Tetradecylmaltoside (TDM) enhances in vitro and in vivo intestinal absorption of enoxaparin, a low molecular weight heparin.

Tetradecylmaltoside (TDM) was evaluated as a potential gastrointestinal absorption enhancer for low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), enoxaparin. The in vitro efficacy of TDM (0.0625, 0.125 and 0.25% w/v) in enhancing transport of 3H-enoxaparin or 14C-mannitol was investigated in human colonic epithelial cells (C2BBel). Metabolic stability of the drug was determined in C2BBel cell extracts. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured before and after exposure of the cells to TDM. Enoxaparin was further administered to anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats in oral formulations in the absence or presence of increasing concentrations of TDM and drug absorption was monitored by measuring anti-factor Xa activity in rat blood. In vitro permeability study shows that apparent permeability (Papp) of 3H-enoxaparin across C2BBe1 cells was increased by 8-fold in the presence of 0.0625% TDM compared to untreated cells. The movement of 14C-mannitol across the cell monolayer followed a similar pattern in the presence of increasing concentrations of TDM. No degradation or depolymerization of enoxaparin was observed when the drug was incubated in C2BBel cell extract. TEER was reversible after 60 min exposure of the cells to 0.0625% (w/v) TDM. Oral formulations of enoxaparin containing TDM administered to anesthetized rats significantly and rapidly increased gastrointestinal absorption as compared to those animals which received enoxaparin plus saline (p < 0.05). In the presence of 0.125% TDM in the formulation, enoxaparin oral bioavailability was increased by 2.5-fold compared to the saline control group. Overall, the data on the effect of TDM on the in vitro and in vivo intestinal permeation of enoxaparin suggest that TDM may represent a promising excipient for use in oral LMWH formulations.