Pharmacokinetics and drug-drug interaction between enalapril, enalaprilat and felodipine extended release (ER) in healthy subjects

Near-infrared magnetic core-shell nanoparticles based on lanthanide metal-organic frameworks as a ratiometric felodipine sensing platform

Felodipine is an effective drug to treat hypertension, but its abuse can cause bardycardia. It is significant to develop highly sensitive detection platform for felodipine to enable the efficient treatment of hypertension diseases. In this work, to highly efficiently detect felodipine, multi-emission near-infrared (NIR) hierarchical magnetic core-shell lanthanide-MOF nanoparticles, namely Nd-MOF@Yb-MOF@SiO₂@Fe₃O₄ (NIR-1), has been synthesized by layer-by-layer (LBL) method. LBL method can adjust the optical properties of NIR-1 and expose more active sites to improve sensitivity in detection process. NIR-1 has near-infrared luminescence emission, which can efficiently avoid the interference of autofluorescence in biological tissues. Photo-luminescent (PL) experiments also reveal that NIR-1 could be used as a near-infrared ratiometric luminescent sensor for felodipine detection with high selectivity and sensitivity, the low of detection limit (LOD) is 6.39 nM in felodipine detection, which is also performed using real biological samples. In addition, NIR-1 can be used as a ratiometric thermometer could also be applied in the temperature sensing from 293 K to 343 K. Finally, detection mechanisms for felodipine and temperature sensing performance based on near-infrared (NIR) emission were also investigated and discussed in detail.

Optimization of the Preformulation and Formulation Parameters in the Development of New Extended-Release Tablets Containing Felodipine

Herein, new extended-release tablets containing felodipine were developed. For the orally administered formulations, optimization of the preformulation and formulation parameters was performed to assess the performance of the dosage form. Initially, the morphological and physical characterization of two forms of felodipine (microcrystalline and macrocrystalline) using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy was performed. The pharmaco-technical properties of the two felodipine forms were also determined. Subsequently, formulation studies for felodipine extended-release tablets were performed. Mathematical modelling of release kinetics of felodipine from developed formulations using a power law model was also performed. Based on the influence of formulation factors on the in vitro availability of felodipine in experimental tablets, a new extended-release tablet formulation was established.

Enhanced Oral Bioavailability of Felodipine from Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Prepared Through Effervescent Dispersion Technique

Felodipine (FLD), a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker with excellent antihypertensive effect, is poorly soluble and undergoes extensive hepatic metabolism, which lead to poor oral bioavailability (about 15%) and limit its clinic application. The goal of this study was to develop solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) loading FLD to improve the oral bioavailability. The FLD loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (FLD-SLNs) were prepared by the effervescent dispersion technique developed by our laboratory, which might have some advantages over traditional methods. The FLD-SLNs showed desired particle characteristics with particle size (198.15 ± 1.82 nm), poly dispersity index (0.26 ± 0.02), zeta-potential (- 25.53 ± 0.60 mV), entrapment efficiency (95.65 ± 0.70%), drug loading (2.33 ± 0.10%), and a spherical appearance. Pharmacokinetic results showed that the FLD-SLNs presented 3.17-fold increase in area under the curve (AUC_(0-t)) compared with free FLD after oral administration in beagle dogs, which indicated that SLNs prepared using the effervescent dispersion technique can improve the bioavailability of lipophilic drugs like felodipine by enhancement of absorption and reduction first-pass metabolism.

Identification of Structural Features for the Inhibition of OAT3-Mediated Uptake of Enalaprilat by Selected Drugs and Flavonoids

Enalaprilat is the active metabolite of enalapril, a widely used antihypertension drug. The human organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3), which is highly expressed in the kidney, plays a critical role in the renal clearance of many drugs. While urinary excretion is the primary elimination route of enalaprilat, direct involvement of OAT3 has not been reported so far. In the present study, OAT3-mediated uptake of enalaprilat was first characterized, and the inhibition of OAT3 transport activity was then examined for a number of flavonoid and drug molecules with diverse structures. A varying degree of inhibition potency was demonstrated for flavonoids, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.03 to 22.6 µM against OAT3 transport activity. In addition, commonly used drugs such as urate transporter 1 (URAT1) inhibitors also displayed potent inhibition on OAT3-mediated enalaprilat uptake. Pharmacophore and three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) analyses revealed the presence of a polar center and a hydrophobic region involved in OAT3-inhibitor binding. For the polar center, hydroxyl groups present in flavonoids could act as either hydrogen bond donors or acceptors and the number and position of hydroxyl groups were critical drivers for inhibition potency, while carboxyl groups present in some drugs could form ionic bridges with OAT3. The predicted inhibition potencies by comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) were correlated well with experimental IC₅₀ values. Taken together, the present study identified OAT3-mediated uptake of enalaprilat as an important mechanism for its renal clearance, which may be liable for drug-drug and herb-drug interactions. The established computational models revealed unique structural features for OAT3 inhibitors and could be used for structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis of OAT3 inhibition. The clinical relevance of the inhibition of OAT3-mediated enalaprilat uptake warrants further investigation, particularly in populations where herbal remedies and drugs are used concomitantly.

The influence of telmisartan on metformin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

Metformin is the most widely used drug among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. However, drug interaction on metformin will influence its glucose-lowering effect or increase its side effect of lactic acidosis. In this study, a randomized, two-stage, crossover study was conducted to unveil the potential drug interaction between metformin and the anti-hypertension drug, telmisartan. Totally, 16 healthy Chinese male volunteers were enrolled. Blood samples from various time-points after drug adminstration were analyzed for metformin quantification. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was conducted 2 h after metformin administration. The AUC_0-12 and Cmax of metformin in subjects co-administrated with telmisartan were significantly lower than with placebo. The geometric mean ratios (value of metformin plus telmisartan phase/value of metformin plus placebo phase) for Cmax and AUC_0-12 is 0.7972 (90%CI: 0.7202-0.8824) and 0.8336 (90%CI: 0.7696-0.9028), respectively. Moreover, telmisartan co-administration significantly increased the plasma concentrations of both glucose and insulin at 0.5 h since OGTT (7.64 ± 1.86 mmol/l·min vs 6.77 ± 0.83 mmol/l·min, P = 0.040; 72.91 ± 31.98 μIU/ml·min vs 60.20 ± 24.20 μIU/ml·min, P = 0.037), though the AUC of glucose and insulin after OGTT showed no significant difference. These findings suggested that telmisartan had a significant influence on the Pharmacokinetics of metformin in healthy groups, though the influence on glucose-lowering effect was moderate.