Temperature stability of oxytocin ampoules labelled for storage at 2°C-8°C and below 25°C: an observational assessment under controlled accelerated and temperature cycling conditions.

Introduction: Oxytocin, administered via injection, is recommended by WHO for the prevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage. However, the susceptibility of oxytocin injection to thermal degradation has led WHO and UNICEF to recommend cold-chain storage of all oxytocin products. Nevertheless, some oxytocin products supplied to the global market are labelled for storage at ≤25°C, often with a shorter shelf-life relative to products labelled for refrigeration.

Evaluation of the impact of sulfobutylether7 -β-cyclodextrin on the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of biological samples arising from in vivo pharmacokinetic studies.

The utility of cyclodextrin (CD) complexation in improving apparent solubility of drugs in parenteral formulations is well established. Administration of these formulations delivers CD directly into the systemic circulation, and it may be necessary to demonstrate unaltered in vivo disposition of a drug coadministered with a CD. Crucial to the undertaking of such a study is the need for bioanalytical assays in which CD presence does not impact drug quantitation.

The effect of intravenous sulfobutylether7 -β-cyclodextrin on the pharmacokinetics of a series of adamantane-containing compounds.

Intravenously administered (i.v.) drug-cyclodextrin (CD) inclusion complexes are generally expected to dissociate rapidly and completely, such that the i.

Pulmonary delivery of an ultra-fine oxytocin dry powder formulation: potential for treatment of postpartum haemorrhage in developing countries.

Oxytocin is recommended by the World Health Organisation as the most effective uterotonic for the prevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage. The requirement for parenteral administration by trained healthcare providers and the need for the drug solution to be maintained under cold-chain storage limit the use of oxytocin in the developing world. In this study, a spray-dried ultrafine formulation of oxytocin was developed with an optimal particle size diameter (1-5 µm) to facilitate aerosolised delivery via the lungs.

The Acid/Base Profile of the Human Metabolome and Natural Products.

Human small molecule metabolites (the human metabolome) are a set of compounds that interact with at least one macromolecule in the biosphere. This study investigates the acid/base profile of the human metabolome, natural products and drugs, together with an analysis of their physicochemical properties. Ionisation constants (pKa values) are estimated for each compound and the identity of the ionisable functional groups in each set is determined.

A chemogenomic analysis of ionization constants--implications for drug discovery.

Chemogenomics methods seek to characterize the interaction between drugs and biological systems and are an important guide for the selection of screening compounds. The acid/base character of drugs has a profound influence on their affinity for the receptor, on their absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) profile and the way the drug can be formulated. In particular, the charge state of a molecule greatly influences its lipophilicity and biopharmaceutical characteristics.

The significance of acid/base properties in drug discovery.

While drug discovery scientists take heed of various guidelines concerning drug-like character, the influence of acid/base properties often remains under-scrutinised. Ionisation constants (pK(a) values) are fundamental to the variability of the biopharmaceutical characteristics of drugs and to underlying parameters such as logD and solubility. pK(a) values affect physicochemical properties such as aqueous solubility, which in turn influences drug formulation approaches.

Interaction of colistin and colistin methanesulfonate with liposomes: colloidal aspects and implications for formulation.

Interaction of colistin and colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) with liposomes has been studied with the view to understanding the limitations to the use of liposomes as a more effective delivery system for pulmonary inhalation of this important class of antibiotic. Thus, in this study, liposomes containing colistin or CMS were prepared and characterized with respect to colloidal behavior and drug encapsulation and release. Association of anionic CMS with liposomes induced negative charge on the particles.

Self-assembly behavior of colistin and its prodrug colistin methanesulfonate: implications for solution stability and solubilization.

Colistin is an amphiphilic antibiotic that has re-emerged into clinical use due to the increasing prevalence of difficult-to-treat Gram-negative infections. The existence of self-assembling colloids in solutions of colistin and its derivative prodrug, colistin methanesulfonate (CMS), was investigated. Colistin and CMS reduced the air-water interfacial tension, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies showed the existence of 2.

Impact of chlorpromazine self-association on its apparent binding constants with cyclodextrins: Effect of SBE(7)-beta-CD on the disposition of chlorpromazine in the rat.

Chlorpromazine is an antipsychotic agent with poor aqueous solubility. Complexation with SBE(7)-beta-CD can aid intravenous delivery through increasing the apparent solubility of chlorpromazine. However, chlorpromazine has also been known to self-associate.

Stability of peroxide antimalarials in the presence of human hemoglobin.

Peroxide antimalarials, including artemisinin, are important for the treatment of multidrug-resistant malaria. These peroxides are known to react with iron or heme to produce reactive intermediates that are thought to be responsible for their antimalarial activities. This study investigated the potential interaction of selected peroxide antimalarials with oxyhemoglobin, the most abundant form of iron in the human body.

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of novel lipopeptide transfection agents for efficient gene delivery.

Gene therapy by delivery of nonviral expression vectors is highly desirable, due to their safety, stability, and suitability for production as bulk pharmaceuticals. However, low transfection efficiency remains a limiting factor in application on nonviral gene delivery. Despite recent advances in the field, there are still major obstacles to overcome.

Relationship between antimalarial activity and heme alkylation for spiro- and dispiro-1,2,4-trioxolane antimalarials.

The reaction of spiro- and dispiro-1,2,4-trioxolane antimalarials with heme has been investigated to provide further insight into the mechanism of action for this important class of antimalarials. A series of trioxolanes with various antimalarial potencies was found to be unreactive in the presence of Fe(III) hemin, but all were rapidly degraded by reduced Fe(II) heme. The major reaction product from the heme-mediated degradation of biologically active trioxolanes was an alkylated heme adduct resulting from addition of a radical intermediate.

Iron-mediated degradation kinetics of substituted dispiro-1,2,4-trioxolane antimalarials.

The iron-mediated reactivity of various dispiro-1,2,4-trioxolanes was determined by automated kinetic analysis under standard reaction conditions. The active antimalarial compounds underwent peroxide bond cleavage by Fe(II) resulting in products indicative of carbon-centered radical formation. The rate of reaction was heavily influenced by the presence of spiro-substituted adamantane and cyclohexane rings, and was also significantly affected by cyclohexane ring substitution.

Chemical kinetics and aqueous degradation pathways of a new class of synthetic ozonide antimalarials.

Chemical stability of a new class of ozonide (1,2,4 trioxolanes) antimalarial compounds was investigated. The effects of pH, ionic strength, dielectric constant and cyclodextrin-complexation on the chemical stability and degradation product formation of selected compounds were examined. The mechanism of degradation in aqueous solution was probed using (18)O-labelled water and kinetic solvent isotope effect studies.

Alteration of the intravenous pharmacokinetics of a synthetic ozonide antimalarial in the presence of a modified cyclodextrin.

The pharmacokinetic profile and renal clearance of a novel synthetic ozonide antimalarial (1) was found to be significantly altered when intravenously administered to rats as a cyclodextrin-based formulation (0.1 M Captisol, a sulfobutylether beta-cyclodextrin derivative (SBE(7)-beta-CD)) compared to a cyclodextrin-free isotonic buffered glucose formulation. There was an 8.

The binding interaction of synthetic ozonide antimalarials with natural and modified beta-cyclodextrins.

The current studies were undertaken to explore the potential basis for a significant difference in the pharmacokinetic parameters after intravenous administration of a synthetic ozonide (OZ) antimalarial drug candidate (1) to rats when formulated in either Captisol (a sulfobutylether substituted beta-cyclodextrin derivative ((SBE)(7)-beta-CD)) or a buffered aqueous vehicle. It was suspected that the differences may have been due to failure of 1 to rapidly dissociate from the cyclodextrin complex in vivo, perhaps due to an unusually tight binding within the cyclodextrin cavity. To address this hypothesis, the binding of representative synthetic OZ antimalarial drug candidates (including 1) with beta-cyclodextrin and (SBE)(7)-beta-CD was investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry and phase solubility analysis.

Kinetics of iron-mediated artemisinin degradation: effect of solvent composition and iron salt.

The antimalarial endoperoxides, such as artemisinin, are postulated to exert their potent parasiticidal activity via the formation of reactive intermediates in the iron-rich infected erythrocyte. The in vitro chemical reaction profile of putative endoperoxide antimalarials and ferrous iron is often qualitatively used to assess their potential antimalarial activity and to develop a structure-reactivity relationship. This study utilized LCMS to monitor the kinetics of artemisinin degradation and product formation in the presence of iron.

Degradation of berenil (diminazene aceturate) in acidic aqueous solution.

The trypanocide berenil was assessed for chemical stability over the pH range 1-8 at 37 degrees C and 0.2 M ionic strength. It was found to be sufficiently unstable under acid conditions that its therapeutic efficacy is most likely severely compromised when administered orally.

Partitioning of halofantrine hydrochloride between water, micellar solutions, and soybean oil: Effects on its apparent ionization constant.

Recent studies in a conscious dog model demonstrated intestinal lymphatic transport to be a significant contributor to the bioavailability of the highly lipid-soluble free-base of halofantrine (Hf), and surprisingly, also the poorly lipid-soluble hydrochloride salt (Hf. HCl). Partial conversion of solubilized Hf.

Self-micellization of gemfibrozil 1-O-beta acyl glucuronide in aqueous solution.

Purpose: Phase II metabolism involves the conjugation of a polar moiety, such as sulfate or glucuronic acid, to a (relatively) nonpolar xenobiotic. Although it might be expected that such conjugates may exhibit amphiphilic character (e.g.