Tri-Hung Nguyen

Nanostructure of liquid crystalline matrix determines in vitro sustained release and in vivo oral absorption kinetics for hydrophilic model drugs.

Nanostructured lipid-based liquid crystalline systems have been proposed as sustained oral drug delivery systems, but the interplay between their intrinsic release rates, susceptibility to digestive processes, and the manner in which these effects impact on their application in vivo, are not well understood. In this study, two different bicontinuous cubic phases, prepared from glyceryl monooleate and phytantriol, and a reversed hexagonal phase formed by addition of a small amount of vitamin E to phytantriol (Q(II GMO), Q(II PHYT) and H(II PHYT+VitEA), respectively) were prepared. The release kinetics for a number of model hydrophilic drugs with increasing molecular weights (glucose, Allura Red and FITC-dextrans) was determined in in vitro release experiments. Diffusion-controlled release was observed in all cases as anticipated from previous studies with liquid crystalline systems, and it was discovered that the release rates of each drug decreased as the matrix was changed from Q(II GMO) to Q(II PHYT) to H(II PHYT+VitEA). Formulations containing (14)C-glucose, utilized as a rapidly absorbed marker of drug release, were then orally administered to rats to determine the relative in vivo absorption rates from the different formulations. The results showed a trend by which the rate of absorption of (14)C-glucose followed that observed in the corresponding in vitro release studies, providing the first indication that the nanostructure of these materials may provide the ability to tailor the absorption kinetics of hydrophilic drugs in vivo, and hence form the basis of a new drug delivery system.

Nanostructured liquid crystalline particles provide long duration sustained-release effect for a poorly water soluble drug after oral administration

This study is the first to demonstrate the ability of nanostructured liquid crystal particles to sustain the absorption of a poorly water soluble drug after oral administration. Cubic (V(2)) liquid crystalline nanostructured particles (cubosomes) formed from phytantriol (PHY) were shown to sustain the absorption of cinnarizine (CZ) beyond 48h after oral administration to rats. Plasma concentrations were sustained within the range of 21.5±1.5ng/mL from 12 to 48h. In stark contrast, cubosomes prepared using glyceryl monooleate (GMO) did not sustain the absorption of CZ and drug concentrations fell below quantifiable levels after 24h. Sustained absorption of CZ from PHY cubosomes lead to a significant enhancement (p<0.05) in oral bioavailability (F%=21%) compared to a CZ suspension (9%) and oleic acid emulsion (12%). Analysis of the nanostructured particles in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) revealed that the V(2)Pn3m nanostructure of PHY cubosomes was maintained for extended periods of time, in contrast to GMO cubosomes where the V(2)Im3m nanostructure was lost within 18h after exposure, suggesting that degradation of the LC nanostructure may limit sustained drug release. In addition, PHY cubosomes were shown to be extensively retained in the stomach (>24h) leading to the conclusion that in the case of non-digestible PHY cubosomes, the stomach may act as a non-sink reservoir that facilitates the slow release of poorly water soluble drugs, highlighting the potential use of non-digestible LC nanostructured particles as novel sustained oral drug delivery systems.

The effect of amino acid excipients on morphology and solid-state properties of multi-component spray-dried formulations for pulmonary delivery of biomacromolecules

For a dry powder carrier platform to be suitable for pulmonary delivery of potent biomacromolecules, it has to be aerosolisable and capable of stabilising the biomacromolecules. In the present study, strategies aiming to produce a multi-component spray-dried powder formulation with a stable amorphous glassy matrix containing mannitol, trehalose, glycine and alanine, while using leucine as a particle formation and aerosolisation enhancing agent were investigated. The results from in vitro aerosolisation studies demonstrated high fine particle fractions (FPFs) from several formulations. Scanning electronic micrographs (SEMs) revealed distinct morphological features of these formulations in response to increasing leucine concentration: from the apparent insufficiency for discrete particle formation, to reduced particle agglomeration, to increased surface corrugation. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) results indicated that partially ordered leucine resulting from self-assembly on the particle surface is important for the amino acid to function effectively as an encapsulating agent. This may also play a role in inhibiting crystallisation of other components within the formulation. In conclusion, the results suggest that with suitable particle size, good dispersibility and solid-state properties, selected trehalose/leucine combinations appear to have good potential for development into a universal carrier platform for pulmonary delivery of potent biomacromolecules and the work highlights areas deserving further investigation.

Metal-free and MRI visible theranostic lyotropic liquid crystal nitroxide-based nanoparticles.

The development of improved, low toxicity, clinically viable nanomaterials that provide MRI contrast have tremendous potential to form the basis of translatable theranostic agents. Herein we describe a class of MRI visible materials based on lyotropic liquid crystal nanoparticles loaded with a paramagnetic nitroxide lipid. These readily synthesized nanoparticles achieved enhanced proton-relaxivities on the order of clinically used gadolinium complexes such as Omniscan™ without the use of heavy metal coordination complexes. Their low toxicity, high water solubility and colloidal stability in buffer resulted in them being well tolerated in vitro and in vivo. The nanoparticles were initially screened in vitro for cytotoxicity and subsequently a defined concentration range was tested in rats to determine the maximum tolerated dose. Pharmacokinetic profiles of the candidate nanoparticles were established in vivo on IV administration to rats. The lyotropic liquid crystal nanoparticles were proven to be effective liver MRI contrast agents. We have demonstrated the effective in vivo performance of a T1 enhancing, biocompatible, colloidally stable, amphiphilic MRI contrast agent that does not contain a metal.

Phytantriol and glyceryl monooleate cubic liquid crystalline phases as sustained-release oral drug delivery systems for poorly water-soluble drugs II. In-vivo evaluation

Objectives  Lipid‐based liquid crystals formed from phytantriol (PHY) and glyceryl monooleate (GMO) retain their cubic‐phase structure on dilution in physiologically relevant simulated gastrointestinal media, suggesting their potential application as sustained‐release drug‐delivery systems for poorly water‐soluble drugs. In this study the potential of PHY and GMO to serve as sustained‐release lipid vehicles for a model poorly‐water‐soluble drug, cinnarizine, was assessed and compared to that of an aqueous suspension formulation.

Size and Rigidity of Cylindrical Polymer Brushes Dictate Long Circulating Properties In Vivo

Studies of spherical nanoengineered drug delivery systems have suggested that particle size and mechanical properties are key determinants of in vivo behavior; however, for more complex structures, detailed analysis of correlations between in vitro characterization and in vivo disposition is lacking. Anisotropic materials in particular bear unknowns in terms of size tolerances for in vivo clearance and the impact of shape and rigidity. Herein, we employed cylindrical polymer brushes (CPBs) to answer questions related to the impact of size, length and rigidity on the in vivo behavior of PEGylated anisotropic structures, in particular their pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. The modular grafting assembly of CPBs allowed for the systematic tailoring of parameters such as aspect ratio or rigidity while keeping the overall chemical composition the same. CPBs with altered length were produced from polyinitiator backbones with different degrees of polymerization. The side chain grafts consisted of a random copolymer of poly[(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] (PEGMA) and poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA), and rendered the CPBs water-soluble. The epoxy groups of PGMA were subsequently reacted with propargylamine to introduce alkyne groups, which in turn were used to attach radiolabels via copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC). Radiolabeling allowed the pharmacokinetics of intravenously injected CPBs to be followed as well as their deposition into major organs post dosing to rats. To alter the rigidity of the CPBs, core-shell-structured CPBs with polycaprolactone (PCL) as a water-insoluble and crystalline core and PEGMA-co-PGMA as the hydrophilic shell were synthesized. This modular buildup of CPBs allowed their shape and rigidity to be altered, which in turn could be used to influence the in vivo circulation behavior of these anisotropic polymer particles. Increasing the aspect ratio or altering the rigidity of the CPBs led to reduced exposure, higher clearance rates, and increased mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) organ deposition.

Ionic liquids provide unique opportunities for oral drug delivery: structure optimization and in vivo evidence of utility

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been exploited to improve the absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs. Custom-made ILs solubilized very high quantities of the poorly water-soluble drugs, danazol and itraconazole, and maintained drug solubilization under simulated gastro-intestinal conditions. A danazol-containing self-emulsifying IL formulation gave rise to 4.3-fold higher exposure than the crystalline drug and prolonged exposure compared with a lipid formulation.

Transformation of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs into Lipophilic Ionic Liquids Enhances Oral Drug Exposure from Lipid Based Formulations

Absorption after oral administration is a requirement for almost all drug products but is a challenge for drugs with intrinsically low water solubility. Here, the weakly basic, poorly water-soluble drugs (PWSDs) itraconazole, cinnarizine, and halofantrine were converted into lipophilic ionic liquids to facilitate incorporation into lipid-based formulations and integration into lipid absorption pathways. Ionic liquids were formed via metathesis reactions of the hydrochloride salt of the PWSDs with a range of lipophilic counterions. The resultant active pharmaceutical ingredient-ionic liquids (API-ILs) were liquids or low melting point solids and either completely miscible or highly soluble in lipid based, self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) comprising mixtures of long or medium chain glycerides, surfactants such as Kolliphor-EL and cosolvents such as ethanol. They also readily incorporated into the colloids formed in intestinal fluids during lipid digestion. Itraconazole docusate or cinnarizine decylsulfate API-ILs were subsequently dissolved in long chain lipid SEDDS at high concentration, administered to rats and in vivo exposure assessed. The data were compared to control formulations based on the same SEDDS formulations containing the same concentrations of drug as the free base, but in this case as a suspension (since the solubility of the free base in the SEDDS was much lower than the API-ILs). For itraconazole, comparison was also made to a physical mixture of itraconazole free base and sodium docusate in the same SEDDS formulation. For both drugs plasma exposure was significantly higher for the API-IL containing formulations (2-fold for cinnarizine and 20-fold for itraconazole), when compared to the suspension formulations (or the physical mixture in the case of itraconazole) at the same dose. The liquid SEDDS formulations, made possible by the use of the API-ILs, also provide advantages in dose uniformity, capsule filling, and stability compared to similar suspension formulations. The data suggest that the formation of lipophilic ionic liquids provides a means of increasing dissolved-drug loading in lipid based formulations and thereby promoting the exposure of poorly water-soluble drugs after oral administration.

Incomplete desorption of liquid excipients reduces the in vitro and in vivo performance of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems solidified by adsorption onto an inorganic mesoporous carrier.

The purpose of the current study was to provide a mechanistic basis for in vitro and in vivo performance differences between lipid-based formulations solidified by adsorption onto a high surface area material and their respective liquid (i.e., nonadsorbed) counterparts. Two self-emulsifying formulations (based on either medium-chain or long-chain lipids) of the poorly water-soluble drug danazol were solidified by adsorption onto Neusilin US2. Liquid and adsorbed lipid-based formulations were subjected to in vitro dispersion-digestion tests, and additional in vitro experiments were performed to elucidate the cause of performance differences. The bioavailability of danazol after oral administration to rats was also assessed. The percentage of the dose solubilized in the aqueous phase during in vitro dispersion-digesting was ∼35% lower for the adsorbed formulations when compared to their liquid counterparts. This trend was also reflected in vivo, where the bioavailability of danazol after administration of the adsorbed formulations was ∼50% lower than that obtained after administration of the equivalent liquid formulation. Incomplete desorption of the microemulsion preconcentrate from the carrier on dispersion-digestion was identified as the main contributor to the reduced pharmaceutical performance of the adsorbed formulations. The results of the current study indicate that solidification of lipid-based formulations through adsorption onto a high surface area carrier may limit formulation (and drug) release in vivo and thereby reduce oral bioavailability.

Phytantriol and glyceryl monooleate cubic liquid crystalline phases as sustained-release oral drug delivery systems for poorly water soluble drugs I. Phase behaviour in physiologically-relevant media

Objectives  The potential utility of liquid crystalline lipid‐based formulations in oral drug delivery is expected to depend critically on their structure formation and stability in gastrointestinal fluids. The phase behaviour of lipid‐based liquid crystals formed by phytantriol and glyceryl monooleate, known to form a bicontinuous cubic phase in excess water, was therefore assessed in physiologically‐relevant simulated gastrointestinal media.