Clofazimine, an antibiotic drug active against mycobacteria and used for the treatment of leprosy, is a very weak base insoluble in neutral aqueous media. It may cause rather severe secondary effects. Basically, these two shortcomings can be minimized by combination with a drug carrier. The potential of a polymeric carrier composed of nanosized aggregates formed by hydrophobized poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) to solubilize clofazimine in neutral aqueous media and to administer it to mice was investigated. This amphiphilic polyanion was synthesized by partial esterification of commercial poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) by dodecanol. An aggregate-forming analog bearing mannose residues aimed at targeting mannose receptors born by macrophages was also synthesized and characterized. In the presence of the aggregates, rather large amounts of clofazimine were compatibilized with neutral aqueous media. Comparison with a water-insoluble neutral dye, namely yellow OB, showed that the apparent solubilization of clofazimine was due to a synergistic combination of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions and not only to the latter as in the case of yellow OB. Despite its favorable in vitro characteristics, clofazimine entrapped within the lipophilic pockets born by the amphiphilic aggregates exhibited no antibiotic activity after administration to mice infected with Mycobacterium bovis BCG.
BT - European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19022382?dopt=Abstract DA - 2009 Feb 15 DO - 10.1016/j.ejps.2008.10.008 IS - 2-3 J2 - Eur J Pharm Sci LA - eng N2 -Clofazimine, an antibiotic drug active against mycobacteria and used for the treatment of leprosy, is a very weak base insoluble in neutral aqueous media. It may cause rather severe secondary effects. Basically, these two shortcomings can be minimized by combination with a drug carrier. The potential of a polymeric carrier composed of nanosized aggregates formed by hydrophobized poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) to solubilize clofazimine in neutral aqueous media and to administer it to mice was investigated. This amphiphilic polyanion was synthesized by partial esterification of commercial poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) by dodecanol. An aggregate-forming analog bearing mannose residues aimed at targeting mannose receptors born by macrophages was also synthesized and characterized. In the presence of the aggregates, rather large amounts of clofazimine were compatibilized with neutral aqueous media. Comparison with a water-insoluble neutral dye, namely yellow OB, showed that the apparent solubilization of clofazimine was due to a synergistic combination of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions and not only to the latter as in the case of yellow OB. Despite its favorable in vitro characteristics, clofazimine entrapped within the lipophilic pockets born by the amphiphilic aggregates exhibited no antibiotic activity after administration to mice infected with Mycobacterium bovis BCG.
PY - 2009 SP - 345 EP - 51 T2 - European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences TI - Nanoaggregates of a random amphiphilic polyanion to carry water-insoluble clofazimine in neutral aqueous media. VL - 36 SN - 1879-0720 ER -