• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.326-331
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• 2012

We recently reported that Val-SN-38, a novel valine ester prodrug of SN-38, had greatly improved the intracellular accumulation of SN-38 in MCF-7 cell line, probably through enhanced uptake via amino acid transporters. In the present study, the efficacy of Val-SN-38 was further investigated both in vitro and in vivo. It was found that the in vitro cytotoxic effect of Val-SN-38 was similar to that of SN-38. Moreover, Val-SN-38 exhibited an equal potency to that of SN-38 in survival experiments in vivo. Because these results seemed to be contrary to the previous finding, further investigation was performed to find out the underlying cause of the contradiction. As only the lactone form is known to have cytotoxic activity, the proportion of lactone in Val-SN-38 and SN-38 was determined, but no differences were found. However, it turned out that Val-SN-38 had poor stability compared with SN-38, which resulted in a decrease in beneficial efficacy for Val-SN-38. Overall, the present study showed that a valine-added prodrug approach could be advantageous provided that the stability of the compound can be ensured. We believe this is a noteworthy study that unravels the discrepancy between intracellular accumulation and efficacy of valine-added prodrug.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.143-150
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• 2001

Butyrolactone ester of ceftezole (CFZ-BL) was synthesized by esterification of ceftezole (CFZ) with ${\alpha}-bromo-{\gamma}-butyrolactone$. The synthesis was confirmed by spectroscopic analysis. CFZ-BL was more lipophilic than CFZ when the lipophilicity was assessed by partition coefficients between n-octanol and water at various pH. CFZ-BL itself did not show any microbiological activity in vitro, but serums taken after oral administration of CFZ-BL showed substaintial microbiological activity indicating that CFZ-BL is converted to microbiologically active metabolite, probably CFZ, in the body. The conversion was confirmed by in vitro incubation study, in which CFZ-BL was incubated in some body tissues of rabbit. Liver homogenate showed fastest conversion of CFZ-BL among the tissues tested (blood and intestine). Thus, CFZ-BL appeares to be rapidly metabolized in the liver to CFZ following oral administration. The metabolism process appears to be hydrolysis of the ester to CFZ, the parent drug of CFZ-BL. In vivo metabolism of CFZ-BL to CFZ was confirmed by analying CFZ by HPLC. CFZ concentration in the serum samples taken after oral administration of CFZ-BL were higher than those in the serum samples taken after oral administration of equivalent amount of CFZ. Oral bioavailability of CFZ-BL, a prodrug of CFZ, was 1.45-fold higher than that of CFZ in rabbits possibly due to enhanced lipophility and absorption of the prodrug.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.405-412
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• 2008

Six ester analogues of Ketorolac were synthesized as potential enhancer prodrugs for transdermal delivery. Solubility of these esters was determined in 10% propylene glycol (PG)/isotonic phosphate buffer (IPB) at room temperature while lipophilicity was obtained as partition coefficients (log P) and capacity factors (k') using HPLC. Stability of the prodrugs in skin extract and in plasma was investigated at $37^{\circ}C$. The lipophilicity of the potential prodrugs increased in proportion to their alkyl chain length. Good linear relationship between partition coefficients (log P) and capacity factors (log k') was observed ($R^2=0.9961$). All of the analogues were fairly stable but slowly degraded in IPB over a 12 hour period. However, their stability in skin extract and in plasma varied with most compounds gradually decomposing over a 12 hour period. Although unsaturation of the alkyl ester chain did not alter the over all lipophilicity of the compound, the half-life was significantly affected. In plasma, degradation of the esters was slower than in the skin extract, which is a desirable trait for enhancer-prodrugs. However, the overall hydrolysis in the skin extract needs to be facilitated for the development of an effective enhancer prodrug. The analogue with the shortest half life in the skin extract was the unsaturated C-12 analogue of 0.96 hr.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.182-188
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• 2004

This study aimed to synthesize new anticonvulsive agents as potential dual acting prodrugs. For the synthesis of ester or amide prodrug types, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde or valproic acid was coupled with clinically usable anticonvulsants or GABAmimetics with use of DCC/DMAP coupling methods. Also their anticonvulsive activities were evaluated.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.177.3-177.3
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• 2003

Corticosteroids have been used most frequently for inflammatory bowel disease. To reduce side effects by the systemic absorption, colon-specific delivery is highly desirable. We expected that conversion of 21-hydroxyl in glucocorticoids into a sulfate ester sodium will greatly increase the hydrophilicity, which consequently restrict the gastrointestinal absorption. Once delivered to the colon, sulfate ester will be hydrolyzed by the sulfatase originated from microbes and release the parent compound, glucocorticoids. In this study, we prepared methylprednisolone 21-sulfate sodium (MPS) and investigated its suitability as a colon-specific prodrug on methylprednisolone (MP). (omitted)

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.49-53
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• 1988

Pivaloyloxymethyl ester of piperacillin was synthesized by reacting sodium piperacillin with chloromethyl pivalate, and its chemical structure was determined by infrared and $^1H$ nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic methods. The pharmaceutical properties of the ester were investigated to assess its potential as a novel prodrug of piperacillin. The interface transfer of piperacillin and the ester was studied in a two-phase in vitro system composed of aqueous pH buffers and n-octanol. The ester was more lipophilic, and less water soluble above pH 4.0 than piperacillin. Significant antibacterial activity was not observed in the ester in vitro, but the ester was hydrolyzed into the parent drug in the rat liver homogenate. The serum levels of orally administered ester suspension containing 0.1% Tween 80 were measured in rabbits. It was found that the ester showed higher blood level, comparing with no observation of piperacillin in serum, but the time reaching the maximum serum concentration was 5 hr.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.179-186
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• 1998

Dextran-5-aminosalicylic acid ester (dextran-5-ASA) was synthesized as a colon-specific prodrug of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) which is active against inflammatory bowel diseases. Chemical stability of dextran-5-ASA in the bath of pH 1.2 or 6.8 was investigated at $37^{\circ}C$ for 6 hrs, and 5-ASA was not released on such conditions. Depolymerization (%) of dextran-5-ASA by dextranase with the degree of substitution (DS) of 18, 23, or 30 was 92, 62 or 45 in 8 hrs respectively, but was not affected by the MW of dextran (9,000, 40,600, 80,200 or 580,000). Distribution of 5-ASA in dextran, determined by gel filtration chromatography, appeared to be relatively uniform. Incubation of dextran-5-ASA (DS 18) in cecal contents of rats released 20% (28 g) and 35% (49 g) of 5-ASA in 8 hrs and 24 hrs, respectively, but no 5-ASA was liberated from small intestinal contents.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2003

The objective of this study is to prepare ketoprofen (KP) - poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugates and to investigate their degradation kinetics. KP-PEG conjugates were synthesized from KP and PEG methy1ester by esterification in the presence of DCC. The KP-PEG conjugates (KPEG) were characterized by IR and $^{1}H-NMR$ spectroscopy. The hydrolysis of KPEG with time was studied using HPLC by simultaneous quantification of KP and KPEG. The hydrolysis rate constant was high at low and high pHs, and showed minimum at pH 4 and 5. As the size of KPEG increases, hydrolysis rate increased. The slope of degradation rate profile suggests that catalytic reaction seems to occur by specific acid/base catalysis. These results suggest that KPEG could be used as a prodrug for KP, which releases KP slowly in the body.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.183-188
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• 1987

A new cephalosporin derivative, cefoperazone phthalidyl ester, were synthesized and investigated in terms of dissolution and absorption properties. In comparison with cefoperazone, its phthalidyl ester showed the following characteristics. The mean dissolution time and variance of retention time were more significantly prolonged in simulated intestinal fluid than those in simulated gastric fluid. After a single oral dosing of both cefoperazone and its ester to rabbits, serum concentrations of cefoperazone were measured by bioassay, and the results showed that the ester exhibited much higher and more sustained blood level than the parent drug. The total area under the curve of cefoperazone phthalidyl ester were 10.8 times greater than that of cefoperazone.

• 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.