Liquid chromatographic analysis in mouse, dog and human plasma; stability, absorption, metabolism and pharmacokinetics of the anti-HIV agent 2-chloro-5-(2-methyl-5,6-dihydro-1,4-oxathiin-3-yl carboxamido) isopropylbenzoate (NSC 615985, UC84).

NSC 615985 (UC 84) has demonstrated anti-HIV activity in the NCI-AIDS antiviral screen and was under consideration as an anti-AIDS drug. The compound was subsequently shown to be a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). An HPLC method was developed for the analysis of NSC 615985 in mouse, dog and human plasma; and was used to study its stability in plasma and blood as well as its absorption and metabolism in mice. The method involved precipitation of plasma protein with three volumes of methanol followed by HPLC analysis of the supernatant. The HPLC analysis was carried out on a reversed-phase Nova-Pak C18 column with a mobile phase of KH2PO4 (0.01 M; pH 4.8)-acetonitrile (52:48, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml min-1 and quantification with a UV detector set at 259 nm. The lower limit of quantitation was 0.05 microgram ml-1 in 1 ml of dog or human plasma or 0.1 microgram ml-1 in 0.5 ml of mouse plasma. NSC 615985 was more stable in dog and human plasma than in mouse plasma, and was less stable in blood than in plasma of the three species investigated. Following bolus intravenous (i.v.) administration at 10 mg kg-1 to male CDF1 mice, NSC 615985 elimination followed biexponential kinetics with half-lives of 1 and 7 min, and was extensively metabolized. NSC 615985 was very poorly absorbed following oral (PO) administration as a suspension in water or in 20% lipid emulsion (Liposyn II). Following bolus subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of [14C]NSC 615985 at 10 mg kg-1, relatively low concentrations of the parent compound were observed in three of 36 mice. One metabolite was tentatively identified in plasma of both the i.v.- and s.c.-treated animals as the sulfoxide of the parent compound. No parent compound was detected in the urine of NSC 615985 dosed mice. At least seven metabolites were present in urine; one metabolite (constituting 8-14% of urinary radioactivity) was tentatively identified as the carboxylic acid resulting from the hydrolysis of the isopropyl group from the parent compound. In summary, NSC 615985 was poorly absorbed following oral administration and extensively metabolized and eliminated following i.v. or s.c. administration. This unfavorable pharmacokinetic profile of NSC 615985 as well as its pattern of activity against NNRTI-resistant strains of HIV-1 precluded its progression to clinical trial; however, other members of the general chemical class are currently being evaluated by the NCI.

Comparative disposition of 2,3-epoxy-1-propanol (glycidol) in rats following oral and intravenous administration.

Glycidol (2,3-epoxy-1-propanol), an industrial chemical, has been shown to be a reproductive toxicant in short-term studies and a carcinogen in rats and mice in oncogenicity studies. The reproductive toxicity of glycidol was believed to result from its conversion to alpha-chlorohydrin by the action of HCl in the stomach. The comparative disposition of glycidol was investigated in rats following oral (po) or intravenous (iv) administration at doses of 37.5 and 75 mg/kg. These were the doses used in the National Toxicology Program (NTP) oncogenicity study with glycidol. Approximately 87-92% of the dose was absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract of the rat. [14C]Glycidol equivalents were eliminated in urine (40-48% of dose in 72 h), feces (5-12%), and exhaled as CO2 (26-32%). At both doses, 9-12% and 7-8% (estimated) of the dose remained in tissues at 24 and 72 h following dosing, respectively. In general, the concentrations of glycidol equivalents in tissues were proportional to the dose. The highest concentrations of radioactivity were observed in blood cells, thyroid, liver, kidney, and spleen, and the lowest in adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and plasma. The pattern of distribution of radioactivity in tissues was similar for both the iv and po routes. The total recovery of radioactivity ranged from 87 to 91% of dose. Urinary radioactivity was resolved by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis into 15 metabolites. There were one major (14-21% of the dose) and four lesser metabolites (each representing 2-8%); the others were minor, each representing 1% or less of the dose. In general, the urinary metabolic profile was similar following either iv or po administration at the two doses studied. Previous studies by other investigators suggested that alpha-chlorohydrin, which was presumably formed from glycidol by the HCl in the stomach, was metabolized and excreted in urine as beta-chlorolactic acid. The results of the present study show that very little, if any, urinary radioactivity coeluted with authentic beta-chlorolactic acid following either iv or po administration. Therefore, it is concluded that the conversion of glycidol to alpha-chlorohydrin is quantitatively insignificant. However, it may be significant with regard to glycidol reproductive toxicity. Also, the NTP oncogenicity study with glycidol was carried out within the dose range in which its disposition characteristics were linear.

Determination of 1-methoxy-2-propanol and its metabolite 1,2-propanediol in rat and mouse plasma by gas chromatography.

A method utilizing capillary GC and flame ionization detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of 1-methoxy-2-propanol (propylene glycol monomethyl ether; PGME) and its metabolite 1,2-propanediol (propylene glycol; PG) in rat and mouse plasma. The calibration graphs for rat and mouse plasma were linear with correlation coefficients at > 0.997 over the range 2-700 micrograms/ml. The limit of quantification was ca. 2 micrograms/ml (2 ng on-column) for both compounds in plasma of each species. The ranges of the precision and accuracy for PGME were 2.8-8.8% and 3.2-13%, respectively, and for PG were 11-26% and 10-25%, respectively. The recovery of PGME from rat and mouse plasma was ca. 73% and for PG it was ca. 65 and 31% from rat and mouse plasma, respectively. The method was used to study the oral absorption and metabolism of PGME in mice. PGME was readily absorbed and metabolized to PG following oral gavage administration at 90 mg/kg. The maximum concentrations of PGME and PG in plasma were attained at 20 and 30 min following dosing, respectively.

Liquid chromatographic analysis, stability and protein binding studies of the anti-HIV agent benzoic acid, 2-chloro-5[[(1-methylethoxy)thioxomethyl]amino]-,1-methylethyl ester.

A method was developed for the assay of benzoic acid, 2-chloro-5-[[(1-methylethoxyl)thioxomethyl]amino]-,1-meth yle thyl ester (NSC 629243) in hamster, mouse, human and, to a limited extent, dog plasma. Protein in 0.5 ml of plasma was precipitated with four volumes of methanol and the supernatant was analysed for NSC 629243 by LC. Liquid chromatography was carried out on a reversed-phase Nova-Pak C18 column, with a mobile phase of 60% acetonitrile in water at 1 ml min-1, and the compound was quantified with a UV detector set at 283 nm. Two standard curves of NSC 629243 were needed to cover a concentration range of 0.05-100 micrograms ml-1. All standard curves had correlation coefficients > 0.999. In practice, the minimum quantifiable concentration was approximately 0.05 microgram ml-1 in 0.5 ml of plasma. NSC 629243 appeared to have good stability at 37 degrees C in hamster, human and dog plasma at concentrations of 1 and 50 micrograms ml-1 (at least 80% remained in plasma after a 4 h incubation). Breakdown occurred in mouse plasma after 1 h at 37 degrees C, with extensive breakdown occurring after 24 h. NSC 629243 was extensively bound to plasma proteins of Syrian hamsters and humans. The extent of binding ranged from a minimum of 88.6% to a maximum of 99.9% over a concentration range of ca 1-100 micrograms ml-1.