Previously, a quaternary ammonium (N+)-chitosan (Ch) conjugate (N+(60)-Ch) characterized by short pendant chains, made of 1.7±0.1 adjacent diethyl-dimethylene-ammonium groups, substituted onto the primary amino group of the chitosan repeating units (degree of substitution, 59.2±4.5%) was used to synthesize a multifunctional non-cytotoxic thiomer (N+(60)-Ch-SH(5)), carrying 4.5±0.7% thiol-bearing 3-mercaptopropionamide besides quaternary ammonium groups. The present work was aimed at evaluating the potential of N+(60)-Ch-SH(5) and N+(60)-Ch as bioactive excipients for dexamethasone (DMS) eyedrops. The DMS permeability across excised rabbit cornea was enhanced over the control value by the thiomer and the parent polymer to about the same extent (3.8 vs. 4.1 times). The mean precorneal retention time and AUC in the aqueous of DMS instilled in rabbit eyes via eyedrops were enhanced by the thiomer (MRT=77.96±3.57min, AUC=33.19±6.96μgml-1min) more than the parent polymer (MRT=65.74±4.91min, AUC=21.48±3.81μgml-1min) over the control (MRT=5.07±0.25min, AUC=6.25±0.65μgml-1min). The quaternary ammonium ions were responsible for both permeabilization of corneal epithelium and polymer adhesion to precorneal mucus, while the thiols increased the latter. This synergistic action is the basis of the higher thiomer bioactivity in vivo. A good ocular tolerability of the chitosan derivatives resulted from in vivo experiments.
Thiolated quaternary ammonium-chitosan conjugates for enhanced precorneal retention, transcorneal permeation and intraocular absorption of dexamethasone
ZAMBITO, YLENIA;DI COLO, GIACOMO
2010-01-01
Abstract
Previously, a quaternary ammonium (N+)-chitosan (Ch) conjugate (N+(60)-Ch) characterized by short pendant chains, made of 1.7±0.1 adjacent diethyl-dimethylene-ammonium groups, substituted onto the primary amino group of the chitosan repeating units (degree of substitution, 59.2±4.5%) was used to synthesize a multifunctional non-cytotoxic thiomer (N+(60)-Ch-SH(5)), carrying 4.5±0.7% thiol-bearing 3-mercaptopropionamide besides quaternary ammonium groups. The present work was aimed at evaluating the potential of N+(60)-Ch-SH(5) and N+(60)-Ch as bioactive excipients for dexamethasone (DMS) eyedrops. The DMS permeability across excised rabbit cornea was enhanced over the control value by the thiomer and the parent polymer to about the same extent (3.8 vs. 4.1 times). The mean precorneal retention time and AUC in the aqueous of DMS instilled in rabbit eyes via eyedrops were enhanced by the thiomer (MRT=77.96±3.57min, AUC=33.19±6.96μgml-1min) more than the parent polymer (MRT=65.74±4.91min, AUC=21.48±3.81μgml-1min) over the control (MRT=5.07±0.25min, AUC=6.25±0.65μgml-1min). The quaternary ammonium ions were responsible for both permeabilization of corneal epithelium and polymer adhesion to precorneal mucus, while the thiols increased the latter. This synergistic action is the basis of the higher thiomer bioactivity in vivo. A good ocular tolerability of the chitosan derivatives resulted from in vivo experiments.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.