Quantitative In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Intestinal and Blood-Brain Barrier Transport Kinetics of the Plant N-Alkylamide Pellitorine

Abstract EN

Objective.

To evaluate the gut mucosa and blood-brain barrier (BBB) pharmacokinetic permeability properties of the plant N-alkylamide pellitorine.

Methods.

Pure pellitorine and an Anacyclus pyrethrum extract were used to investigate the permeation of pellitorine through (1) a Caco-2 cell monolayer, (2) the rat gut after oral administration, and (3) the BBB in mice after intravenous and intracerebroventricular administration.

A validated bioanalytical UPLC-MS2 method was used to quantify pellitorine.

Results.

Pellitorine was able to cross the Caco-2 cell monolayer from the apical-to-basolateral and from the basolateral-to-apical side with apparent permeability coefficients between 0.6 · 10 - 5 and 4.8 · 10 - 5 cm/h and between 0.3 · 10 - 5 and 5.8 · 10 - 5 cm/h, respectively.

In rats, a serum elimination rate constant of 0.3 h−1 was obtained.

Intravenous injection of pellitorine in mice resulted in a rapid and high permeation of pellitorine through the BBB with a unidirectional influx rate constant of 153 μL/(g·min).

In particular, 97% of pellitorine reached the brain tissue, while only 3% remained in the brain capillaries.

An efflux transfer constant of 0.05 min−1 was obtained.

Conclusion.

Pellitorine shows a good gut permeation and rapidly permeates the BBB once in the blood, indicating a possible role in the treatment of central nervous system diseases.