Effect of protease inhibitors on pulmonary bioavailability of therapeutic proteins and peptides in the rat.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of protease inhibitors on the pulmonary absorption of therapeutic peptides and proteins with varying molecular weights. Dry powder formulations of leuprolide (1.2 kD), salmon calcitonin (3.4 kD), human insulin (5.8 kD), human leptin (16.0 kD), and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) (36.5 kD) were prepared with or without protease inhibitors; aprotinin and bestatin. The formulations were administered intrapulmonary to anesthetized rats. The pharmacokinetics of these proteins were assessed by measuring serum drug concentrations. In addition, in vitro stability of these proteins in rat lung homogenate was assessed using the trifluoroacetic acid method. Bioavailability of leuprolide following pulmonary administration was 75% higher compared to subcutaneously administered leuprolide. Protease inhibitors had little or no effect on the pulmonary bioavailability of leuprolide. However, protease inhibitors (1 mg/kg) increased the bioavailability of calcitonin by more than 50%. Similarly, the bioavailabilities of leptin and HCG in the presence of bestatin were increased by 1.9 and 2.1-fold, respectively. Leuprolide was stable both in the lung cytosol and subcellular pellets with about 10% degradation at the end of the study period (4h). In contrast, calcitonin, insulin, leptin and HCG were significantly degraded in the lung cytosol and subcellular pellets. Presence of protease inhibitors in formulation could improve the stability of protein drugs. The results of this study demonstrate that the pulmonary absorption of proteins may be enhanced by the selection of optimal concentration and type of protease inhibitor.