TY - JOUR T1 - Squalenoylation Favorably Modifies the in Vivo Pharmacokinetics and Biodistribution of Gemcitabine in Mice JF - Drug Metabolism and Disposition JO - Drug Metab Dispos SP - 1570 LP - 1577 DO - 10.1124/dmd.108.020735 VL - 36 IS - 8 AU - L. Harivardhan Reddy AU - Hania Khoury AU - Angelo Paci AU - Alain Deroussent AU - Humberto Ferreira AU - Catherine Dubernet AU - Xavier Declèves AU - Madeleine Besnard AU - Helène Chacun AU - Sinda Lepêtre-Mouelhi AU - Didier Desmaële AU - Bernard Rousseau AU - Christelle Laugier AU - Jean-Christophe Cintrat AU - Gilles Vassal AU - Patrick Couvreur Y1 - 2008/08/01 UR - http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/36/8/1570.abstract N2 - Gemcitabine (2′,2′-difluorodeoxyribofuranosylcytosine; dFdC) is an anticancer nucleoside analog active against wide variety of solid tumors. However, this compound is rapidly inactivated by enzymatic deamination and can also induce drug resistance. To overcome the above drawbacks, we recently designed a new squalenoyl nanomedicine of dFdC [4-(N)-trisnorsqualenoyl-gemcitabine (SQdFdC)] by covalently coupling gemcitabine with the 1,1′,2-trisnorsqualenic acid; the resultant nanomedicine displayed impressively greater anticancer activity compared with the parent drug in an experimental murine model. In the present study, we report that SQdFdC nanoassemblies triggered controlled and prolonged release of dFdC and displayed considerably greater t1/2 (∼3.9-fold), mean residence time (∼7.5-fold) compared with the dFdC administered as a free drug in mice. It was also observed that the linkage of gemcitabine to the 1,1′,2-trisnorsqualenic acid noticeably delayed the metabolism of dFdC into its inactive difluorodeoxyuridine (dFdU) metabolite, compared with dFdC. Additionally, the elimination of SQdFdC nanoassemblies was considerably lower compared with free dFdC, as indicated by lower radioactivity found in urine and kidneys, in accordance with the plasmatic concentrations of dFdU. SQdFdC nanoassemblies also underwent considerably higher distribution to the organs of the reticuloendothelial system, such as spleen and liver (p < 0.05), both after single- or multiple-dose administration schedule. Herein, this paper brings comprehensive pharmacokinetic and biodistribution insights that may explain the previously observed greater efficacy of SQdFdC nanoassemblies against experimental leukemia. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics ER -