Hubert Vanderhaeghe

Inhibition of lysosomal phospholipases by aminoglycoside antibiotics: in vitro comparative studies.

Aminoglycoside antibiotics induce an early and characteristic lysosomal phospholipidosis in cultured fibroblasts and in kidney tubular cells. We have recently demonstrated an inhibition of lysosomal phospholipases A1 and A2 by gentamicin and amikacin in vitro. In vivo, gentamicin decreases the activity of phospholipase A1 (Laurent et al., Biochem. Pharmacol. 31:3861-3870, 1982). In the present study, we examined 14 aminoglycosides for in vitro inhibition of phospholipases. To mimic the situation prevailing in lysosomes, the enzymatic activities were assayed with phospholipid vesicles (liposomes) with a composition similar to that of lysosomal phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylinositol, cholesterol; 4:4:3:5.5, molar ratio). We measured the hydrolysis of 1-palmitoyl-2-[1-14C]oleoyl phosphatidylcholine contained in the liposomes by a soluble fraction of highly purified lysosomes isolated from rat liver. Similar IC50S (concentrations causing 50% inhibition of enzymatic activity) were observed for dibekacin, gentamicin (with no major difference between C1, C1a, or C2), netilmicin, tobramycin, and kanamycin B. Sisomicin was slightly more inhibitory. Kanamycin A, N1-(L-4-amino-2-hydroxy-1-oxobutyl)dibekacin, and amikacin showed increasing IC50S. Streptomycin caused the least inhibition. Octa- and tetramethylkanamycin A are much less inhibitory than the parent drug. These results point to the number, the nature, and the respective positions of the cationic groups as essential determinants in causing inhibition of phospholipid breakdown. The binding of three aminoglycosides (gentamicin, amikacin, streptomycin) to the liposomes at pH 5.4 was also measured by gel permeation and was found to be related to the respective inhibitory potency of each drug. Insofar as lysosomal phospholipidosis is an early sign of intoxication by aminoglycosides, these results may serve as a basis for the development or screening of less toxic compounds in this class of antimicrobial agents.

Influence of Conversion of Penicillin-g Into a Basic Derivative On its Accumulation and Subcellular-localization in Cultured Macrophages

beta-Lactam antibiotics do not accumulate in phagocytes, probably because of their acidic character. We therefore synthesized a basic derivative of penicillin G, namely, 14C-labeled N-(3-dimethylamino-propyl)benzylpenicillinamide (ABP), and studied its uptake and subcellular localization in J774 macrophages compared with that of 14C-labeled penicillin G. Whereas the intracellular concentration (Ci) of penicillin G remained lower than its extracellular concentration (Ce), ABP reached a Ci/Ce ratio of 4 to 5. Moreover, approximately 50% of intracellular ABP was found associated with lysosomes after isopycnic centrifugation of cell homogenates in isoosmotic Percoll or hyperosmotic sucrose gradients. The behavior of ABP was thus partly consistent with the model of de Duve et al. (C. de Duve, T. de Barsy, B. Poole, A. Trovet, P. Tulkens, and A. Van Hoof, Biochem. Pharmacol. 23:2495-2531, 1974), in which they described the intralysosomal accumulation of weak organic bases in lysosomes. Although ABP is microbiologically inactive, our results show that beta-lactam antibiotics can be driven into cells by appropriate modification. Further efforts therefore may be warranted in the design of active compounds or prodrugs that may prove useful in the chemotherapy of intracellular infections.

Determination of the component ratio of commercial gentamicins by high-performance liquid chromatography using pre-column derivatization

Commercial samples of gentamicin from different origins were analyzed by paired-ion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a C18 bonded phase. The procedure uses pre-column derivatization with a omicron-phthalaldehyde-mercaptoacetic acid reagent and UV detection (350 nm). The ratios of the four gentamicin components (C1, C1a, C2a and C2) were determined and compared with the compositions obtained by an independent method based on 13C NMR spectrometry. Quantitation by HPLC, based on peak heights and peak areas, was performed with the aid of an external standard, which was an artificial mixture of the four components. The latter were prepared by separation of the gentamicins C1, C2 + C2a and C1a by chromatography on silica gel, followed by chromatography of the C2 + C2a fraction on a cellulose phosphate column.

Quantitative analysis of oxytetracycline and related substances by high-performance liquid chromatography

Isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography on PLRP-S 8-microns poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) copolymer allows complete separation of oxytetracycline, 4-epioxytetracycline, tetracycline, anhydrooxytetracycline, alpha- and beta-apooxytetracycline. The mobile phase was tert.-butanol-0.2 M phosphate buffer pH 8.0-0.02 M tetrabutylammonium sulphate pH 8-0.0001 M sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate pH 8.0-water (5.9:10:5:10:78.1, m/v/v/v/v). With this isocratic method, 2-acetyl-2-decarboxamidooxytetracycline is only partly resolved from oxytetracycline. The separation and the detection limits can be improved by the use of gradient elution. Gradient elution was used for the comparison of official standards and for the analysis of a number of commercial samples, and to monitor the stability of oxytetracycline hydrochloride during storage in the solid state for about 6 years at various temperatures.

Selectivity of reversed-phase packing materials in high-performance liquid chromatography of cephalosporins

Abstract The high-performance liquid chromatographic methods used in recent years for the separation of cephalosporins are briefly discussed. Results obtained by chromatography of sixteen cephalosporins on eight brands of C 8 and C 18 packing materials are reported. Important differences in selectivity are observed between manufacturers, but also between batches from the same manufacturer.

Quantitative determination of amoxicillin and its decomposition products by high-performance liquid chromatography

Amoxicillin, amoxicilloates, amoxicillin oligomers and amoxicillin piperazine-2,5-dione are separated by reversed-phase (C8) high-performance liquid chromatography with gradient elution. Quantitative results are reported for a number of samples. Amoxicillin trihydrate samples mostly contain amoxicilloate as the main impurity. Samples of the sodium salt also contain the piperazine-2,5-dione and the dimer. Higher oligomers such as the trimer and tetramer were not present in significant amounts. Several samples were also analysed by a mercurimetric titration method.

Separation of erythromycin and related substances by high-performance liquid chromatography on poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) packing materials.

A comparative evaluation of three brands of poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) copolymers, Hamilton PRP-1 (10 micron), Rogel (8 micron) and TSK-Gel (10 micron), as column packing materials for high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of erythromycins is presented. Erythromycins A, B and C, anhydroerythromycin A, erythromycin A enol ether, N-demethylerythromycin A, anhydro N-demethylerythromycin A and N-demethylerythromycin A enol ether were chromatographed. The effects of column temperature, concentration of organic modifier in the mobile phase, concentration of phosphate buffer, the addition of quaternary ammonium salts and pH are described. The best separations were obtained on TSK-Gel with the mobile phase acetonitrile-methanol-0.2 M tetramethylammonium hydroxide pH 8.0-0.2 M phosphate buffer pH 8.0-water (30:15:25:5:25). PRP-1 and Rogel gave equally good separations but with higher retention volumes.

Optimization of the separation of erythromycin and related substances by high-performance liquid chromatography☆

An improved high-performance liquid chromatographic method for analysis of erythromycin is described. The separation can be performed under mild conditions of pH (6.5) and temperature (35 degrees C) on C8 and C18 silica-based reversed-phase materials of different origins. The mobile phase, with a flow-rate of 1.5 ml/min, contained various amounts of acetonitrile (25-40%, v/v), 5% (v/v) 0.2 M ammonium phosphate buffer pH 6.5, 20% (v/v) 0.2 M tetramethylammonium phosphate and water. UV detection at 215 nm allows quantitation of erythromycins A, B and C, N-demethylerythromycin A, erythromycin A enol ether and anhydroerythromycin A. The column history plays a major role, older columns often giving better separations.

Quantitative analysis of doxycycline and related substances by high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract Isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography on Hamilton PRP-1 column (25 x 0.46 cm I.D.) at 60°C allows the separation of oxytetracycline, 4,6-epidoxycycline, 4-epidoxycycline, methacycline, 6-epidoxycycline and doxycycline. The mobile phase is tetrahydrofuran—0.2 M phosphate buffer (pH 8.0)—0.2 M tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulphate solution (pH 8.0)—0.1 M sodium edetate solution (pH 8.0)—water (6:10:5:1:78). The flow-rate is 1.0 ml/min, 40-μg samples are injected and detection is at 254 nm. The column lifetime exceeds 6 months. Results for a number of bulk samples and specialities are reported.

Antibacterial activities of erythromycins A, B, C, and D and some of their derivatives.

The MICs of erythromycins A, B, C, and D and some of their derivatives were determined against 21 gram-positive and 15 gram-negative microorganisms. Antibacterial activity was confined to gram-positive and very few gram-negative bacteria. Erythromycin B was somewhat less active than erythromycin A, and erythromycin C and D showed about half that activity or even less. Most other derivatives had negligible activity. Determination of potency by diffusion and turbidimetric assays were in line with MICs. The examination of the results of these assays, however, revealed that there are differences between the data of different laboratories, depending on the microorganisms and conditions used.