Jens T. Bukrinsky

Displacement of Adsorbed Insulin by Tween 80 Monitored Using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence and Ellipsometry

PurposeThis study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of action in the displacement of adsorbed insulin from a hydrophobic surface by Tween 80 and of the competitive adsorption of the two species.MethodsTotal internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) and ellipsometry were used as in situ methods to examine the processes taking place at hydrophobic model surfaces in the presence of insulin and Tween 80.ResultsTIRF studies showed that the displacement of insulin by Tween 80 could be fitted to a sigmoidal function, indicating a nucleation-dependent process. Furthermore, a linear dependence between the apparent rate constant and the logarithm of the Tween 80 concentration was found. Competitive adsorption from solution mixtures of insulin and Tween 80 indicated that insulin was adsorbed first, but subsequently displaced by the surfactant. This displacement proved also to be dependent on the concentration of Tween 80 in the mixture.ConclusionsThe results indicate that Tween 80 at concentrations above critical micelle concentration can be used to protect insulin against surface adsorption. The presence of a lag phase in the displacement at low surfactant concentration indicates that the mechanism of action for Tween 80 to reduce adsorption of insulin may be by competing for sites at the surface.

Influence of PEGylation with linear and branched PEG chains on the adsorption of glucagon to hydrophobic surfaces

PEGylation has proven useful for prolonging the plasma half lives of proteins, and since approval of the first PEGylated protein drug product by the FDA in 1990, several PEGylated protein drug products have been marketed. However, the influence of PEGylation on the behavior of proteins at interfaces is only poorly understood. The aim of this work was to study the effect of PEGylation on the adsorption of glucagon from aqueous solution to a hydrophobic surface and to compare the effects of PEGylation with a linear and a branched PEG chain, respectively. The 3483 Da peptide glucagon was PEGylated with a 2.2 kDa linear and a branched PEG chain, respectively, and the adsorption behaviors of the three proteins were compared using isothermal titration calorimetry, fixed-angle optical reflectometry and total internal reflection fluorescence. PEGylation decreased the number of glucagon molecules adsorbing per unit surface area and increased the initial adsorption rate of glucagon. Furthermore, the results indicated that the orientation and/or structural changes of glucagon upon adsorption were affected by the PEGylation. Finally, from the isothermal titration calorimetry and the reflectometry data, it was observed that the architecture of the PEG chains had an influence on the observed heat flow upon adsorption as well as on the initial rate of adsorption, respectively.

Protein repellent hydrophilic grafts prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization from polypropylene

Grafting of poly(ethylene glycol)methacrylate (PEGMA) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm) from UV-initiator modified polypropylene (PP) was performed by Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (SI-ATRP). The modification and hydrophilization of the PP substrates were confirmed with Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Water Contact Angle (WCA) measurements. Confocal fluorescence microscopy of modified and unmodified substrates immersed in labelled insulin aspart showed superior repulsion of this protein for the poly(PEGMA) grafts, due to the achieved architecture.

Adsorption of insulin with varying self-association profiles to a solid Teflon surface--influence on protein structure, fibrillation tendency and thermal stability.

Interfaces are present in the preparation of pharmaceutical products and are well known for having an influence on the physical stability of proteins. The aim of this study was to examine the conformation (i.e. secondary and tertiary structures) and fibrillation tendency, overall aggregation tendency and thermal stability of adsorbed human insulin at a solid particulate Teflon surface. The effects of changes in the association degree of insulin on the structure and stability have been determined. Using SEC-HPLC, association profiles were determined for insulin aspart, zinc-free human insulin and human insulin with two Zn(2+) per hexamer in concentrations ranging from 0.1 mg/ml to 20 mg/ml. Insulin aspart was 100% monomeric, regardless of concentration. In contrast, human insulin went from 100% monomer to 80% hexamer, and 20% dimer/monomer and zinc-free human insulin from 100% monomer to 70% dimer and 30% monomer with increasing concentration. The secondary structure of the insulins changed upon adsorption, but only minor differences were observed among the insulins. Structural changes were observed when the insulin-surface ratio was varied, but at no point did the structure resemble that of fibrillated insulin in solution. The presence of particles resulted in increased fibrillation of human insulin. The lag-time of fibrillation decreased, when the amount of particles present was increased. In conclusion, the type and association degree of the three insulin variants has no major influence on the secondary structure observed after adsorption of insulin at the solid Teflon surface. However, the presence of particles increases the tendency of insulin to fibrillate.

The Stability of Insulin in Solid Formulations Containing Melezitose and Starch. Effects of Processing and Excipients

ABSTRACT Solid insulin formulations obtained by different methods of preparation were compared with respect to chemical stability and morphology. Spray- and freeze-drying, solution enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS) and precipitation into starch microspheres were the methods used for preparation of solid powders. The excipients applied were melezitose, starch, and sodium taurocholate. The stability of the samples was evaluated after storage in open containers at 25°C and 30% RH for 6 months. All samples were amorphous after processing and storage as detected by XRD, except for the starch microspheres which were semi-crystalline. The spray- and freeze-dried samples containing melezitose and sodium taurocholate experienced a significant water uptake during storage, resulting in changes in morphology and disappearance of Tg. However, the chemical stability of these samples did not seem to be affected by the water uptake. Changes in morphology were not observed for the SEDS powders and the starch microspheres. The chemical stability of the samples was assessed by HPLC. In general, conventional spray- and freeze drying resulted in samples with higher chemical stability compared to SEDS powders and starch microspheres. Nevertheless, the excipients applied were observed to be of major importance, and further optimization of the formulation as well as processing conditions may lead to slightly different conclusions.

Influence of acylation on the adsorption of GLP-2 to hydrophobic surfaces.

Acylation of proteins with a fatty acid chain has proven useful for prolonging the plasma half-lives of proteins. In formulation of acylated protein drugs, knowledge about the effect of acylation with fatty acids on the adsorption behaviour of proteins at interfaces will be valuable. The aim of this work was to study the effect of acylation on the adsorption of GLP-2 from aqueous solution to a hydrophobic surface by comparing the adsorption of the 3766 Da GLP-2 with that of a GLP-2 variant acylated with a 16-carbon fatty acid chain through a β-alanine linker. Adsorption of GLP-2 and acylated GLP-2 were studied with isothermal titration calorimetry, fixed-angle optical reflectometry and total internal reflection fluorescence. Furthermore, the effect of acylation of GLP-2 on the secondary structure was studied with Far-UV CD. Acylation was observed to have several effects on the adsorption of GLP-2. Acylation increased the amount of GLP-2 adsorbing per unit surface area and decreased the initial adsorption rate of GLP-2. Finally, acylation increased the strength of the adsorption, as judged by the lower fraction desorbing upon rinsing with buffer.

Influence of Acylation on the Adsorption of Insulin to Hydrophobic Surfaces

ABSTRACTPurposeTo study the effect of acylation on the adsorption of insulin to hydrophobic polystyrene beads.MethodsAdsorption isotherms for adsorption of insulin and acylated insulin to hydrophobic polystyrene beads were established, and the adsorption of the two proteins was compared further with isothermal titration calorimetry. In addition, the secondary structure and the association behavior of the two proteins were studied with circular dichroism.ResultsInsulin and acylated insulin adsorbed with high affinity to the hydrophobic polystyrene beads. More acylated insulin molecules than insulin molecules adsorbed per unit surface area from solutions containing monomer-dimer mixtures of acylated insulin and insulin, respectively. In contrast, no difference was observed in the number of insulin and acylated insulin molecules adsorbing per unit surface area, when adsorption occurred from solutions containing monomer-dimer-hexamer mixtures.ConclusionThe influence of acylation on the adsorption behavior of insulin depends on the association degree of insulin, possibly due to a greater difference in hydrophobicity between monomeric insulin and acylated insulin than between the hexameric forms of these two proteins.

Influence of glycosylation on the adsorption of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces

In the pharmaceutical industry, protein drugs are modified by, for instance, glycosylation in order to obtain protein drugs with improved delivery profiles and/or increased stability. The effect of glycosylation on protein adsorption behaviour is one of the stability aspects that must be evaluated during development of glycosylated protein drug products. We have studied the effect of glycosylation on the adsorption behaviour of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces using total internal reflection fluorescence, surface plasmon resonance, far-UV circular dichroism and fluorescence. Three glyco-variants were used, namely the mono-glycosylated wildtype T. lanuginosus lipase, a non-glycosylated variant and a penta-glycosylated variant, the latter two containing one and nine amino acid substitutions, respectively. All the glycosylations were N-linked and contained no charged sugar residues. Glycosylation did not affect the adsorption of wildtype T. lanuginosus lipase to the hydrophobic surfaces. The number of molecules adsorbing per unit surface area, the structural changes occurring upon adsorption, and the orientation upon adsorption were found to be unaffected by the varying glycosylation. However, the interaction with a hydrophilic surface was different between the three glyco-variants. The penta-glycosylated T. lanuginosus lipase adsorbed, in contrast to the two other glyco-variants. In conclusion, adsorption of T. lanuginosus lipase to hydrophobic surfaces was not affected by N-linked glycosylation. Only penta-glycosylated T. lanuginosus lipase adsorbed to the hydrophilic surface, apparently due to its increased net charge of +3 caused by amino acid substitutions in the primary sequence.