Physicochemical Properties, Bioconversion and Disposition of Lipophilic Prodrugs of 2′,3′-Dideoxycytidine (original) (raw)

1996, Antiviral Chemistry and Chemotherapy

Lipophilic prodrugs of 2′,3′-dideoxycytidine (ddC), 4,5′-diacetyI-ddC (DAC), 4,5′-ditrimethylacetyl-ddC (DTMAC), 4,5′-dicyclopentylpropionyl-ddC (DCYPP) and 5′-cholesteryl-ddC (CHOL), were evaluated for their utility in improving brain delivery of the parent nucleoside. The lipophilicity of the prodrugs was greater, compared to ddC., with partition coefficient values increasing from 0.03 for ddC to 0.37,28, 63 and 483 for DAC., DTMAC., DCYPP and CHOL., respectively. Aqueous solubility was decreased proportionally to the increase in lipophilicity. Bioconversion studies were performed in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), human serum, mouse serum, and mouse brain and liver homogenates. Whereas CHOL was stable in vitro in all media, DAC., DTMAC and DCYPP exhibited stability only in buffer, indicating that the hydrolytic reaction for these compounds was, predominately, enzymatically triggered. DCYPP was rapidly hydrolysed in mouse serum and liver and brain homogenates with degradation half-life...