Tyrosinamide residues enhance pinocytic capture of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymers

N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide ( HPMA ) copolymers have been proposed as a potential lysosomotropic drug delivery system. HPMA copolymers bearing tyrosinamide residues, bound either directly to the polymer backbone or via a glycylglycine spacer, were radiolabelled with [125I]iodide and the effect of tyrosinamide content on their rate of pinocytic uptake by rat visceral yolk sacs cultured in vitro was measured. Incorporation of tyrosinamide enhanced uptake of the copolymer, most markedly at substitutions above 10 mol%. 2,4-Dinitrophenol, an inhibitor of pinocytosis, was used to confirm that tissue association of 125I-radiolabelled copolymer was due to pinocytic uptake. The side-chain -Gly-Gly-Tyr-NH2 was degraded following the internalization of copolymers containing this spacer and degradation was partially sensitive to the lysosomal thiol-proteinase inhibitor leupeptin. It is postulated that the effect of tyrosinamide residues is to increase the hydrophobicity of poly( HPMA ) and thus to increase its capacity for nonspecific adsorptive pinocytosis.