Prodrugs for Systemic Bioreductive Activation-Independent Delivery of Phyllohydroquinone, an Active Form of Phylloquinone (Vitamin K1)1 : Preparation and in Vitro Evaluation

• Published in: Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin 1999/12/15, Vol.22(12), pp.1347-1354
• Main Authors: TAKATA, Jiro, KARUBE, Yoshiharu, MATSUNAGA, Kazuhisa, HANADA, Mitsunobu, HIDAKA, Ryoji, MATSUSHIMA, Yoshikazu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analgesics; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; bioreductive-activation; Biotransformation; drug delivery; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Interactions; Esterases - antagonists & inhibitors; Esters - chemistry; Esters - metabolism; General and cellular metabolism. Vitamins; Hydrolysis; Male; Medical sciences; Microsomes, Liver - drug effects; Microsomes, Liver - metabolism; Neuropharmacology; Oxidation-Reduction; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; phyllohydroquinone; phylloquinone; prodrug; Prodrugs - administration & dosage; Prodrugs - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Solubility; Vitamin K - administration & dosage; Vitamin K - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin K - chemical synthesis; Vitamin K - metabolism; Vitamin K 1 - administration & dosage; Vitamin K 1 - pharmacology; warfarin; Warfarin - poisoning
• ISSN: 0918-6158; 1347-5215
• DOI: 10.1248/bpb.22.1347

With the aim of overcoming the delivery problems (water-solubility and bioreductive activation problems) of phyllohydroquinone (PKH), an active form of phylloquinone (PK, vitamin K1), the N, N-dimethylglycine esters of phyllohydroquinone (1-mono, 1; 4-mono, 2; and 1, 4-bis, 3) have been synthesized and assessed in vitro as a prodrug for the systemic bioreductive activation-independent delivery of PKH. The hydrochloride salts of the esters were found to be quite soluble in water. Hydrolysis of the esters in rat liver S9 fraction, rat plasma and phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, at 37°C, was kinetically studied in the presence and absence of an esterase inhibitor. The hydrolysis was catalyzed by esterases located in rat liver and rat plasma and quantitatively yielded PKH. The enzymatic cleavage and the vitamin K-dependent carboxylation activity of the esters in the rat liver microsome preparation at pH 7.2 and 25°C were studied. The regeneration of PKH from the esters was catalyzed by carboxylesterases located in the rat liver microsome, and the order was as follows : 1>3>2. The carboxylation was stimulated by selected ester 1 in the absence of dithiothreitol, an activator of the vitamin K cycle. The carboxylation activity of 1 was strongly inhibited in the presence of eserine, a carboxylesterase inhibitor. Compound 1 could also stimulate carboxylase under warfarin-poisoning conditions, where the vitamin K cycle was strongly inhibited. These results indicated that these highly water-soluble and liver-esterase hydrolyzable ester derivatives of PKH are potential candidates for parenteral prodrugs which can thus achieve the systemic bioreductive activation-independent delivery of PKH.