• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.317-321
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• 2003

In order to prepare a prodrug, poly(polyethylene glycol methacrylate-co-methacryloyloxymethyl-5-fluorouracil) (poly(PEGM-co-MAOFU)) prodrug particles were prepared by precipitation polymerization of MAOFU and PEGM in polyacrylic acid solution. The size of prodrug particles were 0.2-0.35 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. The antitumor activity of prodrugs against sarcoma-l80 tumor cell in mice was demonstrated and the polymer particles themselves showed low toxicity and good biocompatibility when they were administrated into mice.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.111-136
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• 2002

The prodrug and antedrug concepts, which were developed to overcome the physical and pharmacological shortcomings of various therapeutic classes of agents, employ diametrically different metabolic transformations. The prodrug undergoes a predictable metabolic activation prior to exhibiting its pharmacological effects in a target tissue while the antedrug undergoes metabolic deactivation in the systemic circulation upon leaving a target tissue. An increased therapeutic index is the aspiration for both approaches in designing as well as evaluation criteria. The recent research endeavors of prodrugs include the gene-directed and antibody-directed enzymatic activation of a molecule in a targeted tissue, organ specific delivery, improved bioavailabilities and cellular penetration of nucleotides. As for antedrugs, emphasis in research has been based upon the design and synthesis of systemically inactive molecule by incorporating a metabolically labile functional group into an active molecule.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.174-178
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• 1998

As a new colon-specific prodrug of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), 5-aminosalicyl-glycine (5-ASA-Gly) was prepared by a simple synthetic route in good yield. Apparent partition coefficients of 5-ASA-Gly were lower than those of 5-ASA, which determined in$ CHCl_{3}$/pH 6.8 buffer or n-octanol/pH 6.8 buffer system. Stability of 5-ASA-Gly by peptidases was investigated by incubation of 5-ASA-Gly with the homogenates of tissue and contents of stomach, proximal small intestine or distal small intestine of rats at $37^{\circ}C$. 5-ASA was not detected, indicating that the prodrug was stable in the upper intestine. The amount of 5-ASA liberated from incubation of the prodrug in cecal or colonic contents of rats was about 65% or 27% in 8 hrs, respectively, which indicated that the prodrug activation took place more readily in the rat cecum whose bacterial counts are high like human colon. Results from in vitro experiments suggested 5-ASA-Gly as a promising candidate of a colon-specific prodrug of 5-ASA.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.11-14
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• 1980

In order to increase the gastro-intestinal absorption of cephalexin, a new cephalexin phthalidyl ester was synthetized. Comparative studies of cephalexin phthalidyl ester in the gastro-intestinal absorption were conducted after oral administration in rabbits. The amounts of cephalexin in plasma were determined by a fluorometric method. Cephalexin phthalexin phthalidyl ester could not be identified in plasma, but only cephalexin was found by TLC method. In comparison with cephalexin, cephalexin phthalidyl ester produced much higher plasma levels of cephalexin than did cephalexin itself after its oral administration in rabbits.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.61-69
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• 1993

Prodrug of cefazolin (CFZ) was prepared with the objective of improving its oral bioavailability. Cefazolin phthalidyl ester (CFZ-PT) was synthesized and evaluated as potential prodrug form. The successful synthesis of CFZ-PT was identified by spectroscopic analysis. Partition coefficient studies showed that CFZ-PT is more lipophilic than CFZ and the ester was hydrolyzed enzymatically into the parent drug in blood, liver and intestinal homogenates. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of CFZ-PT and CFZ were compared following oral administrations to rabbits. Serum CFZ concentration was determined by HPLC method and the ester compound (prodrug) was not detected in serum following oral administration of CFZ-PT. CFZ-PT did not have antimicrobial activity in vitro against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, whereas CFZ-PT in serum after oral administration to rabbits had antimicrobial activity. From above observations, it was noted that CFZ-PT is rapidly hydrolyzed to CFZ in the body and the bioavailability of CFZ-PT was increased by 3.5-fold than that of CFZ. From these results of this study, it was concluded that CFZ-PT may be a novel prodrug of CFZ which can improve the oral absorption of CFZ.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 1998

Dextran-5-(4-ethoxycarbonylphenylazo)salicylic acid ester(Dextran-5-ESA) was synthesized as a potential colon-specific prodrug of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). No free 5-(4-eth oxycarbonylphenylazo) salicylic acid (5-ESA) was detected when the chemical stability of dextran-5-ESA was tested at pH 1.2, or pH 6.8 bath solution, Effects of the degree of substitution (DS) and molecular weight of dextran on the depolymerization by dextranase was investigated. Depolymerization(%) decreased with increasing DS, and was not affected by M.W. of dextran. The extent of prodrug conversion after incubation in the contents of various G.I. Tract segments of rats was evaluated. 5-ASA was released in the cecal contents, but not in the contents of proximal small intestine (PSI) or distal small intestine (DSI). No significant prodrug conversion was observed in the cecal contents of rats pretreated with kanamycin sulfate, which indicated that microbial enzymes were responsible for the cleavage of the prodrug.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.2514-2518
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• 2010

A very simple synthetic route of a novel SATE prodrug type of 6'-fluoro-6'-methyl-5'-noradeonosine carbocyclic nucleoside phosphonic acid is described. The key fluorinated alcohol intermediate 7 was prepared from the epoxide intermediate 6a via selective ring-opening of epoxide. Coupling of 7 with $N^6$-bis-Boc-adenine under a Mitsunobu reaction followed by phosphonation and deprotection afforded the carbocyclic phosphonic acid. The chemical stability of the bis(SATE) derivative 13 was measured at neutral (pH 7.2) and slightly acidic (Milli-Q water, pH 5.5) pH. The antiviral activity test of the SATE prodrug 13 and its parent nucleoside phosphonic acid 11 were evaluated against HIV-1.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 1996

Hyperkeratinization is a dermatologic disorder, which is due to the increase of corneocyte cohesion force. Glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid(AHA), has been used to breakdown the hyperkeratinization processes. However, it has a problem of skin irritation when applied topically, due to the strong acidity especially in high concentration. A molecular optimization of glycolic acid has been tried to reduce the skin irritation by the way of prodrug formation. Ethyl glycolate was synthesized by the esterification of glycolic acid with ethanol in acidic conditions in the presence of sulfuric acid, and examined under the spectroscopic trials, such as UV, IR, $^1H$-NMR, and GC-MS. The physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties of the prodrug were also evaluated. Through the toxicological tests of both skin irritation and eye mucous irritation, it has been proved that ethyl glycolate was less irritant than glycolic acid, since the pH value of synthetic prodrug was higher than that of glycolic acid. In the penetration test through nude mouse skin by diffusion cell, ethyl glycolate was continuously hydrolyzed to glycolic acid, which was assayed form the receptor compartment. It was obtained that the penetrated amount of ethyl glycolate was five times higher than that of glycolic acid. These results suggest that ethyl glycolate might be a successful prodrug of glycolic acid to reduce the skin irritation and to increase the skin penetration as well.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 2007

Dextran-5-aminosalicylic acid conjugate (dextran-5-ASA) was in vitro-evaluated as a polymeric colon-spe-cific prodrug of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). Chemical stability of dextran-5-ASA in the pH 1.2 or 6.8 buffer solutions was investigated at 37 for 6 hrs. The dextran backbone was not degraded and no 5-ASA release was detected. Moreover, dextran-5-ASA neither liberated 5-ASA in the homogenates of the small intestine of rats nor was transported across Caco-2 cell monolayers, suggesting no significant loss of dextran-5-ASA during transit through the upper intestine. Furthermore, incubation of dextran-5-ASA in 10% cecal contents of rats released about 37% and 55% of 5-ASA bound to dextran in 8 hr and 24 hr, respectively. While that with either esterase or dextranase failed to liberate 5-ASA from the polymeric prodrug, incubation of dextran-5-ASA with both esterases and dextranse released 5-ASA up to about 24% of 5-ASA bound to dextran. These results suggest that, after oral administration of dextran-5-ASA, the polymeric prodrug is delivered specifically to and releases 5-ASA in the large intestine, and reveal that the 5-ASA release by cleavage of the ester bond requires precedent depolymerization of the dextran backbone.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.662-669
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• 2004

The highly water-soluble monomethoxypoly(ethyleneglycol) (mPEG) prod rugs of cyciosporin A(CsA) were synthesized. These prod rugs were prepared by initially preparing intermediate in the form of carbonate at the 3'-positions of CsA with chloromethyl chloroformate, in the pres-ence of a base to provide a 3'-carbonated CsA intermediate. Reaction of the CsA intermediate with mPEG derivative in the presence of a base provides the desired water-soluble prod rugs. As a model, we chose molecular weight 5 kDa mPEG in the reaction with CsA to give water soluble prodrugs. To prove that the prod rug is decomposed in the body to produce CsA, the enzymatic hydrolysis test was conducted using human liver homogenate at $37^{\circ}C$. The prodrug was decomposed in human liver homogenate to produce the active material, CsA, and the hydrolysis half-life ($t_{1/2}$) of the prodrug, KI-306 was 2.2 minutes at $37^{\circ}C$. However, a demon-stration of non-enzymatic conversion in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer was provided by the fact that the half-life ($t_{1/2}$) is 21 hours at 37$^{\circ}C$. The hydrolysis test in rat whole blood was also conducted. The hydrolysis was seen with half-life ($t_{1/2}$) of about 9.9, 65.0, 14.2, 3.4, 2.1 9.5, and 1.6 minutes for KI-306, 309, 312, 313, 315, 316, and 317, respectively. This is the ideal for CsA prodrug. The pharmacokinetic study of the prodrug, KI-306, in comparison to the commer-cial product (Sandimmune Neoral Solution) was also carried out after single oral dose. Each rat received 7 mg／kg of CsA equivalent dose. Especially, the prodrug KI-306 exhibits higher AUC and $C_{max}$ than the conventional Neoral. The AUC and $C_{max}$ were increased nearly 1.5 fold. The kinetic value was also seen with $T_{max}$ of about 1.43 and 2.44 hours for KI-306 and Neoral, respectively.