Exploring the analytical power of the QTOF MS platform to assess monoclonal antibodies quality attributes.

The biopharmaceutical industry is growing at a fast pace, making nowadays 20% of the pharma market. Within this market, therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are the dominant product class. With the patent expirations, biosimilars and, perhaps more relevant, biobetters, are in fast development. Thus, a comprehensive characterization at the molecular level of antibodies heterogeneity such as glycoforms, post-translational modifications (PTMs) and sequence variations is of utmost importance. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based approaches are undoubtedly the most powerful analytical strategies to monitor and define an array of critical quality attributes on mAbs. In this work, we demonstrate the analytical power of the Q-TOF MS platform for comprehensive and detailed analysis at molecular levels of an in-house produced mAb. This methodology involves minimal sample preparation procedures and provides an extensive collection of valuable data in a short period of time.

Human carboxylesterase 2: Studies on the role of glycosylation for enzymatic activity.

Human carboxylesterase 2 (hCES2) is a glycoprotein involved in the metabolism of drugs and several environmental xenobiotics, whose crystallization has been proved to be a challenging task. This limitation could partly be due to glycosylation heterogeneity and has delayed the disclosure of the 3D structure of hCES2 which would be of upmost relevance for the development of new substrates and inhibitors. The present work evaluated the involvement of glycans in hCES2 activity and thermo stability in an attempt to find alternative active forms of the enzyme that might be adequate for structure elucidation. Partial or non-glycosylated forms of a secreted form of hCES2 have been obtained by three approaches: (i) enzymatic deglycosylation with peptide N-glycosidase F; (ii) incubation with the inhibitor tunicamycin; ii) site directed mutagenesis of each or both N-glycosylation sites. Deglycosylated protein did not show a detectable decrease in enzyme activity. On the other hand, tunicamycin led to decreased levels of secreted hCES2 but the enzyme was still active. In agreement, mutation of each and both N-glycosylation sites led to decreased levels of secreted active hCES2. However, the thermostability of the glycosylation mutants was decreased. The results indicated that glycans are involved, to some extent in protein folding in vivo, however, removal of glycans does not abrogate the activity of secreted hCES2.

Comparison of in vitro methods for carboxylesterase activity determination in immortalized cells representative of the intestine, liver and kidney.

Herein we compare the fluorimetric determination of total and specific carboxylesterase activity in immortalized human derived living cells and in cell lysates. The cell lines chosen are representative of metabolism occurring in the intestine (Caco-2 and HT-29), kidney (HEK-293T) and liver (Hep G2). Caco-2 and HT-29, as cells prone to differentiation, were tested along the differentiation time. For evaluation of both methods when distinguishing activity of different carboxylesterases, HEK-293T transfected with the human carboxylestarase-2 (hCES2) were also tested. Application to Caco-2 or HT-29 cells demonstrated higher activity detected in cell lysates than in cell monolayers. The difference is most striking when comparing the methods at different stages of Caco-2 and HT-29 cell maturation, highlighting substrate accessibility as a limiting step in the in vivo hydrolysis rates (possibly limited by plasma and Endoplasmic Reticulum membrane permeability) with increasing relevance as the cells differentiate. Application to Hep G2 or to hCES2 transfected and non-transfected HEK-293T cells, demonstrated a tendency for higher sensitivity in living cell suspensions than that obtained with the cell lysates which indicates the importance of cell environment in the maintenance of enzyme activity. However, quantification of hCES2 activity relative to total esterase, or to total carboxylesterase activity, was not significantly different in any case. The results herein presented help to clarify which method is best suited for evaluation of carboxylesterase activity in vitro depending on the final goal of the study.

Electroosmotic flow modulation in capillary electrophoresis by organic cations from ionic liquids.

This paper describes the ability of several ionic liquids cations for electroosmotic flow modulation in capillary electrophoresis. Organic salts based on phosphonium, sulfonium, cysteinium, ammonium, and guanidinium cations were selected to study this property. In addition, the synergistic effect of these compounds in cyclodextrin chiral separation was also evaluated. In comparison with most studied imidazolium-based ionic liquids, several of the cations studied, are stronger modifiers in terms of electroosmotic flow (EOF) modulation. Phosphonium-based compounds and tri-octyl methylammonium chloride ([Aliquat]Cl) had the strongest ability to reverse EOF both in acidic and in basic conditions and had the lowest EOF reversal concentrations in the presence of hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin. EOF modulation ability of phosphonium cations also contributed to the improvement of chiral separation of DL-propranolol by hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin at lower concentrations in comparison with most commonly used EOF modulators such as tetrabutylammonium phosphate.

Detection and quantification of carboxylesterase 2 activity by capillary electrophoresis.

The purpose of this study was to develop an analytical method to quantify the relative activities of carboxylesterases (CESs) in biological samples. Taking the advantage of loperamide, a specific carboxylesterase 2 (CES2) inhibitor, and bis-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (BNPP), an irreversible CESs inhibitor, we propose for the first time a capillary electrophoresis (CE) method that enables detecting and distinguishing CES2 activity from other CESs in complex biological samples. The capillary electrophoresis method proved to be fast, simple, repeatable, and applicable to the measurement of the specific activity of CESs. The method was successfully applied to the evaluation of human cells overexpressing human carboxylesterase 2 (hCE-2) and to several mammalian sera, using extremely small amounts of samples in comparison with traditional spectrophotometric methods. The same rationale can be applied to establish methods for determining the activity of other isoenzymes, using the appropriate specific inhibitors.

Solubilization of fullerene C60 in micellar solutions of different solubilizers.

Fullerene (C(60)), the third carbon allotrope, is a classical engineered material with the potential application in biomedicine. However, extremely high hydrophobicity of fullerene hampers its direct biomedical evaluation and application. In this work, we investigated the solubilization of fullerene using 9 different solubility enhancers: Tween 20, Tween 60, Tween 80, Triton X-100, PVP, polyoxyethylene (10) lauryl ether, n-dodecyl trimethylammonium chloride, myristyl trimethylammonium bromide and sodium dodecyl sulphate and evaluated its antioxidant activity in biorelevant media. The presence of C(60) entrapped in surfactant micelles was confirmed by UV/VIS spectrometry. The efficacy of each modifier was evaluated by chemometric analysis using experimental data for investigating the relationship between solubilization and particle size distribution. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis was applied and showed that non-ionic surfactants provide better solubilization efficacy (>85%). A correlation was established (r=0.975) between the degree of solubilization and the surfactant structure. This correlation may be used for prediction of C(60) solubilization with non-tested solubility modifiers. Since the main potential biomedical applications of fullerene are based on its free radical quenching ability, we tested the antioxidant potential of fullerene micellar solutions. Lipid peroxidation tests showed that the micellar solutions of fullerene with Triton and polyoxyethylene lauryl ether kept high radical scavenging activity, comparable to that of aqueous suspension of fullerene and BHT. The results of this work provide a platform for further solubilization and testing of pristine fullerene and its hydrophobic derivatives in a biological benign environment.

Fullerenol C60(OH)24 prevents doxorubicin-induced acute cardiotoxicity in rats.

Results obtained in vitro suggested that fullerenol's antiproliferative properties and protective effects against doxorubicin (DOX) cytotoxicity are mediated by antioxidative and hydroxyl radical scavenger activity. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of fullerenol on acute cardiotoxicity after the administration of a single high dose of DOX in vivo. The experiment was performed on male Wistar rats randomly divided into five groups, each containing eight individuals, that were treated as follows: I) 0.9% NaCl, II) 10 mg/kg DOX, III) 50 mg/kg fullerenol 30 min before 10 mg/kg DOX, IV) 100 mg/kg fullerenol 30 min before 10 mg/kg DOX, and V) 100 mg/kg fullerenol. A functional, biochemical, hematological, and pathomorphological examination of the heart as well as an evaluation of oxidative stress parameters was conducted on days 2 and 14 after DOX administration. The function of the heart was investigated by monitoring heart contractility after the adrenaline infusion. Fullerenol, applied alone, did not alter basal values of investigated animals. Both doses of fullerenol, used as a pretreatment, did not alter the basal parameters of the animals. The 100 mg/kg dose of fullerenol showed better protection. Considering the mechanisms of DOX toxicity, fullerenol likely exerts its protective role as a free radical sponge and/or by removing free iron through the formation of a fullerenol-iron complex. Our results suggest that fullerenol might be a potential cardioprotective agent in DOX-treated individuals.

Electrophoretically mediated microanalysis for the evaluation of interspecies variation in cholinesterase metabolism.

This study describes an electrophoretically mediated microanalysis method, suitable for the preclinical evaluation of the hydrolysis of ester drugs by the serum of different animals and for further characterization of human-animal correlation. Dog, cat, cow, horse, sheep, rat and human serum were diluted (25%) in the appropriate buffer and replaced the enzyme solution usually used in electrophoretically mediated microanalysis methods for the study of enzyme kinetics. They were then compared in terms of the ability to hydrolyze acetylthiocholine and butyrylthiocholine (0.25 mM) by in-capillary reaction. Human serum afforded the highest conversion rates (52% butyryltiocholine and 34% acetylthiocholine) followed by horse (31 and 35%), dog (26 and 24%), cat (22 and 14%), rat (11 and 15%) and sheep (8 and 8%). Hydrolysis by bovine serum was negligible. The method is fast (under 8 min including rinsing steps), sensitive (under 25 microM substrate could be quantified) and repeatable (RSD approximately 2%), only requiring minute amounts of sample.

Simultaneous determination of clopidogrel and its carboxylic acid metabolite by capillary electrophoresis.

A capillary electrophoresis method was developed and validated for the first time for the analysis of clopidogrel and its carboxylic acid metabolite. Prior to method optimization, the pH dependence of effective mobility of both compounds was determined in order to define the initial pH of the running buffer. The optimized method demonstrated to be selective, and linear in the concentration range of 2-100 microM for both compounds. The method limits of detection and quantification were, respectively, 1.2 and 3.7 microM for clopidogrel and 1.1 and 3.2 microM for the carboxylic acid metabolite. Moreover, method validation demonstrated acceptable results for method repeatability (RSD<7%), intermediate precision (RSD<7%) and accuracy (85-96%) and is suitable for the quantitative analysis of clopidogrel and its metabolite in serum samples. The validated method was also applied to the determination of the kinetic parameters of the enzymatic hydrolysis of clopidogrel. An apparent K(m) of 145+/-30 microM and V(max) of 0.4, 1.5 and 3.4 microM/min, respectively for the enzyme concentrations 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 U/ml, were obtained.

Dopamine- and tyramine-based derivatives of triazenes: activation by tyrosinase and implications for prodrug design.

A range of triazene derivatives were synthesized and investigated as prodrug candidates for melanocyte-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (MDEPT). The prodrugs contained a tyramine or dopamine promoiety required for tyrosinase activation and this was joined via a urea functional group to the cytotoxic triazene. The stability of each of the prodrugs in phosphate buffer, human plasma and in mushroom tyrosinase is discussed. The identification of the main peak formed after the tyrosinase reaction was attempted by LC-MS and the conversion of prodrug to the quinone was confirmed.

Design, synthesis, and pharmacological effects of a cyclization-activated steroid prodrug for colon targeting in inflammatory bowel disease.

Glucocorticoids are used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. A limitation to their use is that they undergo absorption from the GIT before reaching the colon causing severe systemic side effects. We report here on a novel prodrug approach to targeting corticosteroids to the colon. The design involves attaching a 21-ester group that suppresses absorption during transit to the colon. The prodrug is designed to be primed by colonic microflora liberating an amino ester that cyclizes releasing the steroid. One of the prodrugs 5b was as efficacious as prednisolone in the murine DSS model but did not cause thymic atrophy, a marker for systemic steroid effects.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-capillary gel electrophoresis analysis of rotavirus-like particles.

This work describes the application of a sodium dodecyl sulfate-capillary gel electrophoresis (SDS-CGE) method for the analysis of triple 2/6/7 and double-layered 2/6 rotavirus-like particles (RLPs), candidate vaccines against rotavirus infection. SDS-CGE analysis of RLPs resulted in peaks that could be attributed to the viral proteins (VP2, VP6 and VP7) according to their apparent molecular mass (MWapp). Samples containing the glycoprotein VP7 were analysed after deglycosylation with PNGase F. Upon deglycosylation, VP7 MWapp decreased 4-7kDa consistent with a degree of glycosylation of approximately 12-21%. VP2 was eventually detected in the form of more than one related proteins, despite the small areas due to the relative low mass proportion of this protein in the particle (16%). The effect of analytical parameters such as capillary temperature on method performance was evaluated. MWapp values estimated by SDS-CGE were compared with values obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The method described in this work proved to be fast, consistent and reproducible, representing a feasible alternative to the laborious conventional electrophoresis for the characterization of RLPs.

Impregnation of an intraocular lens for ophthalmic drug delivery.

In this work the possibility of impregnating P(MMA-EHA-EGDMA) with flurbiprofen using a clean and environmentally friendly technology, namely supercritical fluid technology was evaluated. P(MMA-EHA-EGDMA) has been proposed as a promising matrix to be used for intraocular delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs used in eye surgery and flurbiprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent. Fundamental studies like, the solubility of the drug in carbon dioxide, as well as the sorption degree of this polymeric matrix in the presence of carbon dioxide have been previously carried out. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of these two variables in the impregnation process. Different experimental conditions were tested and the results obtained suggest that the best impregnating conditions for this system are low temperatures and pressures, which at the same time correspond to a lower solubility of the drug in the supercritical fluid and a low swelling of the polymeric matrix. Experiments performed also indicate that the batch impregnation process leads to higher yields of impregnation and according to the release profiles obtained the drug can be released from the matrix up to three months, which presents great advantages for post-surgical treatments.

Prediction of intestinal absorption and metabolism of pharmacologically active flavones and flavanones.

Three glycosilated flavonoids (diosmin, hesperidin and naringin) and respective aglycones were characterized in terms of their apparent ionisation constants and bidirectional permeability using the cellular model Caco-2 as well as the artificial membrane model PAMPA. Ionisation curves were established by capillary electrophoresis. It was confirmed that significant amounts of the aglycones are ionised at physiological pH whereas the glycosides are in the neutral form. Permeation was not detected for the glycosides in either the apical-to-basolateral or basolateral-to-apical directions confirming the need for metabolism before absorption through the intestinal membrane. The aglycones permeated in both directions with apparent permeabilities (P(app)) in the range of 1-8x10(-5) cm/s. The results from both in vitro methods correlated providing some evidence of passive transport; however, the hypothesis of active transport cannot be excluded particularly in the case of diosmetin. Metabolism of the aglycones was detected with the cell model, more extensively when loading in the apical side. Some of the metabolites were identified as glucuronide conjugates by enzymatic hydrolysis.

Beta-aminoketones as prodrugs with pH-controlled activation.

N-Mannich bases have been widely applied as prodrugs of amine drugs. The analogous C-Mannich bases (beta-aminoketones) have received rather less attention probably because they are not sufficiently susceptible to elimination at pHs encountered in vivo. Compounds in which there is a thermodynamic advantage to elimination may be an exception. In this study, the physicochemical characteristics of a series of Michael amino addition adducts of chalcone and other carbonyl compounds is explored. The ketone adducts rapidly eliminate at around pH 7.4 (t(1/2) < 15 min) releasing the amine and the ketone but they are stable under acidic conditions. The Michael adducts are more lipophilic than the parent amines and have significantly suppressed ionisation characteristics at biologically relevant pH values.

Preparation of ethyl cellulose/methyl cellulose blends by supercritical antisolvent precipitation.

The supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technique was used to prepare ethyl cellulose/methyl cellulose blends, two biocompatible polymers commonly used as drug carriers in controlled delivery systems. Ethyl cellulose is widely used as a drug carrier. The drug release of the delivery devices can be controlled to some extent by addition of a water-soluble or water swellable polymer, such as methyl cellulose. This leads to the solubility enhancement of poorly water-soluble molecules. SAS experiments were carried out at different operational conditions and microspheres with mean diameters ranging from 5 to 30 microm were obtained. The effect of CO(2) and liquid flow, temperature and pressure on particle size and particle size distribution was evaluated. The microspheres were precipitated from a mixture of dichloromethane (DCM) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) (4:1 ratio). The best process conditions for this mixture were according to our study 40 degrees C and 80 bar.

Chiral separation and identification of beta-aminoketones of pharmacological interest by high performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis.

This paper describes the development and comparison of chiral methods of analysis for a series of pharmacologically active indane derivatives that have been studied in the context of the evaluation of a promising prodrug system for amines. The methods are intended for studying the differences in the pharmacokinetics of the optical isomers of these compounds. Capillary electrophoresis, using cyclodextrins as chiral selectors, and HPLC, using a Pirkle type stationary phase, were tested. Baseline separation was not achieved by HPLC, but good separations were obtained in less than 7 min, by capillary electrophoresis with phosphate buffers pH 2.5-3 using sulfated-beta-cyclodextrin or mixtures of neutral beta-cyclodextrins as chiral selectors.

Preparation of controlled release microspheres using supercritical fluid technology for delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Ethylcellulose/methylcellulose blends were produced using different precipitation techniques and impregnated with naproxen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Solvent-evaporation technique was used not only for the preparation of ethylcellulose/methylcellulose microspheres but also to encapsulate naproxen. Supercritical fluid (SCF) impregnation was also performed to prepare naproxen loaded microspheres. The microspheres, impregnated by the SCF technique, were prepared both by solvent-evaporation and by a supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process. In vitro release profiles at pH 7.4 and 1.2, of naproxen-loaded microspheres were evaluated and the results were modelled Fick's law of diffusion and Power law. Miscrospheres prepared by supercritical antisolvent have a higher loading capacity and present a slower release profile. The systems studied present a release mechanism controlled by drug diffusion which complies Fick's law of diffusion.

A new amino-masking group capable of pH-triggered amino-drug release.

The prodrug approach is potentially useful for mitigating pharmaceutical problems--such as poor membrane permeability or stability--which commonly occur with amino drugs. On the other hand there persists a dearth of useful systems for masking amines that satisfy the prodrug requirements of good in vitro stability coupled with predictable and rapid drug release in response to a local tissue condition. This study describes an evaluation of aminoindanes as bioreversibly masked amines poised to undergo elimination to the parent amine. Several model amine and amino drug indanone derivatives were synthesised. pK(a) values were determined by capillary electrophoresis and pH rate profiles for elimination and amine liberation were measured. The aminoindanone system appears to have particular applicability to secondary amino substrates whose indanone derivatives are stable at low pH but undergo drug release at rates corresponding to first-order half-lives of <5 min at pH 7.4.

Ionisation characteristics and elimination rates of some aminoindanones determined by capillary electrophoresis.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has emerged as an important tool for evaluating the ionisation characteristics of compounds and their corresponding pKa values. A particular strength of CE in this context is that its relative selectivity allows one to measure the extent of ionisation of materials that are impure. In this study, using CE, we have measured the pKa values of a series of anti-inflammatory aminoindanones, which underwent degradation to indenone during the course of the determination. We subsequently monitored the elimination reactions measuring remaining indanone over the pH range 2.6-10 at constant ionic strength and temperature. The decomposition of the tertiary amino derivatives was especially fast with first-order half-lives of less than 10 min observed at pH 7.4. The resulting sigmoidal pH rate profiles can be accounted for by assuming unimolecular elimination of the protonated (slow) and neutral (fast) forms of the amines. This study provides further support for the use of CE in evaluating amino ionisation especially in cases where degradation might be expected.