A novel approach to improve the pharmacokinetic properties of 8-chloro-adenosine by the dual combination of lipophilic derivatisation and liposome formulation.

8-Chloro-adenosine (8CA) has shown promise in hematologic and solid tumor models and is in a phase I clinical trial. However, 8CA is intensively metabolized shortly after i.v. administration, with a t(1/2ß) of approximately 1h. Many carriers have failed to encapsulate 8CA efficiently. To improve its pharmacokinetic properties, 8-chloro-adenosine-5'-O-stearate (8CAS), a lipophilic octadecanoyl analogue of 8CA, was synthesized and incorporated into pegylated liposomes. The liposomes, comprising egg phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and poly (ethylene glycol) 2000-distearoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-DSPE), had mean diameters of approximately 100 nm and an entrapment efficiency of 69-86%. MTT assays showed that the cytotoxicity of 8CAS and its pegylated liposomes (8CAS-PL) were retained, with IC(50) values of 1.0 µM and 1.9 µM at 72 h on MCF-7 cells, respectively, slightly higher than that of 8CA (0.6 µM). Pharmacokinetic studies in rats after i.v. injection showed that both 8CAS and 8 CAS-PL had increased elimination half-lives (t(1/2), 128.4, 249.2 vs. 74.7 min), decreased clearance rates (Cl, 0.0135, 0.00875 vs. 0.2398 L/min/kg) and increased area under the concentration-time curve (AUC(0-∞), 741.4, 1163.6 vs. 42.0 mg min/L) compared to 8CA. No obvious hematological toxicity was seen for Kunming mice receiving i.v. 8CA or 8CAS-PL at a dosage of 10mg/kg daily. These results indicate that the lipophilic derivation of 8CA and the incorporation of 8CAS is an effective strategy to improve the bioavailability of 8CA.

Plasma and cellular pharmacology of 8-chloro-adenosine in mice and rats.

PURPOSE: The nucleoside 8-chloro-adenosine (8-Cl-Ado) is currently being developed for treatment of multiple myeloma and leukemias. Although accumulation of the phosphorylated drug product is known to occur within cell lines, its metabolic fate in plasma or circulating cells in animals is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to determine the pharmacology of 8-Cl-Ado in rodents through examination of plasma and cellular levels of parent drug and metabolites. In addition, we sought to determine whether an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase, 2'-deoxycoformycin (dCF), could enhance intracellular formation of 8-Cl-ATP by preventing degradation of 8-Cl-Ado to 8-Cl-inosine (8-Cl-Ino). METHODS: A validated HPLC assay permitted simultaneous determination of 8-Cl-Ado, 8-Cl-adenine (8-Cl-Ade), dCF, and 8-Cl-Ino. Radiolabeled cellular nucleotides were obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of both mice and rats using a perchloric acid extraction procedure and were separated by HPLC. RESULTS: Stability of 8-Cl-Ado in the presence or absence of dCF was examined in fresh plasma from mice, rats and humans. Conversion of 8-Cl-Ado to 8-Cl-Ino was only marginally affected by coincubation with dCF. In CD(2)F(1) mice given 8-Cl-Ado i.p. at 100 mg/kg, there was rapid appearance in plasma of both 8-Cl-Ade and 8-Cl-Ino. The identities of the metabolites were confirmed by mass spectrometry. The plasma [(3)H]8-Cl-Ado concentration 1 h after drug injection was 1.3 micro M in mice while the intracellular levels of [(3)H]8-Cl-AMP and [(3)H]8-Cl-ATP were 1 m M and 350 micro M, respectively. Mice that had received dCF (2 mg/ml) 30 min prior to [(3)H]8-Cl-Ado had 27% less intracellular [(3)H]8-Cl-ATP in PBMC compared to mice without dCF pretreatment. The pharmacokinetics of 8-Cl-Ado were examined in greater detail in Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were given [(3)H]8-Cl-Ado (42.5 mg/kg, i.v.) by itself or 30 min following injection of dCF (4 mg/kg). Mononuclear cells in mice accumulated 350 or 1200 micro M [(3)H]8-Cl-ATP 1 h after injection of either 50 or 100 mg [(3)H]8-Cl-Ado, respectively. The major metabolite in these cells was the monophosphate, which was four- to sevenfold higher in concentration than the triphosphate metabolite. In rats, [(3)H]8-Cl-AMP concentrations in PBMC were similar to those of the triphosphate metabolite which achieved a peak of 90 micro M 2 h after a bolus injection of 8-Cl-Ado (40 mg/kg). Cellular clearance of 8-Cl-ATP appeared to be slow: 24 h after injection of 8-Cl-Ado the cellular concentration of 8-Cl-ATP was still 40 micro M. CONCLUSIONS: The use of dCF did not significantly alter 8-Cl-ATP levels in PBMC and is not considered to be a useful therapeutic strategy. Even though a portion of 8-Cl-Ado is metabolically inactivated in plasma, high levels of cytotoxic 8-Cl-ATP accumulated intracellularly in these animals and were retained for a considerable length of time. Further development of 8-Cl-Ado is recommended.

Determination of pharmacokinetics of 8-chloroadenosine and its two major metabolites in dogs by high-performance liquid chromatography.

High-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure concentration of 8-chloroadenosine (8-Cl-A) and its two major metabolites 8-chloroadenine (8-Cl-Ad) and 8-chloroinosine (8-Cl-I), and their pharmacokinetics in dogs. 8-Cl-A and its metabolites in serum were treated by deproteinization with acetonitrile, then organic impurities were extracted with dichloromethane, followed by centrifuged and direct injection of the supernatant into the liquid chromatograph. After intravenous injection of 8-Cl-A (30 mg/kg), the parent drug and 8-Cl-I were not detected, but the other metabolite, 8-Cl-Ad, was found at a high concentration for 240 min in dog serum. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of 8-Cl-Ad, t1/2beta and AUC, were 69.30 min and 580 microg min/ml. Our finding indicates that in dogs 8-Cl-A is rapidly metabolized and forms its major metabolites, 8-Cl-Ad and 8-Cl-I. 8-Cl-Ad appeared in many tissues, but 8-Cl-A and 8-Cl-I did not. The concentration of 8-Cl-Ad in dog tissues was highest in the liver and spleen, intermediate in the kidney, intestine, and lowest in the bone marrow, heart, and lungs. However, it was not detected in some liposoluble tissues such as the testes, brain, or uterus. Our study provides useful information for clinical experiment.

Pharmacokinetic-haemodynamic relationships of 2-chloroadenosine at adenosine A1 and A2a receptors in vivo.

1. The purpose of the present study was to develop an experimental strategy for the quantification of the cardiovascular effects of non-selective adenosine receptor ligands at the adenosine A1 and A2a receptor in vivo. 2-Chloroadenosine (CADO) was used as a model compound. 2. Three groups of normotensive conscious rats received an short intravenous infusion of 1.4 mg kg-1 CADO during constant infusions of the A1-selective antagonist, 8-cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT; 20 micrograms min-1 kg-1), the A2a-selective antagonist, 8-(3-chlorostyryl) caffeine (CSC; 32 micrograms min-1 kg-1) or the vehicle. The heart rate (HR) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were recorded continuously during the experiment and serial arterial blood samples were taken for analysis of drug concentrations. The ratio MAP/HR was also calculated, which may reflect changes in total peripheral resistance on the assumption that no changes in stroke volume occur. 3. During the infusion of CPT, CADO produced a reduction in both blood pressure and MAP/HR by activation of the A2a receptor. The concentration-effect relationships were described according to the sigmoidal Emax model, yielding potencies based on free drug concentrations (EC50,u) of 61 and 68 ng ml-1 (202 and 225 nM) for the reduction of blood pressure and MAP/HR, respectively. During the infusion of CSC, an EC50,u value of 41 ng ml-1 (136 nM) was observed for the A1 receptor-mediated reduction in heart rate. The in vivo potencies correlated with reported receptor affinities (Ki(A1) = 300 nM and Ki(A2a) = 80 nM). The maximal reductions in MAP/HR and heart rate were comparable to those of full agonists, with the Emax values of -12 +/- 1 x 10(-2) mmHg b.p.m.-1 and -205 b.p.m. respectively. 4. It is concluded that this integrated pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic approach can be used to obtain quantitative information on the potency and intrinsic activity of new non-selective adenosine receptor agonists at different receptor subtypes in vivo.

Sensitive determination of 8-chloroadenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and 8-chloroadenosine in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography.

8-Chloroadenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (8-Cl-cAMP) is progressing through clinical evaluation as an anticancer drug. There is debate as to whether 8-Cl-cAMP is the active principal or its cytotoxic metabolite 8-Cl-adenosine. Separate high-performance liquid chromatographic methods are described for (i) 8-Cl-cAMP and its nucleotide metabolites (with 8-Br-cAMP as internal standard), and (ii) 8-Cl-adenosine. Both methods use a reversed-phase (Spherisorb ODS-2) stationary phase and a mobile phase consisting of sodium phosphate buffer (10 mM, pH 3.5) and methanol but with gradient elution for the nucleotides and isocratic elution for 8-Cl-adenosine. 8-Cl-cAMP and related nucleotides are extracted from plasma using strong anion-exchange solid-phase extraction (SPE) and 8-Cl-adenosine is extracted using reversed-phase (C8) SPE. Both techniques enabled analyses to be performed at high detector sensitivity with minimal interference. Limit of detection in plasma was 10 ng/ml for both 8-Cl-cAMP and 8-Cl-adenosine. When applied to the analysis of plasma samples from a patient treated with a low dose continuous infusion of 25 micrograms/kg/h, steady-state concentrations centred around 60 ng/ml 8-Cl-cAMP were determined. In the same patient 8-Cl-adenosine was not detected. Application of this methodology will aid in the further development of 8-Cl-cAMP as a potential new form of anticancer treatment.

Determination of 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine in human plasma.

The first high performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of the plasma concentration of 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine (CdA) in patients, which is significantly more sensitive than the previously used RIA method, is presented. CdA is a purine analogue with useful clinical activity against lymphoproliferative disorders and it has recently been found to be the single most active agent in the treatment of hairy cell leukaemia. Guaneran (6-nitroimidazol-6-thioguanine) was added to 1 mL plasma as the internal standard and CdA was extracted using ethyl acetate. A Perkin-Elmer C18, 3 mu, 8 cm column was used for the separation of CdA and the internal standard from endogenous compounds in the sample with a mixture of sodium phosphate buffer 10 mM, methanol and acetonitrile (85:10:5, pH = 3.0) as the mobile phase. The sensitivity of the method (1 nM) allows the determination of CdA in plasma 24 h after the administration of 0.14 mg/kg as a 2 h infusion.

On the pharmacokinetics of 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine in humans.

The antitumoral effect of 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine (CdA) in the treatment of lymphoproliferative diseases in general and of hairy cell leukemia in particular has recently been demonstrated. Detailed information on the pharmacokinetics of CdA, however, is lacking. The pharmacokinetics of CdA after 2- and 24-h infusions of 0.14 mg/kg was described in 12 patients with lymphoproliferative diseases using a newly developed high-performance liquid chromatography method. The plasma concentration data from individual patients were fitted to a two-compartment model with alpha- and beta-half-lives of 35 +/- 12 (mean +/- SD) min and 6.7 +/- 2.5 h, respectively. The volume of distribution was 9.2 +/- 5.4 liters/kg. The steady-state concentration of CdA during the 24-h infusion was 22.5 +/- 11.1 nM. The areas under the time versus concentration curves were 552 +/- 258 and 588 +/- 185 nM x h, respectively, for the 24- and 2-h infusions. The interindividual variability of the determinants of the plasma pharmacokinetics of CdA was small (the coefficients of variation were between 0.22 and 0.58). At 6.3 +/- 1.5 h after the start of the 2-h infusion, the concentration of CdA was the same as the steady-state concentration during the 24-h infusion. When the mean plasma concentrations of the 12 patients were fitted to a 3-compartment model, the half-lives of the alpha-, beta-, and tau-phases were 8 min, 1 h 6 min, and 6.3 h, respectively. The long terminal half-life of CdA after 2-h infusion supports the use of intermittent infusions.