The biologic fate of the [(3)H]PEG-moiety incorporated into N8-GP was evaluated based on single i.v. bolus doses to rats. Furthermore, the 40kDa [(3)H]PEG-moiety was given separately to rats by single i.v. bolus doses, to investigate if the pharmacokinetics were dose-dependent. For both compounds, plasma pharmacokinetics, distribution and excretion pathways were investigated, based on total radioactivity measurements ([(3)H]N8-GP: 0.17-4.1mg/kg;~1300-30,000U/kg, PEG load of ~0.03-0.7mg/kg); ([(3)H]PEG: 0.6, 1, 12, 100 and 200mg/kg). The plasma concentration of the intact N8-GP conjugate was also measured by ELISA. After single i.v. administration to rats, both [(3)H]N8-GP and [(3)H]PEG were shown to be widely distributed, mainly in highly vascularized tissues, with the lowest levels of radioactivity found in the CNS. Though a slow elimination of radioactivity was observed over the 12-week study period, approximately half of the radioactive dose of either compound was removed from the body 1week post-dose. The radioactivity was eliminated mainly via the kidney into urine but also via the liver into feces, with a larger fraction found in the feces for [(3)H]N8-GP. Elimination of the 40kDa PEG-moiety was shown to be dose-dependent with faster elimination at lower dose levels. The clinical dose of N8-GP provides a substantially lower PEG exposure (50-75U/kg; PEG load of <0.002mg/kg) when compared to the PEG doses investigated in this paper (0.03-200mg/kg). This may imply an even faster clearance of the PEG-moiety after N8-GP administration of clinically relevant doses.
Two methods for the site-selective modification of native human growth hormone (hGH) using microbial transglutaminase were developed. In the first method, 1,3-bisaminoxypropane was attached to hGH, providing a direct incorporation of reactive aminoxy groups for further modification. The reaction was shown to be selective for Gln(141), with minor modification at Gln(40). In the second method, modified glutamine substrates were developed for attachment to Lys(145) in hGH. A series of glutamine-substrates were screened, and it was shown that microbial transglutaminase was selective towards substitutions on the glutamine core structure. Products from both methods could be transformed to site selectively mono-PEGylated hGH-derivatives in good isolated yield.
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