Reactive & Functional Polymers, Vol.37, No.1, 235-244, 1998
Design of macromolecular prodrug of 5-fluorouracil using N-acetylpolygalactosamine as a targeting carrier to hepatoma
alpha-1,4-Polygalactosamine (PGA) purified from the culture fluid of Paecilomyces sp. I-1 strain and N-acetylated alpha-1,4-polygalactosamine (NAPGA) are chitosan- and chitin-like biodegradable, compatible alpha-1,,4-linked polysaccharides, respectively. Partially N-acetylated PGA was found to show the stronger binding activity onto MH134Y hepatoma cells than three kinds of normal lymphocytes, bone marrow, T and B cells from the results of binding assay of C-14-50% N-acetylated PGA in vitro. Since PGA and NAPGA have the unreducing end groups of galactosamine and N-acetyl galactosamine, respectively, they were suggested to exhibit the receptor-mediated affinities to hepatoma cells. In order to provide the lysosomotropic macromolecular prodrug of fluorouracil (5FU) having a targeting ability to hepatoma, we synthesized water-soluble 6-O-carboxymethyl-NAPGA-immobilized 5FUs through Gly-Phe-Leu-Gly, monomethylene spacer groups. The obtained conjugate showed the cathepsin-B-susceptible release behavior of 5FU and then exhibited the stronger cytotoxic activity than free 5FU against HLE hepatoma cells in vitro.
Keywords:N-(2-HYDROXYPROPYL)METHACRYLAMIDE COPOLYMERS;ANTITUMOR-ACTIVITY;ALPHA-1;4-POLYGALACTOSAMINE;DAUNOMYCIN;INVIVO;BONDS