Carboxylic acid ester prodrugs hydrolysis

Like in Chapt. 7, we begin the discussion with acetates, since acetic acid is the simplest nontoxic acyl group, formic acid being less innocuous. An informative study was carried out to compare the kinetics of hydrolysis of two types of corticosteroid esters, namely methyl steroid-21-oates (which are active per se) and acetyl steroid-21-ols (which are prodrugs), as exemplified by methyl prednisolonate (8.69) and prednisolone-21-acetate (8.70), respectively [89]. In the presence of rat liver microsomes, the rate of hydrolytic inactivation of methyl steroid-21-oates was much slower than the rate of hydrolytic activation of acetyl steroid-21-ols. Thus, while the Km values were ca. 0.1 -0.3 mM for all substrates, the acetic acid ester prodrugs and the methyl ester drugs had Vmax values of ca. 20 and 0.15 nmol min-1 mg-1, respectively. It can be postulated that the observed rates of hydrolysis were determined by the acyl moiety, in other words by the liberation of the carboxylic acid from the acyl-enzyme intermediate (see Chapt. 3). 

QTie kinetics of hydrolysis of imidazole-l-carboxylic acid esters of hydrocortisone and testosterone were studied to assess their suitability as prodrug forms. The pH-rate profiles of tiie 2 derivatives were derived in the range pH 1-12 and were accounted for by assuming spontaneous hydrolysis of the protonated forms (pKa 33-3.5) and hydroxide ion-catalyzed hydrolysis of the free base forms "... 

Fig. 8.4. Postulated mechanism of the base-catalyzed activation of (2-oxo-l, 3-dioxol-4-yl)methyl ester prodrugs (8.62) of carboxylic acids [74] [75]. After hydrolysis, the pro-moiety is liberated as a nonisolatable carbonate monoester intermediate, which is decarboxylated rapidly to a diketone.

Recent studies with quinoline-4-carboxylic acid angiotensin II receptor antagonists have confirmed the interest of (oxodioxolyl)methyl esters as prodrugs with improved oral bioavailability and efficacy in laboratory animals [79], Olmesartan, another angiotensin II receptor antagonist, has also been derivatized to a (5-methyl-2-oxo-l,3-dioxol-4-yl)methyl carboxylate designated as olmesartan medoxomil [80], In this case, both human serum albumin and arylesterase (presumably EC 3.1.1.2, although paraoxonase cannot be excluded) were shown to be involved in hydrolysis. 

N. M. Nielsen, H. Bundgaard, Prodrugs as Drug Delivery Systems. 68. Chemical and Plasma-Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Various Esters of Benzoic Acid A Reference System for Designing Prodrug Esters of Carboxylic Acid Agents , Int. J. Pharm. 1987, 39, 75-85. 

Pivaloyloxymethyl (Pom) esters are useful as prodrugs of penicillin and other 0-lactam antibiotics owing to their easy hydrolysis in vivo by ubiquitous non-specific esterases. Mascaretti and co-workers showed that Pom esters can also by cleaved under mild conditions with 2 equivalents of bis(tri-/i-butyltin)oxide as shown in Scheme 6.32. The intermediate tributylstannyl esters are readily hydrolysed on treatment with water to release the carboxylic acid. Functional groups such as aldehydes, thioacetals, amides, vinyl bromides, and nitro compounds are compatible.22... 

ADME parameters. Sufficient solubility in aqueous medium for absorption and blood transport has to be combined with sufficient lipophilicity for passage through cell membranes. If an active compound is too hydrophilic and at the same time contains a carboxylic acid group, for instance, conversion to a simple ester will facilitate absorption. Once in the blood, unspecific esterases will catalyse hydrolysis to the active carboxylic acid form. Such an ester is an instance of a prodrug. 

The concept, also called distal hydrolysis or the double prodrug concept, is illustrated by the use of 2-acyloxymethylbenzoic acids as amine protective functions, providing amides with the lability of esters (Figure 36.18a) and by the use of substituted vinyl esters [= (2-oxo-l,3-dioxol-yl)methyl esters] as lipophilic cascade carriers for carboxylic acid-containing drugs such as ampicillin or a-methyldopa or various cephalosporins (Figure 36.18b). 

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