Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor Interaction with Human Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporters 1 and 2.

Equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs) transport nucleosides across the blood-testis barrier (BTB). ENTs are of interest to study the disposition of nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) in the human male genital tract because of their similarity in structure to nucleosides. HeLa S3 cells express ENT1 and ENT2 and were used to compare relative interactions of these transporters with selected NRTIs. Inhibition of [3H]uridine uptake by NBMPR was biphasic, with IC50 values of 11.3 nM for ENT1 and 9.6 µM for ENT2. Uptake measured with 100 nM NBMPR represented ENT2-mediated transport; subtracting that from total uptake represented ENT1-mediated transport. The kinetics of ENT1- and ENT2-mediated [3H]uridine uptake revealed no difference in Jmax (16.53 and 30.40 pmol cm-2 min-1) and an eightfold difference in Kt (13.6 and 108.9 µM). The resulting fivefold difference in intrinsic clearance (Jmax/Kt) for ENT1- and ENT2 transport accounted for observed inhibition of [3H]uridine uptake by 100 nM NBMPR. Millimolar concentrations of the NRTIs emtricitabine, didanosine, lamivudine, stavudine, tenofovir disoproxil, and zalcitabine had no effect on ENT transport activity, whereas abacavir, entecavir, and zidovudine inhibited both transporters with IC50 values of ∼200 µM, 2.5 mM, and 2 mM, respectively. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and [3H] compounds, the data suggest that entecavir is an ENT substrate, abacavir is an ENT inhibitor, and zidovudine uptake is carrier-mediated, although not an ENT substrate. These data show that HeLa S3 cells can be used to explore complex transporter selectivity and are an adequate model for studying ENTs present at the BTB. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study characterizes an in vitro model using S-[(4-nitrophenyl)methyl]-6-thioinosine to differentiate between equilibrative nucleoside transporter (ENT) 1- and ENT2-mediated uridine transport in HeLa cells. This provides a method to assess the influence of nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors on natively expressed transporter function. Determining substrate selectivity of the ENTs in HeLa cells can be effectively translated into the activity of these transporters in Sertoli cells that comprise the blood-testis barrier, thereby assisting targeted drug development of compounds capable of circumventing the blood-testis barrier.

Structural and Preclinical Studies of Computationally Designed Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors for Treating HIV infection.

The clinical benefits of HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors (NNRTIs) are hindered by their unsatisfactory pharmacokinetic (PK) properties along with the rapid development of drug-resistant variants. However, the clinical efficacy of these inhibitors can be improved by developing compounds with enhanced pharmacological profiles and heightened antiviral activity. We used computational and structure-guided design to develop two next-generation NNRTI drug candidates, compounds I and II, which are members of a class of catechol diethers. We evaluated the preclinical potential of these compounds in BALB/c mice because of their high solubility (510 µg/ml for compound I and 82.9 µg/ml for compound II), low cytotoxicity, and enhanced antiviral activity against wild-type (WT) HIV-1 RT and resistant variants. Additionally, crystal structures of compounds I and II with WT RT suggested an optimal binding to the NNRTI binding pocket favoring the high anti-viral potency. A single intraperitoneal dose of compounds I and II exhibited a prolonged serum residence time of 48 hours and concentration maximum (Cmax) of 4000- to 15,000-fold higher than their therapeutic/effective concentrations. These Cmax values were 4- to 15-fold lower than their cytotoxic concentrations observed in MT-2 cells. Compound II showed an enhanced area under the curve (0-last) and decreased plasma clearance over compound I and efavirenz, the standard of care NNRTI. Hence, the overall (PK) profile of compound II was excellent compared with that of compound I and efavirenz. Furthermore, both compounds were very well tolerated in BALB/c mice without any detectable acute toxicity. Taken together, these data suggest that compounds I and II possess improved anti-HIV-1 potency, remarkable in vivo safety, and prolonged in vivo circulation time, suggesting strong potential for further development as new NNRTIs for the potential treatment of HIV infection.

Multicompartmental Pharmacokinetic Model of Tenofovir Delivery to the Rectal Mucosa by an Enema.

Rectal enemas that contain prophylactic levels of anti-HIV microbicides such as tenofovir have emerged as a promising dosage form to prevent sexually transmitted HIV infections. The enema vehicle is promising due to its likely ability to deliver a large amount of drug along the length of the rectal canal. Computational models of microbicide drug delivery by enemas can help their design process by determining key factors governing drug transport and, more specifically, the time history and degree of protection. They can also inform interpretations of experimental pharmacokinetic measures such as drug concentrations in biopsies. The present work begins rectal microbicide PK modeling, for enema vehicles. Results here show that a paramount factor in drug transport is the time of enema retention; direct connectivity between enema fluid and the fluid within rectal crypts is also important. Computations of the percentage of stromal volume protected by a single enema dose indicate that even with only a minute of enema retention, protection of 100% can be achieved after around 14 minutes post dose. Concentrations in biopsies are dependent on biopsy thickness; and control and/or knowledge of thickness could improve accuracy and decrease variability in biopsy measurements. Results here provide evidence that enemas are a promising dosage form for rectal microbicide delivery, and offer insights into their rational design.

Potential pharmacokinetic interactions between antiretrovirals and medicinal plants used as complementary and African traditional medicines.

The use of traditional/complementary/alternate medicines (TCAMs) in HIV/AIDS patients who reside in Southern Africa is quite common. Those who use TCAMs in addition to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment may be at risk of experiencing clinically significant pharmacokinetic (PK) interactions, particularly between the TCAMs and the protease inhibitors (PIs) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Mechanisms of PK interactions include alterations to the normal functioning of drug efflux transporters, such as P-gp and/or CYP isoenzymes, such a CYP3A4 that mediate the absorption and elimination of drugs in the small intestine and liver. Specific mechanisms include inhibition and activation of these proteins and induction via the pregnane X receptor (PXR). Several clinical studies and case reports involving ARV-herb PK interactions have been reported. St John's Wort, Garlic and Cat's Claw exhibited potentially significant interactions, each with a PI or NNRTI. The potential for these herbs to induce PK interactions with drugs was first identified in reports of in vitro studies. Other in vitro studies have shown that several African traditional medicinal (ATM) plants and extracts may also demonstrate PK interactions with ARVs, through effects on CYP3A4, P-gp and PXR. The most complex effects were exhibited by Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Sutherlandia frutescens, Cyphostemma hildebrandtii, Acacia nilotica, Agauria salicifolia and Elaeodendron buchananii. Despite a high incidence of HIV/AIDs in the African region, only one clinical study, between efavirenz and Hypoxis hemerocallidea has been conducted. However, several issues/concerns still remain to be addressed and thus more studies on ATMs are warranted in order for more meaningful data to be generated and the true potential for such interactions to be determined.

Effect of short term and chronic administration of Sutherlandia frutescens on pharmacokinetics of nevirapine in rats.

Sutherlandia frutescens (sutherlandia), an African herbal supplement was recommended by the South African Ministry of Health for the treatment of AIDS patients. However, no reports yet exist delineating the effect of sutherlandia on pharmacokinetics of antiretroviral agents. Therefore, this investigation aimed at screening the effects of short term and chronic exposure of sutherlandia on oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of nevirapine (NVP), a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, in Sprague Dawley rats. NVP (6 mg/kg) was administered orally alone (control) and with co-administration of sutherlandia; short term (12 mg/kg single dose) and long term (12 mg/kg, once a day for 5 days). No significant difference in the pharmacokinetic parameters of NVP was found upon short-term co-administration of Sutherlandia. However, there was a 50% decrease (p<0.05) in the AUC and C(max) values of NVP after 5 days of chronic exposure with Sutherlandia. In addition, quantitative RT-PCR studies demonstrated a 2-3-fold increase in the hepatic and intestinal mRNA expression of CYP3A2, relative to vehicle control. To further confirm, if this could translate into a clinically relevant pharmacokinetic interaction in patients, we tested this hypothesis employing LS-180 cells as an in vitro induction model for human CYP3A4. Ninety-six hours post treatment, similar to positive control rifampicin (25 µM), sutherlandia extract (300 µg/mL) resulted in elevated m-RNA expression levels and functional activity of CYP3A4 (human homologue of rodent CYP3A2) in LS-180 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that a potential drug-herb interaction is possible when NVP is co-administered with S. frutescens, although this hypothesis still remains to be investigated in a clinical setting.

The genetic toxicity effects of lamivudine and stavudine antiretroviral agents.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD: The nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are used in antiretroviral therapy worldwide for the treatment of HIV infections. These drugs act by blocking reverse transcriptase enzyme activity, causing pro-viral DNA chain termination. As a consequence, NRTIs could cause genomic instability and loss of heterozygosity. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW: This review highlights the toxic and genotoxic effects of NRTIs, particularly lamivudine (3TC) and stavudine (d4T) analogues. In addition, a battery of short-term in vitro and in vivo systems are described to explain the potential genotoxic effects of these NRTIs as a single drug or a complexity of highly active antiretroviral therapy. WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN: The readers will gain an understanding of a secondary effect that could be induced by 3TC and d4T treatments. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Considering that AIDS has become a chronic disease, more comprehensive toxic genetic studies are needed, with particular attention to the genetic alterations induced by NRTIs. These alterations play a primary role in carcinogenesis and are also involved in secondary and subsequent steps of carcinogenesis.

IDX-899, an aryl phosphinate-indole non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor for the potential treatment of HIV infection.

Antiretroviral drug resistance is one of the complications of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Second-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are being developed for use in patients infected with HIV-1 because of the enhanced activity of these inhibitors against viruses that are resistant to the first-generation NNRTIs. IDX-899 (GSK-2248761), under development by Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc and ViiV Healthcare, is an aryl phosphinate-indole second-generation NNRTI that potently and selectively inhibits wild-type and NNRTI-resistant HIV-1 in vitro. Preclinical data for IDX-899 suggest a significantly greater barrier to resistance compared with that of the first-generation NNRTI efavirenz. Two pathways of resistance have been identified for IDX-899 in vitro that include Glu138Lys and Val90Ile/Tyr181Cys mutations. Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that IDX-899 exhibits linear, dose-proportional and food-dependent pharmacokinetics; Cmin concentrations achieved with this drug allow once-daily dosing. In phase I clinical trials, IDX-899 reduced HIV-1 RNA and increased CD4+ cell counts in treatment-naïve patients infected with HIV-1. At the time of publication, a phase II clinical trial of IDX-899 was being conducted.

Rilpivirine, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor for the treatment of HIV infection.

Tibotec BVBA is developing the diarylpyrimidine rilpivirine, a second-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor for the potential treatment of HIV infection. A phase III trial of rilpivirine in HIV-infected, treatment-naive indivuduals is underway and is to be completed by August 2010.

Pre-clinical pharmacokinetics of UK-453,061, a novel non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), and use of in silico physiologically based prediction tools to predict the oral pharmacokinetics of UK-453,061 in man.

1. UK-453,061 is a novel second-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). Following intravenous bolus administration of UK-453,061 in male rat and infusion administration in dog, UK-453,061 had the following mean pharmacokinetic properties: elimination T(1/2) of 1.6 and 2.4 h, CL(p) of 26 and 10 ml min(-1) kg(-1) and V(ss) of 1.6 and 2 l kg(-1), respectively. 2. The half-lives of UK-453,061 disappearance in recombinant human CYPs 2C8, 2C9, 2A6, 2E1, 1A2, 2C19, 2D6 and 3A4 were 71, 100, 56, 101, 61, 34, 60 and 8 min, respectively. The disappearance half-life of UK-453,061 in human liver microsomes in the presence of UDPGA was 90 min. 3. Human clearance values were predicted using single-species scaling from in vivo data and from in vitro data using SimCYP. The human distribution of UK-453,061 was estimated using an in silico physiologically based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) methodology and absorption was predicted from measured physicochemical, permeability, and solubility data using GastroPlus and SimCYP. The C(max) was predicted to be 68, 185, 149% of the actual mean value using rat, dog and in vitro predicted values of human clearance at 30 mg and 53, 150, 29% of actual at 500 mg. The area under the curve (AUC) was predicted to be 73, 285 and 142% of the actual mean value using rat, dog and in vitro predicted values of human clearance at 30 mg and 52, 212 and 35% of actual at 500 mg. 4. This study demonstrates the utility of using in silico PBPK approaches to make predictions of human pharmacokinetics before dosing for the first time in humans.

The clinical pharmacology of antiretrovirals in development.

Drugs in development for the management of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) infection include agents in existing classes and agents of novel classes. Of existing classes, new protease inhibitors, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors are in development. Novel therapeutic approaches include the development of chemokine receptor (CCR)5 antagonists, integrase inhibitors and maturation inhibitors. CCR5 antagonists are thought to inhibit HIV-1 entry into host cells by occupying a specific site on the CCR5 receptor, preventing attachment of the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120. Integrase inhibitors are small synthetically prepared molecules that block RNA/DNA interactions and modify protein or enzyme synthesis. Data on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of these new antiretroviral agents continue to generate interest. This review reports the known data on the pharmacokinetics of experimental antiretrovirals, and describe the main drug-drug interactions studied so far.

TMC125, a novel next-generation nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor active against nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are potent inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1); however, currently marketed NNRTIs rapidly select resistant virus, and cross-resistance within the class is extensive. A parallel screening strategy was applied to test candidates from a series of diarylpyrimidines against wild-type and resistant HIV strains carrying clinically relevant mutations. Serum protein binding and metabolic stability were addressed early in the selection process. The emerging clinical candidate, TMC125, was highly active against wild-type HIV-1 (50% effective concentration [EC50] = 1.4 to 4.8 nM) and showed some activity against HIV-2 (EC50 = 3.5 microM). TMC125 also inhibited a series of HIV-1 group M subtypes and circulating recombinant forms and a group O virus. Incubation of TMC125 with human liver microsomal fractions suggested good metabolic stability (15% decrease in drug concentration and 7% decrease in antiviral activity after 120 min). Although TMC125 is highly protein bound, its antiviral effect was not reduced by the presence of 45 mg of human serum albumin/ml, 1 mg of alpha1-acid glycoprotein/ml, or 50% human serum. In an initial screen for activity against a panel of 25 viruses carrying single and double reverse transcriptase amino acid substitutions associated with NNRTI resistance, the EC50 of TMC125 was <5 nM for 19 viruses, including the double mutants K101E+K103N and K103N+Y181C. TMC125 also retained activity (EC50 < 100 nM) against 97% of 1,081 recent clinically derived recombinant viruses resistant to at least one of the currently marketed NNRTIs. TMC125 is a potent next generation NNRTI, with the potential for use in individuals infected with NNRTI-resistant virus.

Pharmacokinetic drug interactions with nevirapine.

Treatment of HIV infection is a multi-drug issue. Not only are there drugs for the treatment of HIV but also concomitant drugs for opportunistic infections, complications arising from the anti-retroviral therapy and other conditions related to a chronic disease. To have any understanding of drug-drug interactions in HIV treatment we need to appreciate the importance of key pharmacological areas including: 1) how each drug in a regimen is eliminated; 2) the potential for a drug to either induce or inhibit metabolic enzymes and/or transporters; 3) the therapeutic index of each drug. It is impossible to memorise all the possible drug-drug interactions in HIV, therefore understanding how drugs are metabolised/eliminated and the potential for a particular drug to modify the pharmacokinetics of another has predictive value even when substantive data are unavailable. NNRTIs interact with cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes both as substrates and inducers. Because of the inductive effects caution must be exercised when using with protease inhibitors (either boosted or un-boosted with ritonavir). In this situation therapeutic drug monitoring may play a role in optimising response. There needs to be care when using many drugs with NNRTIs e.g. methadone, oral contraceptives, rifampicin, and there are some definite contraindications. By understanding pharmacological principles, it is possible to optimise use of multi-drug regimens.