Metabolism of a New Dipeptide Neuroprotector in Rats.

Metabolism of a new neuroprotector GZK-111 (N-phenylacetylglycyl-L-proline ethyl ester) in rat blood plasma was studied by HPLC-mass spectrometry. Four biotransformation products were identified. It is concluded that the main ways of GZK-111 biotransformation are hydrolysis of the ester bond by esterases followed by degradation of the resulting metabolite, as well as reactions leading to the formation of phenylacetic acid and cycloprolylglycine that exhibits neuropsychotropic activity.

Preclinical Pharmacokinetics of GZK-111, a Dipeptide with Neuroprotective Activity.

We studied the pharmacokinetics of GZK-111 (N-phenylacetyl-glycyl-L-proline ethyl ether), a compound with neuroprotective activity, and its metabolite CPG (cyclo-L-prolylglycine) in rat blood plasma after single intravenous and intragastric administration in a dose of 20 mg/kg. It was found that the parent drug undergoes intensive biotransformation; its metabolite CPG persists in the circulation more than twice as long as GZK-111 and its plasma concentrations were higher by 50-70 times than the concentrations of the parent compound.