Developing accurate models of the human airways

Objectives Particle delivery to the airways is an attractive prospect for many potential therapeutics, including vaccines. Developing strategies for inhalation of particles provides a targeted, controlled and non-invasive delivery route but, as with all novel therapeutics, in vitro and in vivo testing are needed prior to clinical use. Whilst advanced vaccine testing demands the use of animal models to address safety issues, the production of robust in vitro cellular models would take account of the ethical framework known as the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of animal use), by permitting initial screening of potential candidates prior to animal use. There is thus a need for relevant, realistic in vitro models of the human airways. Key findings Our laboratory has designed and characterised a multi-cellular model of human airways that takes account of the conditions in the airways and recapitulates many salient features, including the epithelial barrier and mucus secretion. Summary Our human pulmonary models recreate many of the obstacles to successful pulmonary delivery of particles and therefore represent a valid test platform for screening compounds and delivery systems

Preparation of some substituted imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives

2-Bromopyridine derivatives 2a-2c were prepared. Compounds 2b and 2c and ammonia yielded aminopyridines 3b and 3c which were converted to imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives 4b and 4c. Compound 4b was nitrated giving the analogue 5b of metronidazole 1

Does solute stereochemistry influence percutaneous penetration?

The stratum corneum, the rate-limiting barrier to percutaneous penetration, is made up of several components, principally keratin and ceramides. These are potential sources of chiral discrimination that could result in differential diffusion rates, dependent upon the stereochemistry of the solute. Although binding to keratin can occur it is not a stereoselective process [percent binding to solubilised epidermal keratin: (R)-propranolol 7.9 +/- 1.7, (S)-propranolol 8.3 +/- 2.0]. On the other hand, studies with ceramide monolayers produced qualitative evidence of dose-dependent stereoselective interaction when the pure diastereomers of ephedrine were present in the aqueous subphase which suggested that differences in diffusion rates might occur in skin. However, the differences in permeation rates in vitro for these diastereomers through human skin were not statistically different [(+)-(1S,2R)-ephedrine 119.1 +/- 2.6 micrograms/cm2, (-)-(1R,2S)-ephedrine 107.0 +/- 3.9 micrograms/cm2, 12 h]. Time averaging, involving contributions from binding to all lipid headgroups present in the intercellular channels, may obscure specific differential interactions. Further, any stereospecific interaction may be subtle and readily overwhelmed if diffusant concentration is greater than the capacity of the skin to differentiate between stereoisomers. Evidence for intrinsic stereoselectivity in skin permeation has therefore yet to be obtained

Prediction of cathodal iontophoretic transport of various anions across excised skin from different vehicles using conductivity measurements

Solute concentration, buffer concentration, applied pH and buffer constituents affect the cathodal iontophoresis of salicylate, benzoate and butyrate across excised skin. Experiments were conducted in which the iontophoretic flux of salicylate was measured across excised human skin with variations in salicylate concentration, donor solution pH, buffer concentrations and buffer consitutents. The conductivity of these solutes and of solutions described in studies on the iontophoresis of benzoate and butyrate were then measured