Enhancement of specific biological activity of dipyridamole by complexation with beta-cyclodextrin.

Dipyridamole forms an inclusion complex with beta-cyclodextrin (dip-beta-CD) which shows better solubility and bioavailability than the uncomplexed compound. The present studies have demonstrated that dip-beta-CD is more effective than dipyridamole either as base or HCl (dispersed or not in lactose) on some important cardiovascular parameters when orally administered to conscious animals. In particular, dip-beta-CD causes a stronger and prompter coronary and carotid vasodilatation in dogs, at doses which weakly influence the systemic arterial pressure and the heart rate. In addition, platelets collected from treated rabbits at various intervals appear to be protected from sodium adenosine diphosphate-induced aggregation in vitro more effectively and rapidly by dip-beta-CD than by dipyridamole. Studies on tail bleeding time have confirmed that dip-beta-CD is more active than dipyridamole when given orally to mice. These biological findings are fully in agreement with other oral bioavailability studies in dogs and men indicating that dip-beta-CD gives quicker and higher blood levels with smaller interindividual variability than dipyridamole.