• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 1992

The purpose of this study was (i) to determine whether protease inhibition by medium chain fatty acids such as sodium caprate, sodium caprylate and sodium laurate led to suppression of insulin proteolysis over a range of insulin concentrations and (ii) elucidate preventing effect of the enhancers on molecular self-association of insulin in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer isotonic solution. To this end, the rate of insulin proteolysis in nasal tissue supernatants of the albino rabbits was determined in the presence of $0.1{\sim}2%$ sodium caprylate, sodium caprate and sodium laurate at insulin concentrations ranging from $5\;to\;100\;{\mu}M$. At fatty acid salts concentration lower than 0.5%, insulin proteolysis was accelerated but the enhancers of high concentration (>1%) reduced the rate of insulin proteolysis. These effects were dependent upon insulin concentration and chain length of fatty acid salts. Circular dichroism spectra of insulin solutions were then determined. Monomer fraction of insulin was increased with increasing sodium caprate. Therefore, half-life decrease of insulin at low concentrations of the enhancers was attributed to deaggregation of insulin by the enhancers, increasing the proportion of monomers available for nasal proteolysis. And the increase of half-life at high concentration of the enhancers was attributed to inhibitory effect on protease rather than the effect of monomer fraction.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.202-210
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• 1994

To investigate the feasibility of mucosal delivery of $[D-Ala^6]$ LHRH, a potent analogue of LHRH, enzymatic proteolysis of $[D-Ala^6]$ LHRH and inhibitory effect of medium chain fatty acid salts(MFA) were studied using rabbit mucosal homogenate. $[D-Ala^6]$ LHRH incubated in homogenates of rectal(RE), nasal(NA) and vaginal(VA) mucosa were assayed by HPLC. The degradation of $[D-Ala^6]$ LHRH followed the first order kinetics. The degradation products were found as $[D-Ala^6]$ $LHRH^{1-7}$(m-i), to a lesser extent, $[D-Ala^6]$ $LHRH^{1-9}$(m-ii) and $[D-Ala^6]$ $LHRH^{1-3}$(m-iii) by the method of amino acid analysis(PITC method). The formation of$[D-Ala^6]$ $LHRH^{1-7}$ was not inhibited by the addition of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid but inhibited by sodium tauro-24,25-dihydrofusidate, suggesting that endopeptidase 24.11(EP 24.11) cleaves the $Leu^7-Arg^8$ bond of $[D-Ala^6]$ LHRH and is the primary $[D-Ala^6]$ LHRH degrading enzyme. The patterns of $[D-Ala^6]$ LHRH degradation indicated that EP 24.11 exists in each mucosal homogenate with the order of RE>NA>VA. MFA significantly inhibited the proteolysis of $[D-Ala^6]$ LHRH. The addition of sodium caprate(1.0%) or sodium laurate(0.5%) to the each mucosal homogenate completely protected $[D-Ala^6]$ LHRH from the degradation.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 1994

In order to investigate the feasibility of transmucosal delivery of the model peptide, LHRH, metabolism of LHRH and inhibition effect of medium chain fatty acid salts were studied in rabbit mucosal homogenate. LHRH incubated in homogenates of rectal(RE), nasal(NA) and vaginal(VA) mucosa were assayed by HPLC. Five to six degradation products of LHRH were deterted and the degradation of LHRH$(500\;{\mu}g/ml)$ followed the first order kinetics. The main degradation products were found as $LHRH^{1-5}(M-I)$, $LHRH^{1-3}(M-II)$ and $LHRH^{1-6}(M-III)$ by the method of amino acid analysis. The half-lives of LHRH in the mucosal homogenates were found to be less than 20 min at protein concentration of 2.5 mg/ml with the order of VA>NA>RE mucosal homogenate. Medium chain fatty acid salts such as sodium caprylate $(C_8)$, sodium caprate $(C_{10})$ and sodium laurate $(C_{12})$ at the concentration of $0.5%{\sim}1.0%$ inhibit the proteolysis of LHRH significantly. The addition of sodium laurate(0.5%) into the NA and VA mucosal homogenates protected LHRH completely from the degradation.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 1997

The mucosal route of administration(nasal, buccal, conjunctival and vaginal) has recently been considered as an alternative to parenteral delivery for many peptide drugs because enzymatic degradation of these agents may be partly avoided. The objective of these study was to establish the optimal mucosal administration dosage form of $LHRH/[D-Ala^6]LHRH$, based on presystemic metabolism. We reported previously the peptidase inhibition effect of medium chain fatty acid salts(sodium caprylate, soadium caprate and sodium laurate), EDTA and STDHF on the proteolysis of $LHRH/[D-Ala^6]LHRH$ in rabbit mucosal homgenates. We also reported that EDTA, STDHF and sodium laurate markedly increased the potency of $LHRH/[D-Ala^6]LHRH$ solution applied vaginally. In the present study, by administration of polycarbophil hydrogel containing LHRH the ovulation inducing activity was 3.3 times greater than solution. These results indicate not only peptidase inhibitor but also polycarbophil hydrogel significantly improved the absorption of this drug. The results of this study would provide the feasibility as a rational dosage form for improving bioavailability and self administration of this hydrogel by the vaginal application.