Mineralocorticoid receptor ligands: Biochemical, pharmacological, and clinical aspects

Water-soluble derivatives of beta-cyclodextrin have been considered for solubilization of spironolactone in the formulation of a safe liquid preparation for premature infants. The oral absorption of spironolactone was studied in rats to evaluate the need to adjust spironolactone dosage in prospective clinical studies. Spironolactone was administered in solutions of sulphobutyl ether beta-cyclodextrin (SBE7) or dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (DM-beta-CyD) and also as spironolactone-containing powder papers (reference preparation). Spironolactone in SBE7 solution was administered intravenously to assess the extent of intestinal absorption from the different formulations. Spironolactone and the metabolites 7alpha-thiospirolactone, 7alpha-thiomethylspirolactone and canrenone were determined in rat serum after intravenous administration of spironolactone. Half-lives for spironolactone, 7alpha-thiomethylspirolactone and canrenone were 0.72 +/- 0.17, 1.5 +/- 0.3 and 2.2 +/- 0.3 h, respectively. Although, according to Cmax values, 7alpha-thiomethylspirolactone was the major serum metabolite in rats, higher AUC (area under the serum concentration-time curve) values were obtained for canrenone. After oral administration of spironolactone the bioavailabilities evaluated from the AUC values of 7alpha-thiomethylspirolactone were 27.5 +/- 9.3%, 81.3 +/- 28.8% and 82.8 +/- 28.6% for powder papers, DM-beta-CyD and SBE7 solutions, respectively. The oral absorption of spironolactone by rats was better after administration of spironolactone in SBE7 and DM-beta-CyD solutions than after administration as powder papers. Both cyclodextrin formulations enhanced spironolactone bioavailability to a similar extent despite some deacetylation of spironolactone in the presence of SBE7. A reduction of spironolactone dosage would be recommended during clinical studies with premature infants. These results indicate that SBE7 could be a safe and suitable excipient for the solubilization of spironolactone in paediatric formulations.

Water-soluble beta-cyclodextrins in paediatric oral solutions of spironolactone: preclinical evaluation of spironolactone bioavailability from solutions of beta-cyclodextrin derivatives in rats.

Organisms dwell within environments which are superabundant in chemical entities. Some are essential for the growth, repair and general maintenance of living systems, but many are apparently unnecessary, ‘foreign’ to intermediary metabolism and potentially dangerous. Nevertheless, they still gain entry and have to be dealt with.

Metabolism of Sulfur-Containing Xenobiotics

Microbial synthesis of mammalian metabolites of spironolactone by thermophilic fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus

Liver microsomes and highly purified flavin-containing monooxygenase from uninduced hogs catalyze the NADPH and oxygen-dependent S-oxygenation of 7 alpha-thiomethylspironolactone (7 alpha-TMSL), the major urinary metabolite of spironolactone, an effective antimineralocorticoid in humans. Studies on the biochemical mechanism of S-oxygenation of 7 alpha-TMSL suggests that this reaction is catalyzed exclusively by the flavin-containing monooxygenase and not by cytochrome P-450. This conclusion is based on the effects of selective cytochrome P-450 inhibitors as well as positive effectors and alternate substrates for the flavin-containing monooxygenase. The modest degree of stereoselective S-oxygenation of 7 alpha-TMSL may suggest steric inhibition of oxidation by the flavin-containing monooxygenase.

Lynn B. Lacagnin

Papers

Conversion of spironolactone to 7α-thiomethylspironolactone by hepatic and renal microsomes

Changes in adrenocortical monooxygenase activities in alloxan-diabetic rabbits