Control of pharmaceutical properties of soybean trypsin inhibitor by conjugation with dextran. II: Biopharmaceutical and pharmacological properties.

Biopharmaceutical and pharmacological properties of the Kunitz-type soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI)-dextran conjugate (STI-D) were studied. Dextran having a molecular weight of approximately 10,000 was covalently attached to the STI molecule by periodate oxidation. The STI-polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugate (STI-PEG) was also tested for comparison. After iv injection to mice, native STI showed rapid elimination of activity from plasma (t 1/2 = 2 min), and approximately 60% of the dose was excreted in urine within 1 h after injection. On the other hand, STI-D was slowly cleared from plasma and its urinary excretion was restricted. The STI-PEG conjugate showed a pharmacokinetic behavior similar to that of STI-D. Pharmacological activities of native and modified STI were evaluated by two animal experimental models; that is, trypsin-induced shock in mice and acute pancreatitis in rats. In mice, shock induced by iv injection of trypsin was inhibited by the iv pretreatment with native STI, but the effect was observed for only 1 h. The STI-D conjugate showed a superior inhibitory effect on trypsin-induced shock to that of STI alone at the same dose, and this effect continued for 5 h. A similar effect was also observed in mice given an iv injection of STI-PEG. In rats with acute pancreatitis, no significant therapeutic effect was shown by the iv treatment with native STI, as well as saline treatment. On the other hand, the iv treatment with STI-D at the same dose as STI lowered the mortality of the rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)