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Biomedical subjects

C S Leopold

Publications and source records attributed to C S Leopold.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Time of erythema onset after application of methyl nicotinate ointments as response parameter: influence of penetration kinetics and enhancing agents.

The time of erythema onset may be used as a response parameter for quantification of the cutaneous erythema response induced by methyl nicotinate. The vehicles light mineral oil (LMO; test) and medium chain triglycerides (MCT; standard) were compared with regard to the pharmacodynamic response. Moreover, the influence of penetration enhancers on the time of erythema onset was investigated under zero order penetration kinetics. The enhancers dimethyl sulfoxide, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether and three different glycerides in different concentrations were added to MCT as a standard vehicle. All preparations were applied to the forearms of volunteers under infinite dose conditions at different thermodynamic drug activity levels (0.2-3.2% of the saturation level) and different drug concentrations (0.051-0.816%), respectively. Different penetration kinetics do not influence data of erythema onset, as these data are comparable to those obtained under finite dose conditions (first order penetration kinetics). With regard to the penetration enhancers, a significantly enhanced penetration of methyl nicotinate could be observed only for diethylene glycol monoethyl ether and dimethyl sulfoxide. However, no significant difference between light mineral oil and MCT could be found with regard to penetration enhancement. The time of erythema onset is an easy and efficient parameter for quantification of the pharmacodynamic response caused by nicotinates.

Adult↗

Solid state interactions between the proton pump inhibitor omeprazole and various enteric coating polymers.

The influence of the acidic film formers Eudragit L 100, HPMCAS-HF, HP-55, and shellac on the stability of the acid-labile proton pump inhibitor omeprazole in solid drug-polymer blends at accelerated storage conditions (40 degrees C/75% RH) was determined by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), modulated temperature differential scanning calorimetry (MTDSC), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). As expected, acidic polymers caused a degradation of omeprazole which was manifested by discolorations and increasing amounts of degradation products. However, MTDSC curves and FTIR spectra did not show additional peaks resulting from the omeprazole degradation products. These methods appeared to be not sensitive enough to separate analytically the drug and polymer signals from those of the decomposition products. With HPLC a sufficient quantification of the degradation products was possible. HP-55 caused the highest degree of omeprazole degradation, followed by shellac, HPMCAS-HF, and Eudragit L 100. No correlation with the microenvironmental pH values generated by the acidic polymers at the applied storage conditions was found. The melting process and the dissolution of acidic impurities were figured out as possible reasons for the more pronounced decomposition of the drug in presence of HP-55 and shellac.

Anti-Ulcer Agents↗

Degradation of omeprazole induced by enteric polymer solutions and aqueous dispersions: HPLC investigations.

Two reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) methods were developed to investigate the degradation of the acid-labile proton-pump-inhibitor omeprazole in organic polymer solutions and aqueous dispersions of enteric coating polymers (Eudragit L-100, S-100, CAP, HP-55, HPMCAS-HF, -LF, and shellac). The overall goal of the study was to determine the influence of the polymer structure on the degradation of omeprazole, i.e., whether the acid structure of the enteric coating polymers caused an instability of the proton pump inhibitor. Moreover, it was investigated whether a difference in omeprazole degradation could be detected between organic polymer solutions and aqueous dispersions. pKa values of the polymers and pH values of the aqueous dispersions were determined to see whether there was a correlation with the extent of degradation of omeprazole induced by enteric polymers. As the polymers containing phthalate moieties are very susceptible to hydrolysis, the influence of free phthalic acid on omeprazole stability was investigated. Finally, the degradation kinetics of omeprazole in organic polymer solutions were determined. Omeprazole degradation is more pronounced in aqueous polymer dispersions than in organic polymer solutions. The influence of organic polymer solutions on the stability of omeprazole depends on the amount of acidic groups in the polymeric structure, whereas the influence of aqueous polymer dispersions depends on the pH value of the dispersion. The amount of free acids present in some polymers as by-products also cause a degradation of the proton pump inhibitor. Among all investigated polymers, shellac showed the least influence on the stability of omeprazole. The decomposition of omeprazole in organic polymer solutions followed first-order kinetics. The decrease of omeprazole peak area in organic polymer solutions was in the order Eudragit L-100> HPMCAS-HF>shellac.

Anti-Ulcer Agents↗

Quantification of omeprazole degradation by enteric coating polymers: an UV-VIS spectroscopy study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the degradation of the acid-labile proton-pump-inhibitor omeprazole in organic polymer solutions and aqueous dispersions of enteric coating polymers by UV spectroscopy. Furthermore, data were compared with those obtained in a previous HPLC study. For comparative purposes the cationic Eudragit RS 100 and the monomeric acid acetic acid were included in this study. The discolorations of degraded omeprazole solutions were analysed by VIS spectroscopy. UV-VIS spectra were recorded after preparation of the solutions and after 180 min of storage. The change of absorption was calculated as the difference of the absorption values at 305 nm. Degradation of omeprazole depends on the amount of acidic groups in the polymer structure. This decomposition manifests itself in a shifting of the absorption maximum to lower wavelengths and a decrease of absorption intensity. UV-VIS spectroscopy was used to determine the extent of degradation induced by enteric polymers. A good correlation of these results with previous HPLC data was found when excluding UV absorbing polymers. Nevertheless, values obtained by UV-VIS spectroscopy were always lower than those obtained by HPLC. For evaluation of the discoloration of degraded omeprazole solutions, VIS spectroscopy is a simple and fast method.

Acetic Acid↗

Effect of cutaneously applied nonionic surfactants and local anesthetic bases on thermal sensations.

With cutaneously applied local anesthetic bases various effects may be observed, such as a decrease in pricking pain and a change in burning, itch, and thermal sensations. These effects occur after skin penetration and may be attributed to the action of the anesthetics on nociceptors and thermoreceptors, i.e., on C and A delta nerve fibers, respectively. As little is known about the pharmacodynamic response of nonionic surfactants with a potentially anesthetic action such as polidocanol, this study characterizes nonionic surfactants pharmacodynamically by measuring thermal thresholds with a thermal sensory analyzer after cutaneous application. The results obtained with the nonionic surfactants were compared with data resulting from the cutaneous application of local anesthetic bases such as mepivacaine, bupivacaine, prilocaine, lidocaine, the 1:1 mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine contained in EMLA and a triple mixture consisting of lidocaine, prilocaine and tetracaine (1:1:1). The results show that none of the investigated surfactants affect thermal thresholds probably due to their high molecular weight. The same was observed with the anesthetics mepivacaine and bupivacaine. In contrast, prilocaine, lidocaine, the 1:1 mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine and the triple mixture consisting of lidocaine, prilocaine and tetracaine (1:1:1) proved to be potent local anesthetics. However, their pharmacodynamic responses do not differ significantly from each other.

Administration, Topical↗

Basic coating polymers for the colon-specific drug delivery in inflammatory bowel disease.

During acute attacks of inflammatory bowel disease, the luminal pH of the colon decreases significantly. This drop in pH can be exploited by developing coated dosage forms with acid-soluble coating polymers to achieve topical drug delivery to the colon. Two batches of minitablets, a conventional and a swellable formulation, were prepared by direct compression and coated with different amounts of either Eudragit E or AEA in a small coating pan. The release of the model drug dexamethasone from the coated tablets was measured spectrophotometrically at pH 2.0, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.8 and different stirring rates (100-200 rpm) to simulate the influence of pH and hydrodynamic stress on drug release. In general, lag times of drug release, determined as the time points of a 5% drug release, were longer with AEA-coated cores compared to those coated with Eudragit E, resulting from a lower polymer dissolution rate and water permeability of this film. In low pH media, drug release was dependent on the stirring rate because the onset of drug release is determined by the time required for dissolution of the basic polymer films. At pH 6.8, lag times from nonswelling tablets coated with Eudragit E, for which drug release only begins after complete erosion of the polymer film, are not significantly affected by hydrodynamic stress. Drug release from AEA-coated cores is determined by the slow drug diffusion through the polymer film. Lag times from tablets with swelling properties, for which drug release is induced by disruption of the basic polymer films due to water penetration and subsequent core swelling, are not significantly affected by hydrodynamic stress. Additional coating layers such as an intermediate hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) layer and an enteric outer layer do not influence the lag times of drug release, nor does a 2-hr pretreatment of the entire dosage form in acidic media.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗

["Targeted delivery" in the gastrointestinal tract].

Drug delivery to the intestine has become attractive to researchers with the main interest in the delivery of peptide drugs to the large intestine and the treatment of colonic diseases. There are currently 4 strategies that are pursued to reach colon specificity: 1. by relying on the pH difference between the small and the large intestine; 2. by exploiting the enzymatic activity of the colonic microflora; 3. by relying on the relatively constant small intestinal transit time and 4. by taking advantage of the increase of the luminal pressure in the colon due to strong peristaltic waves. Drug delivery to the small intestine may be achieved by pH-controlled and time-controlled drug release mechanisms. Diffusion-controlled systems allow drug delivery over the entire gastrointestinal tract.

Administration, Oral↗

Do local anesthetics have an influence on the percutaneous penetration of a model corticosteroid? An in vivo study using the vasoconstrictor assay.

Local anesthetics may exert nonspecific interactions with membrane components which can affect drug permeability. To investigate pharmacodynamically whether these membrane interactions lead to penetration enhancement of the coadministered model drug betamethasone-17-benzoate through human skin, the vasoconstrictor assay was used. Information on the penetration-enhancing properties of local anesthetic-containing vehicles compared to a plain standard were obtained from activity-response curves, where the enhancement factor was determined from the horizontal distance between the standard and a test in the linear range of the curves. The local anesthetics are able to enhance drug penetration through human skin to a different extent with lidocaine being the most efficient enhancer. An increase in the drug solubility and the diffusion coefficient in the stratum corneum due to membrane fluidization are possible mechanisms of action.

Adolescent↗

Percutaneous penetration of local anesthetic bases: pharmacodynamic measurements.

Local anesthetics do not penetrate readily through human skin if applied in their salt form; however, if applied in their base form various effects may be observed, such as a decrease in pricking pain and a change in burning, itch, and thermal sensations. These effects occur after skin penetration and may be attributed to the action of the anesthetics on nociceptors and thermoreceptors, i.e., on C and Adelta nerve fiber respectively. As there is little known about the time course of the pharmacodynamic response of cutaneously applied local anesthetic bases, this study was conducted to characterize various local anesthetics pharmacodynamically by measuring thermal thresholds over time with a thermal sensory analyzer. The results show that the investigated local anesthetics affect thermal thresholds to a different extent, with tetracaine and lidocaine being most efficient. From the response versus time profiles of all eight study subjects various response parameters were obtained: only the cold sensation parameters proved suitable for characterization of the local anesthetics, possibly because cold receptors are located in the epidermis and can easily be reached. Lag times of onset are short and the maximum anesthetic effect is reached within 2-3 h. Cold sensation parameters correlate linearly with the solubility of the local anesthetic bases in medium chain triglycerides and with the drug flux of 50% saturation, indicating that medium chain triglycerides may have similar properties with regard to the local anesthetics solubility as the stratum corneum lipids.

Anesthetics, Local↗

The maximum pharmacodynamic effect as a response parameter: pharmacokinetic considerations.

In previous human in-vivo studies measuring the maximum pharmacodynamic response to characterize cutaneously applied ointment preparations, it was observed that differences between various formulations caused by penetration enhancement led to different enhancement factors depending on the method used for determination of these factors from activity-response curves. To clarify this discrepancy, pharmacokinetic simulations have been performed based on an open one-compartment model with either first- or zero-order drug penetration kinetics and first-order elimination kinetics. Under the assumption that the maximum pharmacodynamic response corresponds to the maximum effective drug concentration in the receptor compartment, which represents the difference between the maximum drug concentration and the threshold concentration, drug concentration vs time profiles and dose-response curves were simulated. In addition, maximum effective concentrations were calculated and plotted against the logarithm of the thermodynamic drug activity to obtain activity-response curves. Relative bioavailability and enhancement factors were determined either from the horizontal distance between the curves of a standard and a test preparation, or as the ratio of the maximum effective concentration of test and standard formulations. A significant difference between the first-order and the zero-order input kinetics with regard to the evaluation of bioavailability and drug penetration enhancement was shown. Under finite dose conditions, i.e. first-order input kinetics from solution-type preparations, a misestimation of the factors usually occurs. Only under infinite dose conditions, i.e. if large preparation volumes are applied to achieve zero-order input kinetics, is the determination of bioavailability and enhancement factors from dose- and activity-response curves accurate.

Administration, Topical↗

How accurate is the determination of the relative bioavailability of transdermal drug formulations from pharmacodynamic response data?

The relative bioavailability of transdermal drug formulations may be quantified by measurement of the pharmacodynamic response. Parameters such as the latency time of onset and the duration of the response may be used to obtain dose-response curves. The horizontal distance between the parallel sections of a standard and a test curve is a measure of the relative bioavailability. High penetration rate constants often lead to an insufficient parallelism of the dose-response curves because of drug depletion in the vehicle. Drug depletion may be simulated with Fick's First Law and with the Bateman equation which allows the calculation of dose-response curves for both response parameters. The simulated curves for the parameter duration are not parallel to each other and the calculated bioavailability factors do not reach the theoretical values. In contrast, the curves obtained with the response parameter 1/latency time show a sufficient parallelism at high response levels and provide accurate bioavailability data in this curve area.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Eudragit E as coating material for the pH-controlled drug release in the topical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

During an attack of ulcerative colitis the colonic pH of normally 6.4-7.0 drops to values of 2.3-4.7. The objective of this study was to investigate an acid-soluble polymer (Eudragit E) as coating material for multiple units (mini tablets) with regard to its ability to allow drug release only under the acidic conditions of the inflamed colon. Mini tablets (diameter 3 mm) containing 20% (w/w) of the model drug dexamethasone with or without the mucoadhesive swelling agent carbomer 934 (neutralized) were coated in a small coating pan with different amounts of an organic solution of Eudragit E leading to coating thicknesses of 150-400 microm. Drug release from the Eudragit E-coated cores at pH 2.0-5.0 starts after 10-50 min due to the rapid dissolution of the Eudragit E film. At pH 6.8 lag times of drug release depend on the composition of the cores and the thickness of the coating film: In the case of the carbomer-containing cores drug release is induced by disruption of the coating film due to swelling of the cores and lag times (up to 20 h) increase overproportionately with increasing coating thickness. With no swelling agent in the cores drug release at pH 6.8 is delayed due to the low erosion/dissolution rate of Eudragit E. Lag times of drug release (up to 33 h) increase in a linear manner with increasing coating thickness. Thus, Eudragit E, protected against dissolution in the stomach by an enteric coating, is a suitable coating polymer for drug release in acidic regions such as the inflamed colon.

Administration, Topical↗

Enhancing effects of lipophilic vehicles on skin penetration of methyl nicotinate in vivo.

Vehicle effects may be caused by thermodynamic effects and by specific (penetration enhancing) effects. To investigate the effects of various lipophilic vehicles on drug penetration, an in vivo permeability study was conducted with methyl nicotinate as the model drug. The drug was dissolved in the respective vehicles at concentrations that provide equal drug escaping tendencies. Drug solutions were applied to the upper arms of volunteers with a glass chamber system. To avoid drug depletion effects, drug disappearance rates were measured under steady-state conditions by the difference method. Enhancement factors were calculated from the steady-state flux values (i.e., drug disappearance rates per area unit) and compared with results from non-steady-state experiments. Significant enhancing effects (p < 0.01) were observed with dibutyl adipate, caprylic/capric acid triglycerides containing 5% phospholipids, isopropyl myristate, and mineral oil. Caprylic/capric acid triglycerides, cetearyl isooctanoate, and the standard vehicle dimethicone 100 were without effect on drug penetration. The explanation for the observed enhancing effects may be an interaction of the lipophilic liquids with the lipid bilayers of the stratum corneum that leads to a decrease of the barrier resistance.

Adult↗

In vivo pharmacokinetic study for the assessment of poly(L-aspartic acid) as a drug carrier for colon-specific drug delivery.

Glucocorticoids remain one of the mainstays of therapy for acute attacks of inflammatory bowel disease despite systemic side effects that limit their use. Prodrugs that selectively deliver glucocorticoids to the colon may lower the required dose and side effects. Because enzymes of gut microflora are able to cleave certain peptide and ester bonds, the ability of an ester prodrug consisting of dexamethasone (DX) as model drug and poly(L-aspartic acid) (weight-average mol wt = 30,000) as drug carrier was investigated to selectively release the drug in the large intestine. Prodrug and drug solutions (1.18 mg DX/ml DMSO) were administered to two groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats by intragastric infusion using an ALZET osmotic pump. All rats were infused for sufficient time to achieve steady state in both blood and GI-tract tissues. DX concentrations in blood and tissue samples were measured with HPLC. The steady state DX concentrations at these sites were used to calculate a drug delivery index (DDI). DX blood concentrations were significantly lower (p < 0.05) after intragastric administration of the prodrug. Moreover, prodrug administration resulted in significantly higher DX concentrations in the cecum and colon mucosa and the cecum muscle tissue compared to DX administration (p < 0.05). The prodrug led to an increase of the DX concentration in the large intestinal tissues by factors of 1.3-2.0 and to an 1.3-fold decrease of DX blood concentrations. Thus, this novel conjugate should both increase efficacy and reduce toxicity to some extent.

Animals↗

An attempt to clarify the mechanism of the penetration enhancing effects of lipophilic vehicles with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

In a previous in-vivo skin penetration study, it was observed that certain lipophilic liquid vehicles enhanced drug penetration, whilst others did not. To clarify the mechanism of skin penetration enhancement, isolated sheets of human stratum corneum were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), either untreated or after pretreatment with various lipophilic liquids (highly purified light mineral oil, isopropyl myristate, caprylic/capric acid triglycerides containing 5% phospholipids, dibutyl adipate, dimethicone 100, cetearyl iso-octanoate, caprylic/capric acid triglycerides), commonly used in ointment bases. All samples were analysed over a heating range of at least--10-130 degrees C. All DSC curves were evaluated with regard to the phase-transition enthalpies (peak areas) and peak maximum temperatures of the lipid-phase transitions at ca 75 and 85 degrees C. With the exception of dimethicone 100, cetearyl iso-octanoate and caprylic/capric acid triglycerides, all vehicles showed characteristic alterations of the phase-transition temperatures and enthalpies of the stratum corneum lipids. Mineral oil and isopropyl myristate caused a reduction of the enthalpy and a decrease of the phase-transition temperatures. These two vehicles are thought to fluidize the lamellar-gel phase of the stratum corneum lipids, and possibly partially dissolve the lipids. Dibutyl adipate and caprylic/capric acid triglycerides containing 5% phospholipids decreased the phase-transition enthalpy only, probably due to dissolution or extraction of the stratum corneum lipids. These DSC results provide an explanation for the in-vivo penetration-enhancing effects observed previously.

Calorimetry, Differential Scanning↗