title: Evaluation of a brain-targeting zidovudine chemical delivery system in dogs.
abstract: AIDS encephalopathy is an insidious complication of human immunodeficiency virus infection which is difficult to treat because of the poor uptake of many potentially useful antiretroviral drugs through the blood-brain barrier. A chemical delivery system (CDS) for zidovudine (AZT) based on redox trapping within the brain has been prepared and tested in several animal models to circumvent this limitation. The behavior of the AZT-CDS in the dog was considered. Parenteral administration of AZT resulted in rapid systemic elimination and poor uptake by the central nervous system. Ratios of the area under the concentration-time curve of AZT for cerebrospinal fluid to that for blood were 0.32, and ratios of the area under the concentration-time curve of AZT for brain to that for blood were approximately 0.25. Administration of an aqueous formulation of the AZT-CDS resulted in rapid tissue uptake and conversion of the CDS to the corresponding quaternary salt with the subsequent production of AZT. Delivered in this way, the levels of AZT in brain were 1.75- to 3.3-fold higher than those associated with conventional AZT administration. In addition, the levels of AZT in blood were 46% lower than those associated with AZT administration. The higher concentrations in brain and lower concentration in blood combined to significantly increase the ratio of the concentration of AZT in the brain to that in blood after AZT-CDS administration compared to that after AZT dosing.
authors.affiliation: Pharmos Corp., Alachua, Florida 32615, USA. Marcusbrew@aol.com
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Brewster
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pablo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meinsma
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Derendorf
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bodor
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pop
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004285:Dogs; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015215:Zidovudine