Synthesis of esters of phosphonoformic acid and their antiherpes activity

Aliphatic and aromatic mono-, di-, and triesters of phosphonoformic acid (foscarnet) were synthesized. The triesters were prepared by the Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction and were hydrolyzed to di- and monoesters. The compounds were tested for antiviral activity on isolated herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) DNA polymerase, in a HSV-1 plaque reduction assay, and on a cutaneous HSV-1 infection in guinea pigs. None of the esters inhibited the activity of isolated HSV-1 polymerases. Monoesters with a free carboxylic group and diesters with an aromatic carboxylic ester function were active against the cutaneous herpes infection. Mono- and diesters with an aromatic phosphonic ester group also showed activity in the plaque-reduction assay. However, mono- and diesters with an aromatic phosphonic ester group also showed activity in the plaque-reduction assay. However, mono- and diesters with aliphatic carboxylic ester groups were inactive in all test systems. The results show that all three acidic groups of phosphonoformic acid must be free in order to get antiviral activity at the enzyme level. However, certain esters of this acid may be biotransformed to the acid itself to give antiherpes activity.     

Antiviral activity of triazine analogues of 1-(S)-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]cytosine (cidofovir) and related compounds

Treatment of 5-azacytosine sodium salt with diisopropyl [(2-chloroethoxy)methyl]phosphonate followed by removal of ester groups with BrSi(CH3)3 afforded 1-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]-5-azacytosine (3). Reaction of 5-azacytosine with [(trityloxy)methyl]-(2S)-oxirane followed by etherification with diisopropyl (bromomethyl)phosphonate and removal of ester groups gave 1-(S)-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]-5-azacytosine (1). The synthesis of 6-azacytosine congener 2 was analogous using N4-benzoylated intermediates. Compound 1 was shown to exert strong activity against a broad spectrum of DNA viruses including adenoviruses, poxviruses, and herpesviruses (i.e., herpes simplex viruses, varicella zoster virus, and human cytomegalovirus). Decomposition of 1 in alkaline solutions resulted in products 17 and 18. While the N-formylguanidine derivative 17 proved active, the carbamyolguanidine derivative 18 was devoid of antiviral activity.     

Structure-antiviral activity relationship in the series of pyrimidine and purine N-[2-(2-phosphonomethoxy)ethyl] nucleotide analogues. 1. Derivatives substituted at the carbon atoms of the base.

A series of dialkyl esters of purine and pyrimidine N-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl] derivatives substituted at position 2, 6, or 8 of the purine base or position 2, 4, or 5 of the pyrimidine base were prepared by alkylation of the appropriate heterocyclic base with 2-chloroethoxymethylphosphonate diester in the presence of sodium hydride, cesium carbonate, or 1,8-diazabicyclo[5,4, 0]undec-7-ene (DBU) in dimethylformamide. Additional derivatives were obtained by the transformations of the bases in the suitably modified intermediates bearing reactive functions at the base moiety. The diesters were converted to the corresponding monoesters by sodium azide treatment, while the free acids were obtained from the diester by successive treatment with bromotrimethylsilane and hydrolysis. None of the PME derivatives in the pyrimidine series, their 6-aza or 3-deaza analogues, exhibited any activity against DNA viruses or retroviruses tested, except for the 5-bromocytosine derivative. Substitution of the adenine ring in PMEA at position 2 by Cl, F, or OH group decreased the activity against all DNA viruses tested. PMEDAP was highly active against HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV in the concentration range (EC50) of 0.07-2 microg/mL. Also the 2-amino-6-chloropurine derivative was strongly active (EC50 = 0.1-0. 4 microg/mL) against herpes simplex viruses and (EC50 = 0.006-0.3 microg/mL) against CMV and VZV. PMEG was the most active compound of the whole series against DNA viruses (EC50 approximately 0.01-0.02 microg/mL), though it exhibited significant toxicity against the host cells. The base-modified compounds did not show any appreciable activity against DNA viruses except for 7-deazaPMEA (IC50 approximately 7.5 microg/mL) against HIV-1 and MSV. The neutral (diisopropyl, diisooctyl) diesters of PMEA were active against CMV and VZV, while the corresponding monoesters were inactive. The diisopropyl ester of the 2-chloroadenine analogue of PMEA showed substantially (10-100x) higher activity against CMV and VZV than the parent phosphonate. Also, the diisopropyl and diisooctyl ester of PMEDAP inhibited CMV and VZV, but esterification of the phosphonate residue did not improve the activity against either MSV or HIV.     

Synthesis of 3'- and 5'-nitrooxy pyrimidine nucleoside nitrate esters: "nitric oxide donor" agents for evaluation as anticancer and antiviral agents

A group of 3'-O-nitro-2'-deoxyuridines, 3'-O-nitro-2'-deoxycytidines, and 5'-O-nitro-2'-deoxyuridines possessing a variety of substituents (H, Me, F, I) at the C-5 position were synthesized for evaluation as anticancer/antiviral agents that have the ability to concomitantly release cytotoxic nitric oxide (*NO). Although these compounds generally released a greater percent of *NO than the reference drug isosorbide dinitrate upon incubation in the presence of l-cysteine, or serum, their cytotoxicity (CC(50) = 10(-3) to 10(-6) M range) was comparable to 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine, but weaker than 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine, against a variety of cancer cell lines. No differences in cytotoxicity against nontransfected (KBALB, 143B), and the corresponding transfected (KBALB-STK, 143B-LTK) cancer cell lines possessing the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) thymidine kinase gene (TK(+)) were observed, indicating that expression of the viral TK enzyme did not provide a gene therapeutic effect. These nitrate esters were inactive antiviral agents except for 5-iodo-3'-O-nitro-2'-deoxyuridine that showed modest activity against HSV-1, HSV-2, and vaccinia virus.     

Synthesis and antiviral activity of 5-heteroaryl-substituted 2'-deoxyuridines

The synthesis of 5-heteroaryl-substituted 2'-deoxyuridines is described. The heteroaromatics were obtained from three different 5-substituted 2'-deoxyuridines. Cycloaddition reaction of nitrile oxides on the 5-ethynyl derivative 1 gave the isoxazoles 4a-e. The thiazole derivatives 14a-c were obtained from the 5-thiocarboxamide 11, while 5-pyrrol-1-yl-2'-deoxyuridine (17) could be synthesized directly from 5-amino-2'-deoxyuridine. The compounds were evaluated for antiviral activity. Selective activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) was noted for 5-(3-bromoisoxazol-5-yl)-2'-deoxyuridine (4c). The compound was inactive against herpes simplex virus type 2, cytomegalovirus, and thymidine kinase (TK)-deficient mutants of HSV-1 and VZV, which indicates that, most likely, its antiviral activity depends on phosphorylation by the virus-specified TK.     

Antimalarial activity of new water-soluble dihydroartemisinin derivatives. 2. Stereospecificity of the ether side chain

A new series of hydrolytically stable and water-soluble dihydroartemisinin derivatives with optically active side chains was prepared as potential antimalarial agents. This was an effort to prepare compounds with activity superior to that of artelinic acid and to examine the impact of the stereospecificity of the introduced alkyl side chain on biological properties. The ester derivatives (6a-d) possess superior in vitro activity to artemisinin, artemether, and arteether against two strains of Plasmodium falciparum (D-6 and W-2); however, conversion of the esters to their corresponding acids drastically reduces their antimalarial activity. None of the new acids possess in vitro antimalarial activity superior to that of artelinic acid. Although there appears to be limited stereospecificity for antimalarial activity among the acids (7a-d) tested, significant differences in antimalarial activity was seen among the esters.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of butanoate, retinoate, and bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)phosphate derivatives of 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine and 2',5-difluoro-2'-deoxyuridine as potential dual action anticancer prodrugs.

A group of 3'-O-butanoyl, 5'-O-butanoyl, and 3',5'-di-O-butanoyl esters of 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FDU), and 2',5-difluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (DFDU), 3'-O-retinoyl, and 3',5'-di-O-retinoyl esters of FDU, and 5'-O-bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)phosphoryl-FDU and its 3'-O-butanoyl ester, was synthesized. These compounds were designed to act as double prodrugs that would serve as a depot to release two active drugs that act through different mechanisms. Thus, a nucleotide derivative of FDU or DFDU could act as a competitive inhibitor for thymidylate synthase, whereas retinoic acid and butyric acid would be expected to induce cell differentiation. The in vitro anticancer activities for these prodrugs were determined against a panel of nine tumor types (leukemia, non-small cell lung, colon, CNS, melanoma, ovarian, renal, prostate, breast) that encompassed about 60 human tumor cell lines. Structure-activity relationships indicate that O-butanoyl esters of FDU are approximately equipotent to FDU, the O-butanoyl esters of DFDU are less active than FDU, and the retinoyl and bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)phosphate derivatives of FDU exhibit comparable activity to FDU. In addition to their cytotoxic effect, 3'-O-retinoyl-FDU (12) and 3'-O-butanoyl-5'-O-bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)phosphoryl-FD U (16) also induced in vitro cell differentiation of promyelocytic leukemia HL60 cells. These combined cytotoxic and cell differentiation effects exhibited by 12 and 16 produced greater morphological drug-induced granulation and neutrophil vacuolation, and more cell apoptosis, than observed upon exposure to either retinoic acid or sodium butanoate. Dose-escalation studies in mice showed that 12 or 16 did not induce any acute or chronic toxicity, change in plasma clinical chemistry parameters, or gross histapathological changes at 60 days following an initial dosage regimen of 0.013 mmol/kg i.p. for 7-consecutive days. The in vivo growth delay response of murine mammary EMT6 solid tumors suggests that 3'-O-retinoyl-FDU (12) delays tumor growth relative to the other prodrugs investigated, sodium butyrate, retinoic acid, FDU, or a combination of retinoic acid and FDU. These preliminary results suggest that 3'-O-retinoyl-FDU (12) warrants further in vivo investigation to determine its tissue biodistribution and pharmacokinetic parameters that would be of value in assessing its potential usefulness as an anticancer prodrug.     

Side chain modified 5-deazafolate and 5-deazatetrahydrofolate analogues as mammalian folylpolyglutamate synthetase and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase inhibitors: synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation.

5-Deazafolate and 5-deazatetrahydrofolate (DATHF) analogues with the glutamic acid side chain replaced by homocysteic acid (HCysA), 2-amino-4-phosphonobutanoic acid (APBA), and ornithine (Orn) were synthesized as part of a larger program directed toward inhibitors of folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) as probes of the FPGS active site and as potential therapeutic agents. The tetrahydro compounds were also of interest as non-polyglutamatable inhibitors of the purine biosynthetic enzyme glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT). Reductive coupling of N2-acetamido-6-formylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one with 4-aminobenzoic acid, followed by N10-formylation, mixed anhydride condensation of the resultant N2-acetyl-N10-formyl-5- deazapteroic acid with L-homocysteic acid, and removal of the N2-acetyl and N10-formyl groups with NaOH, afforded N-(5-deazapteroyl)-L-homocysteic acid (5-dPteHCysA). Mixed anhydride condensation of N2-acetyl-N10-formyl- 5-deazapteroic acid with methyl D,L-2-amino-4-(diethoxyphosphinyl)butanoic acid, followed by consecutive treatment with Me3SiBr and NaOH, yielded D,L-2-[(5-deazapteroyl)amino]-4-phosphonobutanoic acid (5-dPteAPBA). Treatment with NaOH alone led to retention of one ethyl ester group on the phosphonate moiety. Catalytic hydrogenation of N2-acetyl-N10-formyl-5-deazapteroic acid followed by mixed anhydride condensation with methyl L-homocysteate and deprotection with NaOH afforded N-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5-deazapteroyl)-L-homocysteic acid (5-dH4PteHCysA). Similar chemistry starting from methyl D,L-2-amino-4-(diethoxyphosphinyl)butanoic acid and methyl N delta-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-L-ornithinate yielded D,L-2-[(5-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteroyl)amino]-4-phosphonobut ano ic acid (5-dH4Pte-APBA) and N alpha-(5-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteroyl)-L-ornithine (5-dH4PteOrn), respectively. The 5-deazafolate analogues were inhibitors of mouse liver FPGS, and the DATHF analogues inhibited both mouse FPGS and mouse leukemic cell GARFT. Analogues with HCysA and monoethyl APBA side chains were less active as FPGS inhibitors than those containing an unesterified gamma-PO(OH)2 group, and their interaction with the enzyme was noncompetitive against variable folyl substrate. In contrast, Orn and APBA analogues obeyed competitive inhibition kinetics and were more potent, with Ki values as low as 30 nM. Comparison of the DATHF analogues as GARFT inhibitors indicated that the Orn side chain diminished activity relative to DATHF, but that the compounds with gamma-sulfonate or gamma-phosphonate substitution retained activity, with Ki values in the submicromolar range. The best GARFT inhibitor was the 5-dH4PteAPBA diastereomer mixture, with a Ki of 47 nM versus 65 nM for DATHF. None of the compounds showed activity against cultured WI-L2 or CEM human leukemic lymphoblasts at concentrations of up to 100 microM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

New alpha-amino phosphonic acid derivatives of vinblastine: chemistry and antitumor activity

A series of new amino phosphonic acid derivatives of vinblastine (1, VLB) has been synthesized and tested in vitro and in vivo for antitumor activity. The compounds were obtained from O4-deacetyl-VLB azide. All of the new products studied were capable of inhibiting tubulin polymerization in vitro. The most potent antitumor compounds bore an alkyl substituent on the phosphonate. In these compounds, the anti-tumor activity strongly depended on the stereochemistry of the phosphonate. The phosphonate (1S)-[1-[( O4-deacetyl-3-de(methoxycarbonyl)vincaleukoblastin-3-yl] carbonyl]amino]-2-methylpropyl]phosphonic acid diethyl ester exhibited a remarkable activity against cancer cell lines both in vitro and in vivo.     

Antimalarial activity of new water-soluble dihydroartemisinin derivatives

The usefulness of sodium artesunate (3), a water-soluble derivative of artemisinin (1), is impaired by its poor stability in aqueous solution. To overcome the ease of hydrolysis of the ester group in 3, a new series of derivatives of dihydroartemisinin (2) was prepared in which the solubilizing moiety, which contains a carboxylate group, is joined to dihydroartemisinin by an ether rather than an ester linkage. The new derivatives were prepared in good yield by treatment of dihydroartemisinin with an appropriate alcohol under boron trifluoride etherate catalysis at room temperature. All major condensation products are the beta isomer. Hydrolysis of the esters with 2.5% KOH/MeOH gave the corresponding potassium salts, which were converted to free acids (8b-d) by acidification. The derivatives were tested in vitro against two clones of human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum D-6 (Sierra Leone clone) and W-2 (Indochina clone). No cross-resistance to the antimalarial agents mefloquine, chloroquine, pyrimethamine, sulfadoxine, and quinine was observed. In general, the new compounds are more effective against the W-2 than the D-6 strain. Esters (5a-d) possess activity comparable to that of the parent compounds 1 and 2; however, conversion of the esters to their corresponding carboxylates (7a-d) or acids (8b-d), with the exception of artelinic acid (8d), drastically decreases the antimalarial activities in both cell lines. Artelinic acid, which is both soluble and stable in 2.5% K2CO3 solution, possesses superior in vivo activity against Plasmodium berghei than artemisinin or artesunic acid.     

Synthesis and antiviral properties of (Z)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine

(Z)-5-(2-Bromovinyl)uracil was obtained by photoisomerization of the E. isomer. Similarly, (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine gave the required Z isomer. (Z)-5-(2-Bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine is much less active against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and somewhat less active against herpes simplex virus type 2 than is the E isomer. Both isomers show similar activity against vaccinia virus. Therefore, the highly potent and selective activity of (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine against HSV-1 is due to its E configuration.     

Synthesis and antiherpes virus activity of phosphate and phosphonate derivatives of 9-[(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl]guanine

A series of phosphate esters of 9-[(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl]guanine (DHPG, 1) were synthesized and evaluated for antiherpes virus activity. The cyclic phosphate esters were made by a new, efficient method utilizing stannic chloride as a solubilizing agent. Monophosphate 2 and bisphosphate 4 showed comparable activity to DHPG and probably acted as prodrugs of DHPG. On the other hand, the cyclic phosphate of DHPG 3 was taken up by cells and bypassed the virus-specified thymidine kinase. As a result, 3 was active against DHPG-resistant HSV mutants that lacked the viral-specified thymidine kinase and was more toxic than DHPG to uninfected cells. The phosphonate 5, the least toxic of the derivatives tested, was only marginally active against HSV but showed substantial activity against human cytomegalovirus in vitro.     

Antitumor and antiinflammatory agents: N-benzoyl-protected cyanomethyl esters of amino acids.

A series of N-protected cyanomethyl esters of various amino acids was synthesized and tested for antineoplastic and antiinflammatory activity in rodents. Utilizing the L-phenylalanine cyanomethyl ester and varying the N-protecting moiety demonstrated that the N-tosyl and the N-Cbz analogues were the most active against Ehrlich ascites cell proliferation. The N-(carbobenzyloxy)- and N-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine cyanomethyl esters were the most active against carrageenan-induced inflammation. In the N-benzoyl series of cyanomethyl esters, L-alanine, DL-valine, and L-leucine amino acid analogues were the most active against Ehrlich ascites cell proliferation. The glycine and L-alanine analogues possessed the best inhibitor activity in the antiinflammatory screen. The cyanomethyl esters also demonstrated immunosuppressive activity and the ability to suppress the writhing reflex which is associated with inflammatory pain. However, no antipyretic or narcotic analgesic activity was demonstrated by these agents.     

Synthesis and anti-tumor activity of alkenyl camptothecin esters

Aim: To study the degrees of influence of changing side ester chains at position C20 of camptothecin on the anti-tumor activity of the molecules. Methods: The esterification reaction of camptothecin 1 and 9-nitrocamptothecin 2 with crotonic anhydride in pyridine gave the corresponding esters 3 and 4, respectively. The acylation of I and 2 with cinnamoyl chloride gave products 7 and 8. Epoxidation reaction of 3 and 4 with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid in benzene solvent gave the products 5 and 6. Esters 3, 4, and 5 were tested for anti-tumor activity against 14 human cancer cell lines. Results: Both in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity studies for these esters were conducted and the data demonstrated positive results, that is, these esters were active against the tested tumor lines. Conclusion: Alkenyl esters 3 and 4 showed strong anti-tumor activity in vitro against 14 different cancer cell lines. Ester 3 was active against human breast carcinoma in mice and the toxicity of the agent was not observed in mice during the treatment, implying that this agent is effective for treatment with low toxicity.     

Thymidylate synthetase inhibitors. Synthesis of N-substituted 5-aminomethyl-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-phosphates.

A series of substituted 5-aminomethyl-2'-deoxyuridines was synthesized as analogues of 5-thymidylyltetrahydrofolic acid, a proposed intermediate in the thymidylate synthetase catalyzed reaction. 1-(3,5-Di-O-p-toluoyl-2-deoxy-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-5-chloromethyluracil (3) was treated with the appropriate amine to give the ester protected 5-aminomethyl nucleoside. Removal of the ester groups was accomplished with anhydrous potassium carbonate in methanol to afford the free beta-nucleoside. In this way 5-(2-dimethylaminoethylaminomethyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (5a), 5-dimethylaminomethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (5b), 5-N-mehtylpiperazinylmethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (5c), and 5-pyrrolidinylmethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (5d) were prepared. Compounds 5a,b,d were converted to the respective 5'-phosphates 6a,b,d. All three compounds were subtrate competitive inhibitors of thymidylate synthetase purified from Escherichia coli, calf thymus, and Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. The most active compound was 6a with KI's of 6,3.1, and 14 micronM observed for the respective enzymes.     

Synthesis and reactions of some new substituted pyridine and pyrimidine derivatives as analgesic, anticonvulsant and antiparkinsonian agents

A series of substituted pyridine and pyrimidine derivatives were synthesized as analgesic, anti convulsant, and antiparkinsonian agents by using compounds 1, 2, and 9 as starting materials. Pyr idino-imide derivative 3 was prepared by condensation of 1 with tetrachlorophthalic anhydride and compounds 4 and 5 were also obtained by reaction of compound 1 with 1,2,4,5-benzene-tetra carboxylic dianhydride and 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride, respectively. Similarly, compound 2 was reacted with previous anhydrides to afford the corresponding imide 6 and bis-imide derivatives 7 and 8, respectively. Bis-arylmethylene derivatives 9 were treated with hydrogen peroxide to afford the corresponding bis-oxiranocycloalkanone derivatives 10, which condensed with thiourea to give the corresponding thioxopyrimidine derivatives 11. Treatment of compound 11 with chloroacetic acid in the presence of anhydrous sodium acetate afforded the corresponding thiazolopyrim idine derivative 12 which condensed with aromatic aldehydes in acetic acid/acetic anhydride to give arylmethylene derivative 13. Also, compounds 13 could be prepared by reaction of compounds 11 with chloroacetic acid, aromatic aldehydes, and sodium acetate in a mixture of acetic acid and acetic anhydride. The pharmacological screening showed that many of these obtained compounds have good analgesic, anticonvulsant, and antiparkinsonian activities comparable to Valdecoxib, Carbamazepine, and Benzatropine as reference drugs.     

Monophosphoric acid diesters of 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol and of pyrimidine nucleosides as potential antitumor agents: synthesis and preliminary evaluation of antitumor activity

7 beta-Hydroxycholesterol, which has been shown to be selectively cytotoxic toward tumor cells cultured in vitro, was converted into the corresponding water-soluble phosphoric acid ester and linked to a pyrimidine nucleoside such as 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine or 2'-deoxyuridine. 2-Chlorophenyl phosphorodichloridate (3), without activation, was used directly to phosphorylate the protected oxygenated sterol. The intermediate phosphorylated the 5'-OH group of nucleoside selectively, leading to compounds 1a and 1b after deprotection. These compounds were screened for their antiproliferative activity toward EL-4 murine leukemia cells in vitro and for their antitumor activity against the mice bearing Krebs II ascitic carcinoma in vivo.     

Synthesis and antiviral evaluation of alkoxyalkyl esters of acyclic purine and pyrimidine nucleoside phosphonates against HIV-1 in vitro

Alkoxyalkyl esters of cidofovir, an acyclic nucleoside phosphonate, have been shown to have antiviral activities several orders of magnitude greater than unmodified cidofovir against cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, vaccinia, cowpox, ectromelia and adenoviruses in vitro. Hexadecyloxypropyl-cidofovir is orally bioavailable and active in lethal animal models of vaccinia, cowpox, ectromelia and cytomegalovirus. To see if this strategy is also applicable to other acyclic nucleoside phosphonates, we have converted several phosophonomethoxyethyl purines and pyrimidines to their hexadecyloxypropyl, octadecyloxyethyl and oleyloxyethyl esters and compared their activity against HIV-1 with the activity of the respective unmodified acyclic nucleoside phosphonates. The hexadecyloxypropyl esters of phosphonomethoxyethyl-adenine, phosphonomethoxyethyl-2,6-diaminopurine and phosphonomethoxyethyl-N(6)-cyclopropyl-diaminopurine were 3-5 orders of magnitude more active against HIV-1 in vitro than the parent nucleotides. The EC(50) values for these compounds were in the 10-20 pM range with selective indexes of 1,250 to >4,000. The acyclic pyrimidine phosphonates were generally inactive against HIV-1 in vitro. Phosphonomethoxyethyl-cytosine and phosphonomethoxyethyl-5-fluorocytosine were inactive against HIV-1. Surprisingly, hexadecyloxypropyl-phosphonomethoxyethyl-5-fluorocytosine was active against HIV-1 with a submicromolar EC(50) and a selective index of 174. Esterification of acyclic nucleoside phosphonates with alkoxyalkyl moieties may represent a general approach for increasing antiviral activity and selectivity of this class of antivirals.     

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of new adamantane derivatives III

Some novel ester imides synthesised from trimellitic acid anhydride and 1-adamantanol or 2-adamantanol, were tested as antimicrobial compounds. Unfortunately, these agents showed a modest antibacterial activity (MIC > 6 microg/ml). However, a comparison of these N-substituted adamantylester imides with the series published previously, indicated that the incorporation of L-alanine and L-phenylalanine into the phthalimide moiety was the best choice regardless of the series and leads to antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus strains.     

Phosphonate analogues of pyridoxal phosphate with shortened side chains

A phosphonate analogue of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate containing a 5'-phosphonomethyl group and its monoethyl and diethyl esters have been prepared. Except for the diethyl ester, the compounds appear to bind into the active site of aspartate aminotransferase. However, they lack detectable catalytic activity with this enzyme and with glutamate decarboxylase of Escherichia coli. The phosphonomethyl analogue bound to aspartate aminotransferase does react slowly with substrates, as determined by spectrophotometric observations; the monomethyl ester reacts about 20 times less rapidly. Because of the stability of the phosphonate linkage, these compounds may be useful as modifying reagents for various proteins.