An oral oligonucleotide delivery system based on a thiolated polymer: Development and in vitro evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an oral oligonucleotide delivery system based on a thiolated polymer/reduced glutathione (GSH) system providing a protective effect toward nucleases and permeation enhancement. A polycarbophil-cysteine conjugate (PCP-Cys) was synthesized. Enzymatic degradation of a model oligonucleotide by DNase I and within freshly collected intestinal fluid was investigated in the absence and presence of PCP-Cys. Permeation studies with PCP-Cys/GSH versus control were performed in vitro on Caco-2 cell monolayers and ex vivo on rat intestinal mucosa. PCP-Cys displayed 223 ± 13.8 µmol thiol groups per gram polymer. After 4h, 61% of the free oligonucleotides were degraded by DNase I and 80% within intestinal fluid. In contrast, less than 41% (DNase I) and 60% (intestinal fluid) were degraded in the presence of 0.02% (m/v) PCP-Cys. Permeation studies revealed an 8-fold (Caco-2) and 10-fold (intestinal mucosa) increase in apparent permeability compared to buffer control. Hence, this PCP-Cys/GSH system might be a promising tool for the oral administration of oligonucleotides as it allows a significant protection toward degrading enzymes and facilitates their transport across intestinal membranes.

Synthesis and in vitro characterization of a novel PAA-ATP conjugate.

The objective of this study was to improve the multifunctional properties of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) by covalent attachment of 4-aminothiophenol (ATP) to its backbone. The permeation enhancing effect of PAA-ATP together with glutathione was evaluated in Ussing-type chambers using fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran as model compound. The mucoadhesive properties were evaluated in vitro on freshly excised porcine intestinal mucosa through the rotating cylinder method. The resulting conjugates PAA-ATP1 and PAA-ATP2 displayed 168 ± 35 and 426 ± 55 µmol immobilized free thiol groups per gram polymer, respectively. In addition, 279 ± 28 and 139 ± 22 µmol disulfide bonds per gram polymer, respectively, were identified on PAA-ATP1 and PAA-ATP2. Within disintegration studies in aqueous buffer solution, the modified polymers showed improved cohesive properties. Because of the immobilization of ATP, the swelling of PAA-ATP1 and PAA-ATP2 improved 12.0- and 17.8-fold, respectively. The adhesion times of the conjugates PAA-ATP1 and PAA-ATP2 were more than 20- and 30-fold increased in comparison to unmodified PAA. Furthermore, conjugates PAA-ATP1 and PAA-ATP2 exhibited a 1.86- and 2.07-fold higher permeation enhancing effect, respectively, over unmodified PAA. According to these results, PAA-ATP conjugates represent a very promising novel type of thiomer for the development of various mucoadhesive drug delivery systems.

Preparation and evaluation of thiomer nanoparticles via high pressure homogenization.

The aim of this study was to establish and evaluate a high pressure homogenization method for the preparation of thiomer nanoparticles. Particles were formulated by incorporation of the model protein horseradish peroxidase in chitosan-glutathione (Ch-GSH) and poly(acrylic acid)-glutathione (PAA-GSH) via co-precipitation followed by air jet milling. The resulting microparticles were suspended in distilled water using an Ultraturax and subsequently micronized by high pressure homogenization. Finally, resulting particles were evaluated regarding size distribution, shape, zeta potential, drug load, protein activity and release behaviour. The mean particle size after 30 cycles with a pressure of 1500 bar was 538 +/- 94 nm for particles consisting of Ch-GSH and 638 +/- 94 nm for particles consisting of PAA-GSH. Nanoparticles of Ch-GSH had a positive zeta-potential of +1.03 mv, whereas nanoparticles from PAA-GSH had a negative zeta potential of -6.21 mv. The maximum protein load for nanoparticles based on Ch-GSH and based on PAA-GSH was 45 +/- 2% and 37 +/- %, respectively. The release profile of nanoparticles followed a first order release kinetic. Thiolated nanoparticles prepared by a high pressure homogenization technique were shown to be stable and provide controlled drug release characteristics. The preparation method described here might be a useful tool for a more upscaled production of nanoparticulate drug delivery systems.

Noninvasive delivery systems for peptides and proteins in osteoporosis therapy: a retroperspective.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to provide the reader general and inspiring prospects in various attempts to make noninvasive delivery systems of calcitonin and teriparatide feasible and as convenient as possible. BACKGROUND: Calcitonin and teriparatide play an important role in both calcium homeostasis and bone remodelling. Currently calcitonin is available as a subcutaneous injection and as a nasal spray whereas teriparatide is administered subcutaneously. In the past few years, an increasing number of articles about drug delivery systems for calcitonin and teriparatide have been published. These delivery systems have been developed to overcome the inherent barriers for the uptake across the diverse membranes on the various routes for protein and peptide delivery. RESULTS: Co-administration of permeation enhancers, mucoadhesive agents, viscosity modifying agents, multifunctional polymers, protease inhibitors as well as encapsulation and chemical modification are utilized in order to improve calcitonin and teriparatide absorption after oral, nasal, pulmonal, or buccal administration. CONCLUSION: The majority of research groups have been working on the development of formulations based on the encapsulation of molecules in biodegradable and biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles. However these observations are based on data obtained under different experimental conditions. Hence, it is difficult to compare the obtained results in order to draw general conclusions about the most promising characteristics required for oral and nasal formulations for these peptides.

Development and in vitro characterization of liposomes coated with thiolated poly(acrylic acid) for oral drug delivery.

Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems offer promising opportunities for oral drug delivery. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of preparing liposomes that are coated with the multifunctional polymer poly(acrylic acid)-cysteine (PAA-Cys). Cationic multilamellar vesicles (MLV) as well as cationic submicron-sized liposomes (ssLip) were prepared and coated with PAA-Cys. Size, zeta potential, amount of free thiol groups, aggregation behavior, drug-loading, and drug release of these novel carriers were evaluated. A switch of the initial positive zeta potential to a negative value after coating indicated the successful coating procedure. In both size ranges, MLV and ssLip, the amount of free thiol groups was comparable to that in a PAA-Cys solution of the same concentration. Drug loading of the hydrophilic marker fluorescence-isothiocyanate 4 kDa (FD4) was higher in PAA-Cys liposomes in comparison to noncoated liposomes, but lower in comparison to liposomes coated with unmodified poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Only a minor ssLip or no increase MLV of the drug-loading was observed when using carboxyfluorescein (CF). These effects were attributed to interactions between the markers and the poly(acrylates). Coating of liposomes with PAA-Cys and PAA did not influence the release profile of FD4 and CF, whereas the release profile was affected by the molecular mass of the marker and the liposome size. In conclusion, the feasibility of coating liposomes with PAA-Cys was demonstrated, and it could be shown that this novel carrier system fulfills the basic requirements for an intended use in oral drug delivery.

Design and in vivo evaluation of a patch system based on thiolated polymers.

A new oral patch delivery system has been designed to increase the overall oral bioavailability of drugs within the gastrointestinal tract. The patch system consists of four layered films: a mucoadhesive matrix layer, a water insoluble backing layer, a middle layer and an enteric surface layer. The separation layer between the two matrix layers contained lactose, starch and confectioners' sugar. The matrix layer, exhibiting a diameter of 2.5 mm and a weight of 5 mg, comprised Polycarbophil-cysteine conjugate (49%), fluoresceine isothiocyanate-dextran (26%), glutathione (5%), and mannitol (20%). A standard tablet formulation consisting of the same matrix served as control. Entire fluoresceine isothiocyanate-dextran (FD(4)) was released from the delivery system within 2 h. For in vivo studies patch systems were administered orally to male Sprague-Dawley rats. Maximum FD(4) concentration in blood of the patch system was 46.1 +/- 8.9 ng/mL and was reached 3 h after administration. In contrast c(max) of control tablets displayed 50.5 +/- 14.9 ng/mL after 2 h and the absorption of FD(4) after administration in oral solution was negligible. The absolute bioavailability of orally administered patch systems and control tablets was 0.54% and 0.32% respectively. Results of this study indicate that a prolonged and higher oral bioavailability of FD(4) is obtained with patches than with tablets.

Preparation and evaluation of microparticles from thiolated polymers via air jet milling.

Microparticles were formulated by incorporation of the model protein horseradish peroxidase in (thiolated) chitosan and (thiolated) poly(acrylic acid) via co-precipitation. Dried protein/polymer complexes were ground with an air jet mill and resulting particles were evaluated regarding size distribution, shape, zeta potential, drug load, protein activity, release pattern, swelling behaviour and cytotoxicity. The mean particle size distribution was 0.5-12 microm. Non-porous microparticles with a smooth surface were prepared. Microparticles from (thiolated) chitosan had a positive charge whereas microparticles from (thiolated) poly(acrylic acid) were negatively charged. The maximum protein load for microparticles based on chitosan, chitosan-glutathione (Ch-GSH), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and for poly(acrylic acid)-glutathione (PAA-GSH) was 7+/-1%, 11+/-2%, 4+/-0.2% and 7+/-2%, respectively. The release profile of all microparticles followed a first order release kinetic. Chitosan (0.5mg), Ch-GSH, PAA and PAA-GSH particles showed a 31.4-, 13.8-, 54.2- and a 42.2-fold increase in weight, respectively. No significant cytotoxicity could be found. Thiolated microparticles prepared by jet milling technique were shown to be stable and to have controlled drug release characteristics. After further optimizations the preparation method described here might be a useful tool for the production of protein loaded drug delivery systems.

Thiolated chitosans: development and in vitro evaluation of an oral tobramycin sulphate delivery system.

The aim of the present study was to develop and evaluate an oral delivery system for tobramycin sulphate intended to improve the oral bioavailability. Chitosan was thiolated by the immobilisation of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to the amino groups of the polymer. The permeation enhancing effect of the resulting chitosan-NAC conjugate in combination with the permeation mediator glutathione (GSH) was evaluated both in Ussing-type chambers across freshly excised rat intestinal mucosa and Caco-2 cells using the poorly orally absorbed aminoglycoside tobramycin sulphate as model drug. Additionally, the release profile from tablets containing tobramycin sulphate, chitosan-NAC and glutathione was determined. The obtained thiomer chitosan-NAC displayed 962.2+/-53.2 micromol thiol groups per gram polymer of which 35.5+/-5.0% were oxidised. In comparison to buffer only, tobramycin sulphate uptake in presence of 0.5% (w/v) unmodified chitosan, 0.5% (w/v) chitosan-NAC, 0.5% (w/v) glutathione and the combination of 0.5% (w/v) glutathione and 0.5% (w/v) chitosan-NAC was improved 1.2-fold, 1.3-fold, 1.5-fold and 2.0-fold, respectively, across rat small intestine and 2.6-fold, 2.7-fold, 1.6-fold and 3.3-fold, respectively, across Caco-2 cell monolayer. Almost 90% of the tobramycin sulphate was released from tablets within 4h. The developed drug delivery system containing chitosan-NAC and glutathione is a promising tool for oral tobramycin sulphate administration showing improved gastrointestinal uptake and a sustained release.

Design and evaluation of a new gastrointestinal mucoadhesive patch system containing chitosan-glutathione.

Within this study, a novel gastrointestinal patch system was developed and investigated regarding water-absorbing capacity, adhesive properties, in vitro release, unidirectional release and permeation enhancing effect. Water uptake studies revealed that the weight of patch systems with Ch-GSH increased about 44.5 +/- 2.3 mg (127%) after 90 min. This patch system remained even after 180 h on the mucosa and released 49.7 +/- 0.7% of FD(4) within 8 h. A 2.5-fold higher transport of FD(4) can be obtained in contrast to control. In conclusion this patch system could be an interesting possibility for the transport through the intestinal mucosa of macromolecules which will normally be degraded in the intestinal tract.

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of thiolated hyaluronic acid for mucoadhesive drug delivery.

It was the aim of this study to synthesize and characterize a novel hyaluronic acid-cysteine ethyl ester (HA-Cys) conjugate providing improved mucoadhesive properties and a significantly lowered biodegradation rate. Mediated by carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide, L-cysteine ethyl ester hydrochloride was covalently attached to hyaluronic acid (HA, hyaluronan) via the formation of an amide bond. The adhesive properties of HA-Cys conjugates were evaluated in vitro on a freshly excised porcine mucosa via the rotating cylinder method. The cohesive properties of the resulting conjugates were evaluated by oxidation experiments. Biodegradability studies were carried out by viscosity measurements and spectrophotometric assays. Release studies were performed with fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextrans (FD) as model compounds. The obtained conjugate displayed 201.3+/-18.7 micromol immobilized free thiol groups and 85.7+/-22.3 micromol disulfide bonds per gram polymer. Results from the rotating cylinder method showed more than 6.5-fold increase in the adhesion time of HA-Cys versus unmodified HA. In aqueous solutions, the obtained conjugate demonstrated improved cohesive properties. The hydrolysis degree of HA-Cys was lower compared with the corresponding unmodified HA in the framework of viscosity experiments. In addition, the cross-linking process via disulfide bonds additionally reduced the rate of degradation of the new derivative. Cumulative release studies out of matrix tablets comprising HA-Cys and the model compound FD demonstrated a sustained drug release for more than 12h due to in situ formation of inter- and intramolecular disulfide bonds in the thiomer matrix. According to the results of the present study, this novel thiolated polymer seems to represent a promising multifunctional excipient for the development of various drug delivery systems.

Evaluation of in vitro enzymatic degradation of various thiomers and cross-linked thiomers.

The aim of this study was to examine the biodegradability of thiomers and cross-linked thiomers in comparison with unmodified polymers. Disulfide-cross-linked conjugates were prepared by air oxidation at room temperature. Thiomers were investigated by viscosity measurements and spectrophotometric assays. The influence of different factors on the hydrolysis rate, such as the degree of modification of thiomers, structure of the conjugates, pH value of the reaction medium, and the impact of the process of cross-linking were evaluated. Due to the modification, thiolated chitosans degraded 12.9-24.7% less than unmodified chitosan in the framework of viscosity measurements. In addition, the hydrolysis degree of thiolated alginates and modified carboxymethylcelluloses was 25.6-32.4% and 18.4-27.0% lower, respectively, in comparison to the corresponding unmodified polymers. Conjugates with higher coupling rate of thiol groups were degraded even more slowly. Moreover, the cross-linking process via disulfide bonds additionally reduced the rate of thiomer degradation. The range of degradation rates achieved in vitro could be modified by alterations of the contents of thiol and disulfide groups, as well as by suitable design of the polymer structure and ligands used. These results represent helpful basic information for the development of mucoadhesive drug delivery systems, implantable delivery systems and tissue engineering constructs.

Enhanced transport of P-glycoprotein substrate saquinavir in presence of thiolated chitosan.

It was the aim of this study to investigate the effect of chitosan-4-thiobutylamidine (Ch-TBA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) on the absorption of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance protein (MRP) substrate saquinavir in vitro and in vivo. Bidirectional transport studies were performed with Caco-2 cell monolayers and additionally with freshly excised rat small intestinal mucosa mounted in Ussing type chambers. Furthermore, a delivery system based on Ch-TBA and GSH was evaluated in vivo in rats. The functional activity of the efflux pumps in Caco-2 cells and rat intestinal mucosa during the experiment was proven by the efflux ratio of saquinavir, which was 6.4 for Caco-2 cells and 2.1 for rat intestinal mucosa, respectively. Ch-TBA and particularly the combination of Ch-TBA with GSH enhanced apical (AP) absorption and decreased the secretory transport of saquinavir. In presence of 0.5% Ch-TBA and 0.5% GSH, the uptake of saquinavir was 1.6-fold improved in Caco-2 monolayer and 2.1-fold improved in rat intestinal mucosa. In vivo, the area under the plasma concentration time curve (AUC) of saquinavir was 1.4-fold and Cmax 1.6-fold increased, in comparison with control. Results of this study showed that Ch-TBA in combination with GSH can be an interesting tool for increasing the oral bioavailability of actively secreted compounds.

In vivo comparison of various polymeric and low molecular mass inhibitors of intestinal P-glycoprotein.

Several polymers have been reported to modulate drug absorption by inhibition of intestinal P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The aim of the present study was to provide a direct in vivo comparison of delivery systems based on Pluronic P85, Myrj 52 and chitosan-4-thiobutylamidine (Ch-TBA) in vivo in rats, using rhodamine-123 (Rho-123) as representative P-gp substrate. Furthermore, the postulated low molecular mass P-gp inhibitors 6-mercaptopurine and reduced glutathione (GSH) were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, the permeation enhancing effect of 6-mercaptopurine, GSH, Pluronic P85, Myrj 52, and the combination of Ch-TBA with GSH was evaluated by using freshly excised rat intestinal mucosa mounted in Ussing-type diffusion chambers. In comparison to buffer only, Rho-123 transport in presence of 100 microm 6-mercaptopurine, 0.5% (w/v) GSH, 0.5% (w/v) Pluronic P85, 0.5% (w/v) Myrj 52 and the combination of 0.5% (w/v) Ch-TBA/ 0.5% (w/v) GSH, was 2.1, 1.6, 1.9, 1.8, 3.0-fold improved, respectively. In vivo in rat, enteric-coated tablets based on Pluronic P85, Myrj 52 or Ch-TBA/GSH increased the area under the plasma concentration time curve (AUC(0-12)) of Rho-123 1.6-fold, 2.4-fold, 4.3-fold, respectively, in comparison to control only. Contrariwise, the low molecular mass excipients 6-mercaptopurine and GSH showed no significant effect in vivo at all. This in vivo study showed that polymeric P-gp inhibitors and especially the delivery system based on thiolated chitosan significantly increased the oral bioavailability of P-gp substrate Rho-123.