of the enantiomers of the drug was obtained. The method was successfully applied to determine optical purity of a levo-cetirizine (l-CTN) sample.

Evaluation of Ion-pair Formation of Adefovir to Improve Permeation across Artificial and Biological Membranes.

PURPOSE: Adefovir is an antiviral drug that exhibits high hydrophilic properties and negligible bioavailability (less than 12%). It is only applied in the form of the ester prodrug adefovir dipivoxil (ADV). The oral bioavailability of ADV is limited (32% to 45%) by its low permeability (Class 3) and biological conversion of the prodrug to adefovir. Ion-pair formation is considered as an alternative approach to a covalent prodrug (ADV) to enhance intestinal permeation of adefovir. METHODS: The effect of various counter-ions (anionic, cationic and two quaternary ammonium salts) on the lipophilicity of adefovir was investigated by means of the n-octanol/buffer partitioning system, an in vitro transport model (PAMPA) and a biological membrane (everted gut sac). RESULTS: Quaternary ammonium salts, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and cetrimide enhanced the lipophilicity of adefovir 136- and 87-fold, respectively. The apparent permeability of adefovir in combination with CPC (counter-ion) was 2.5-fold greater than ADV permeability in the PAMPA model. The apparent permeability of adefovir-CPC (counter-ion) was 1.3-fold greater than that of adefovir dipivoxil permeability in a biologic membrane (everted gut sac). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the adefovir-CPC ion-paired system has potential for improving the permeation of adefovir across the intestinal membrane. This article is open to POST-PUBLICATION REVIEW. Registered readers (see "For Readers") may comment by clicking on ABSTRACT on the issue's contents page.

Physicochemical, Stress Degradation Evaluation and Pharmacokinetic Study of AZGH101; a New Synthesized COX2 Inhibitor after I.V. and Oral Administration in Male and Female Rats.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) act mainly via inhibition of prostaglandins synthesis by inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) isoenzymes (COX-1 and COX-2). Selective COX-2 inhibitors which are also known as coxibs provide the main therapeutic effects of NSAIDs. Zarghi et al. reported 6-benzoyl-2-(4-(methylsulfonyl) phenyl) quinoline-4-carboxylic acid (AZGH101) as a novel derivative of ketoprofen with improved selectivity index (COX-1/COX-2 inhibitory potency) in comparison with ketoprofen. In this study, the log P and stability of AZGH101 were evaluated and the pharmacokinetic characteristics of this compound were investigated following intravenous (10 mg/kg), and oral administration (20 mg/kg), to Wistar rats. As the data demonstrated, the AZGH101was classified as lipid soluble compound and had suitable stability according to forced degradation protocol ICH guideline for new drug substance. This derivative absorbs, distributes, and eliminates similar in both sexes. The AUC 0-∞, absolute bioavailability, Cl, and Vd were not different in both sexes. According to the obtained data, the AZGH101 does not have a sex dependent pharmacokinetic in Wistar rats.

Pharmacokinetics and Biodistribution of Pegylated Methotrexate after IV Administration to Mice.

The efficacy of methotrexate (MTX) as an antimetabolite chemotherapeutic agent highly depends on its blood circulation half-life. In our previous study, different conjugates of MTX (MTX-PEG) were synthesized, their physicochemical properties were investigated and MTX-PEG5000 was finally selected as optimum drug-conjugate for further investigations. In the current work, first the stability of MTX-PEG5000 was studied at 37 °C and the results indicated its high stability in plasma (T1/2 = 144 h) and a relatively rapid degradation in tissue homogenate (T1/2 = 24 h). The study of protein binding pointed out that the conjugate was highly protein-bound (95%). The results of pharmacokinetic studies in mice indicated that MTX-PEG5000 had longer plasma distribution and elimination half-lives compared to free MTX (T1/2 α 9.16 min for MTX-PEG5000 versus 2.45 min for MTX and T1/2 ß 88.44 for MTX-PEG5000 versus 24.33 min for MTX). Pharmacokinetic parameters also showed higher area under the curve (AUC) of conjugate compared to parent drug (12.33 mg.mL-1.min for MTX-PEG5000 versus 2.64 mg.mL-1.min for MTX). The biodistribution studies demonstrated that MTX-PEG5000 did not highly accumulate in liver and intestine and had a mild and balanced distribution to other organs. Also, the conjugate was measurable in tissues up to 48 h after injection and was detected in the brain, suggesting the possibility of delivering drug to brain tumors.

Physicochemical, Stress Degradation Evaluation and Pharmacokinetic Study of AZGH102, a New Synthesized COX2 Inhibitors after I.V. and Oral Administration in Male and Female Rats.

Coxibs such as celecoxib, rofecoxib, and valdecoxib are introduced as selective COX-2 inhibitors to the market. It has been reported that inhibition of COX-2 beside traditional effects of NSAIDs, reduces the risk of colorectal, breast and lung cancers and also slow the progress of Alzheimer's disease. Zarghi et al. reported 8-benzoyl-2-(4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl)quinoline-4-carboxylic acid (AZGH 102) as a novel compound with similar IC50 to celecoxib besides improved selectivity index (COX-1/COX-2 inhibitory potency) in comparison with celecoxib. In this study, the physicochemical properties of AZGH 102 such as solubility, log P, and stability were evaluated and the pharmacokinetic characteristics of this compound following intravenous (10 mg/Kg), and oral administration (20 mg/Kg), to male and female Wistar rats were investigated. As the data demonstrated, the AZGH 102 classified as lipophil compound and had suitable stability. This derivative absorbs and distributes faster in female than in male. The AUC 0-∞, absolute bioavailability, Cl and Vd were different in both sexes. According to the obtained data, the AZGH 102 has a sex dependent pharmacokinetic in Wistar rats.

A Simple and Specific Stability- Indicating RP-HPLC Method for Routine Assay of Adefovir Dipivoxil in Bulk and Tablet Dosage Form.

A simple and reliable stability-indicating RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for analysis of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV).The chromatographic separation was performed on a C18 column using a mixture of acetonitrile-citrate buffer (10 mM at pH 5.2) 36:64 (%v/v) as mobile phase, at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. Detection was carried out at 260 nm and a sharp peak was obtained for ADV at a retention time of 5.8 ± 0.01 min. No interferences were observed from its stress degradation products. The method was validated according to the international guidelines. Linear regression analysis of data for the calibration plot showed a linear relationship between peak area and concentration over the range of 0.5-16 µg/mL; the regression coefficient was 0.9999and the linear regression equation was y = 24844x-2941.3. The detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) limits were 0.12 and 0.35 µg/mL, respectively. The results proved the method was fast (analysis time less than 7 min), precise, reproducible, and accurate for analysis of ADV over a wide range of concentration. The proposed specific method was used for routine quantification of ADV in pharmaceutical bulk and a tablet dosage form.

An investigation into the ability of alendronate ion pairs to increase oral absorption.

The purpose of this study is to increase oral absorption of the highly charged drug alendronate using an ion pair strategy. Ion pairing is a formulation approach in drug delivery that is performed to improve the lipophilicity of ionized drugs. Cationic counter ions, such as arginine, phenazopyridine, hyoscine and pyridostigmine, were selected to enhance the lipophilicity and permeability of alendronate. Data obtained from quasi-equilibrium analysis were used to calculate the binding constant and intrinsic partition coefficient of ion pairs in an octanol/water system. The results of the partitioning study in an octanol/water system were confirmed using in vitro transport models with PAMPA and Caco-2 monolayer assays. Two counter ions, phenazopyridine and arginine, substantially increased the partition coefficient of alendronate by up to 1.15 and 0.73 units, respectively, in the octanol/water system. Binding constants of 117M-1 for alendronate-arginine and 90M-1 for alendronate-phenazopyridine ion pairs were obtained using quasi equilibrium analysis. Arginine and phenazopyridine enhanced the apparent permeability of alendronate by 14- and 26-fold in the PAMPA model and 6.5- and 4.4-fold across caco-2 cell monolayers, respectively. Based on this study, the lipophilicity and permeability of alendronate across lipophilic membranes was increased by suitable counter ions and could be used to establish a new formulation to increase the oral absorption of alendronate.

Block Copolymer Stereoregularity and Its Impact on Polymeric Micellar Nanodrug Delivery.

Stereoregularity of polymers is known to influence their physicochemical and functional properties in the bulk form. Recent studies have also provided evidence for the effect of polymer stereoregularity on the physicochemical and functional properties of their self-assembled nanostructures. Research in this area has witnessed a relatively rapid pace in the past few years; however, to the best of our knowledge, a proper review of the literature has not been made to date. The goal of this review article was to fill this gap and provide a detailed overview on the current knowledge and understanding on the effect of block copolymer stereoregularity on the properties of their self-assembled nanocarriers such as size, morphology, thermodynamic and kinetic stability, and drug loading and release. Emphasis is placed on poly(ester) containing block copolymers because of their safe history of human use and extensive application in drug delivery research.

Development and Validation of an HPLC Method for Determination of Amifostine and/or Its Metabolite (WR-1065) In Human Plasma Using OPA Derivatization and UV Detection.

A rapid, sensitive and reproducible HPLC method was developed and validated for the analysis of amifostine (AMF) and/or its metabolite, WR-1065 in human plasma. The method involves the alkylation of free sulfydryl group with iodoacetic acid followed by derivatization of the drug and its metabolite with o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) and UVdetection at 340 nm. The derivatized AMF and WR-1065 were eluted in less than 11 min, and in the case of the metabolite with no interferences from the endogenous plasma peaks. Cystein was used as the internal standard. Analysis was carried out on a Eurosphere Performance (RP-18e, 100 × 4.6 mm) analytical column. The mobile phase was a mixture of methanol and phosphate buffer 0.03 M pH = 2.7 at a ratio of 40: 60v/v, respectively, with a flow rate of 1.5 mLmin(-1). Limit of detection was 0.5 µgmL(-1). The method involved a simple extraction procedure for AMF and/or its metabolite and analytical recovery was 90 ± 0.9%.The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 1-200 µgmL(-1). The coefficients of variation for intra-day and inter-day assays were less than 10%.

DETERMINATION OF FLUCONAZOLE IN HUMAN PLASMA BY REVERSE PHASE HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY.

A rapid, simple and reproducible high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for determination of fluconazole in human plasma. The separation was performed on MZ C8 column (125 x 4 mm, 5 µm) using acetonitrile - potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (15 : 85, v/v), pH 3.0, as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. The wavelength was set at 261 nm. The assay enables the measurement of fluconazole for therapeutic drug monitoring with a minimum quantification limit of 20 ng/mL. The method involves simple, protein precipitation procedure and analytical recovery was complete. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 0.1-4 µg/mL. The coefficients of variation for inter-day and intra-day assay were found to be less than 10%.

Formulation Development and Toxicity Assessment of Triacetin Mediated Nanoemulsions as Novel Delivery Systems for Rapamycin.

The aim of this investigation was to design and develop nanoemulsions (NEs) as novel delivery systems for rapamycin. Phase behavior of quaternary systems composed of Traicetin (as oil), various surfactants and co-surfactants and water at different surfactant/co-surfactant weight ratios was investigated by the construction of phase diagrams. Formulations were taken from the o/w NE region of the phase diagrams, depending upon the extent of NE domain. The spontaneous emulsification method was used to prepare various formulations containing 1 mg/mL of the drug. The NEs were characterized and subjected to stability tests at various temperatures over 9-12 months. Cumulative drug release from the selected formulations was determined for a period of 48 h using a dialysis sac. The assay of rapamycin was carried out using an HPLC technique. The effect of NEs on the viability of SKBR-3 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. The integrity of Caco-2 cell monolayers was measured by Transepithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) and the transport of rapamycin-loaded NEs across Caco-2 cell monolayers was then assessed. The uptake of NEs by SKBR-3 cells was also investigated using florescence microscopy. Maximum drug release was observed in case of 4 formulations prepared with Tween 80 and Tween 20. MTT test results revealed different toxicity of NEs for SKBR-3 cell line and TEER demonstrated that formulations containing Tween 20 caused a more considerable decrease in cell integrity in comparison with those prepared with Tween 80. The results obtained from cellular uptake experiments were in consistent with those obtained from TEER and cytotoxicity experiments.

A rapid HPLC method for determination of zolpidem and its degradation product in tablets using a monolithic column.

A simple, accurate reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method, utilizing a monolithic silica column, for determination of zolpidem hemitartrate and its degradation product in tablet dosage form was developed. Analysis was achieved on the monolithic, C18 (100 mm, 3.9 mm) column, in isocratic mode with acetonitrile-NaH2PO4 (pH 7.0; 0.01 M; 35:65, v/v) as mobile phase and a flow rate of 2.5 mL/min at room temperature with UV detection at 245 nm. Diazepam was applied as an internal standard. The retention time of zolpidem and its degradation product was 2.14 and 1.89, respectively. Calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.12-5 µg/mL and the recovery values were found to be 97-101%. The limit of quantitation was determined 0.12 µg/mL. The relative standard deviation values of intraday and interday studies were calculated as 0.13-1.1% and 0.54-1.3%, respectively.

Study on the effect of solution conditions on heat induced-aggregation of human alpha interferon.

A major problem in the formulation of therapeutic proteins is the irreversible protein aggregation. Recombinant human interferon alpha2b (rhIFNα2b) has poor stability and undergoes physical degradation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of solution conditions on the heat-induced aggregation of rhIFNα2b. The protein was incubated for 1 h at 40-70 °C and for up to 240 h at 50 °C and its aggregation tendency was then studied using optical density (at 350 nm), SE-HPLC, dynamic light scattering and SDS-PAGE methods. The effect of various pH (5, 6 and 7) and buffer concentrations (10, 55 and 100 mM) on the aggregation of protein following incubation at 50 °C for 72 h was also evaluated. The results obtained for samples incubated at 50 °C for up to 240 h showed that OD350 and the amount of higher molecular weight aggregates (HMW) increased and the monomer content decreased significantly (p<0.05) as the incubation time increased. Following incubation at various temperatures, a significant increase in OD350, drop in monomer content and increase in the amount of HMW aggregates were observed (p<0.05). Data obtained from incubation of samples at 50 °C for 72 h confirmed that regardless of the buffer concentration, the percentage of monomer at pH 6 was significantly higher than that at pH 7 and pH 5 (p<0.05). At constant pH, although not significant, the same trend was observed when the buffer concentration increased to 100 mM. In conclusion, the change in solution conditions can influence the aggregation extent of rhIFNα2b.

Occurrence of deoxynivalenol in foods for human consumption from tehran, iran.

The occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON) in retail foods in Tehran (Iran) was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography technique and immunoaffinity column as the clean-up step. A method was validated for analysis of DON in rice, bread, puffed corn snack and wheat flour. The average recoveries and precision (RSD) for DON in different foods ranged 84.2-93.1% and 2.9-12.0%, respectively. A survey of DON was performed on the 72 samples of rice, bread, puffed corn snack, and wheat flour collected from Tehran retail market. The data showed that 10 samples (13.9%) out of 72 samples were contaminated with DON with the maximum level of 368.7 ng/g. The samples had contamination level lower than the maximum tolerated level of DON in foods in Iran. The total intake of DON was under the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake set for DON by the JECFA.

Development of a combined solution formulation of atropine sulfate and obidoxime chloride for autoinjector and evaluation of its stability.

Atropine (AT) and oximes, alone or in combination, have been proven greatly valuable therapeutics in the treatment of organophosphates intoxications. An injectable mixture of AT and obidoxime (OB) was formulated for the administration by automatic self-injector. The aqueous single dose solution contained 275 mg obidoxime chloride and 2.5 mg atropine sulfate per 1 mL (220 mg and 2 mg per 0.8 effective dose, respectively). The final solution was sterilized by filtration through a 0.22 µm pore size filter. This more concentrated solution allowed to use a smaller size and lighter weight cartridge. Quality control tests, including assay of the two major compounds were performed separately, using reversed-phase HPLC methods. Besides, the stability test was carried out according to ICH guideline for the accelerated test. The obtained results showed that the proposed formulation is stable over a period of 2 years after preparation.

Rapid high performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of clarithromycin in human plasma using amperometric detection: application in pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence studies.

A rapid, sensitive and reproducible HPLC method using amperometric detector was developed and validated for the analysis of clarithromycin in human plasma. The separation was achieved on a monolithic silica column (MZ- C8 125×4.0 mm) using acetonitrile-methanol-potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (40:6:54,v/v), with pH of 7.5, as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. The assay enables the measurement of clarithromycin for therapeutic drug monitoring with a minimum quantification limit of 20 ng/mL. The method involves simple, protein precipitation procedure and analytical recovery was complete. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 0.1-6 µg/mL. The coefficients of variation for inter-day and intra-day assay were found to be less than 6%. This method was used in bioequivalency and pharmacokinetic studies of the test (generic) product 2 × 500 mg clarithromycin tablets, with respect to the reference product.

Improvement of capillary electrophoretic enantioseparation of fluoxetine by a cationic additive.

One of the problems encountered in CE separations of basic compounds is the adsorption of analytes onto the negatively charged capillary wall which could lead to poor repeatability of migration time and peak area. Additionally, separation of enantiomers of chiral of basic drugs is commonly carried out in low pH buffer which contributes to strong ionic interaction of the cationic drug ions with negatively charged chiral selectors. The two phenomena results in poor enantioseparations. To overcome the problems associated with chiral separations of basic drugs by CE, the effect of guanidine (GU) on the improvement of chiral separation of a model basic drug, fluoxetine (FLX), was investigated. In the present study, GU was used as a cationic additive to the running buffer containing a chiral selector, sulfated beta cyclodextrine. Better results obtained with GU as the buffer additive in enantioseparation of FLX.

A reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of rapamycin.

Easily degradating and various isomeric forms of rapamycin (Sirolimus) face the determination of this compound to many challenges. In this study, we developed and validated the isocratic reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method for rapamycin. Separation was performed on a C8 column (MZ, 15 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm particle size) using methanol:water (80:20 v/v) as the mobile phase with the flow rate of 1 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 57°C and the detection was carried out at the wavelength of 277 nm. The method was linear over a concentration range of 0.025-2 µg/mL. The coefficient of variation of intra- and inter-day, assessed at three concentration levels of 0.075, 0.3 and 0.900 µg/mL, was less than 2%. Limit of quantification (LOQ) was found 25 ng/mL. The method with high percent recovery and short retention time of rapamycin, was found to be simple, rapid and reproducible.

Improvement of electrophoretic enantioseparation of amlodipine by polybrene.

In chiral and non-chiral electrophoretic resolution of basic drugs, adsorption of analytes to negatively charged capillary wall could lead to poor repeatability of migration time and peak area. In addition, chiral resolutions of basic drugs are commonly performed in low pH buffers. Therefore, longer analysis time due to suppression of electroosmotic flow (EOF) is another dilemma. In this work the improvement effect of polybrene (PB), a cationic polymer, on chiral separation of a model basic drug, amlodipine (AML), was investigated. PB both as a semi-permanent coating agent and as an additive in the running buffer was utilized. Better results were obtained with PB as a buffer additive. Compare to untreated bare silica without using PB in running buffer, addition of 0.0005% PB buffer decreased analysis time downed to 3 folds; efficiency improved up to 5 folds; limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) downed to 8 folds and within-day migration time and peak area repeatabilities, in terms of relative standard deviations (RSD) downed to 5 and 20 folds, respectively.