Favipiravir and Its Structural Analogs: Antiviral Activity and Synthesis Methods.

1,4-Pyrazine-3-carboxamide-based antiviral compounds have been under intensive study for the last 20 years. One of these compounds, favipiravir (6-fluoro-3-hydroxypyrazine-2-carboxamide, T-705), is approved for use against the influenza infection in a number of countries. Now, favipiravir is being actively used against COVID-19. This review describes the in vivo metabolism of favipiravir, the mechanism of its antiviral activity, clinical findings, toxic properties, and the chemical synthesis routes for its production. We provide data on the synthesis and antiviral activity of structural analogs of favipiravir, including nucleosides and nucleotides based on them.

A Cascade of Thermophilic Enzymes As an Approach to the Synthesis of Modified Nucleotides.

We propose a new approach for the synthesis of biologically important nucleotides which includes a multi-enzymatic cascade conversion of D-pentoses into purine nucleotides. The approach exploits nucleic acid exchange enzymes from thermophilic microorganisms: ribokinase, phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase, and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase. We cloned the ribokinase gene from Thermus sp. 2.9, as well as two different genes of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase (PRPP-synthetase) and the adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APR-transferase) gene from Thermus thermophilus HB27 into the expression vectors, generated high-yield E. coli producer strains, developed methods for the purification of the enzymes, and investigated enzyme substrate specificity. The enzymes were used for the conversion of D-pentoses into 5-phosphates that were further converted into 5-phospho-α-D-pentofuranose 1-pyrophosphates by means of ribokinase and PRPP-synthetases. Target nucleotides were obtained through the condensation of the pyrophosphates with adenine and its derivatives in a reaction catalyzed by APR-transferase. 2-Chloro- and 2-fluoroadenosine monophosphates were synthesized from D-ribose and appropriate heterobases in one pot using a system of thermophilic enzymes in the presence of ATP, ribokinase, PRPP-synthetase, and APR-transferase.

Possibility of usage of aminostigmine structural analogue for the treatment of toxic cognitive disorders.

We studied the effects of 2-(hexyl(methyl)amino)methyl)pyridyl-3-dimethyl carbamate (OPDC), a structural analogue of aminostigmine oxalate, on memory formation in rats with toxic scopolamine-induced amnesia. It was shown that OPDC in non-toxic doses ((1)/215 LD50) has significant anti-amnesic action. Ipidacrine and galantamine in the doses similar to toxic doses ((1)/17 and (1)/6 of LD50, respectively) induced the retention of memory trace. Administration of aminostigmine ((1)/11 of LD50) induced unstable anti-amnesic effect in the model of scopolamine-induced amnesia.

[Nucleosides of 1,2,4-triazole: potentialities and restrictions of chemo-enzymatic method for synthesis].

The potentialities and restrictions of chemoenzymatic approach to the synthesis of new structural analogues of antiviral drug Ribavirin (1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide) have been determined. Syntheses of various amides of 1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxylic acid and its 5-substituted analogues, prospective substrates of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), have been reported. The comparative effectiveness of the methods for obtaining amides aforementioned and also the methods for introducing functional groups to the C5 position of the heterocyclic system has been studied. New Ribavirin analogues bearing various substituents in the carboxamide group have been synthesized. The biotechnological method for the preparation of 1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl- 1,2,4-triazole-3-carbonitrile used as the intermediate in the synthesis of Viramidine, a contemporary Ribavirin analogue, has been developed.

[The arsenolysis reaction in the biotechnological method of synthesis of the ribavirin. Inhibition of reproduction of influenza A virus with the combination of ribavirin and ozeltamivir in experiments in vitro and in vivo].

Improved biotechnological method of receiving the antiviral drug ribavirin by the reaction of transglycosilation by addition of catalytic amounts of sodium arsenate in the reaction mixture. Such approach allows to hydrolyze the amount of the excess natural nucleoside donor--ribose and, as a consequence, to simplify the composition of the reaction mixture and the process of separation of ribavirin. The effect of ribavirin and ozeltamivir carboxylate and their combination on the reproduction of the virus of the influenza A in cell culture and in experiments on laboratory animals (mouse Balb/C). The greatest anti-influenza effect is observed when using a combination of drugs, as compared to each of them taken separately.

[Study of tolerance of central muscarinic receptor blockers].

The tolerance of five central muscarinic receptor antagonists has been studied in experimental animals. According to the effect on orientation-exploratory reaction, drugs were arranged in the following order of increasing toxicity: procyclidine < trihexiphenidyl < benactizine < atropine < scopolamine. For the same therapeutic index, trihexiphenidyl and benactizine were characterized by the maximum tolerance (TD50/ED50 > 10) in mice. Scopolamine and atropine exhibited anticonvulsant activity at doses exceeding the threshold values by a factor of 6.3 and 3.9, respectively. For procyclidine, the average anticonvulsant dose was threefold lower than the threshold value. Benactizine and procyclidine had maximum tolerance levels in rats. The TD50/ED50 ratio for these drugs was greater than 3 (against 0.5 - 0.7 in groups treated with trihexiphenidyl, atropine and scopolamine).

A model of cerebral circulation disorders created by staged ligation of the common carotid arteries.

A model of brain ischemia induced by staged ligation of the left and right common carotid arteries has been developed in experiments on rats. The use to this model led to reduction of animal mortality. On days 2-5 after the second ligature, the animals lost weight, the level of their CNS vulnerability increased, the volume of perceived information reduced, adaptation to environmental conditions and reproduction of conditioned reflexes were disordered. Focal and diffuse destructive changes in the nerve and glia cells were found in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and thalamic nuclei. The severity of disorders in the blood supply to the brain depended on the interval between ligation of the carotid arteries. This recommends this model for evaluation of the efficiency of drugs of various pharmacological groups.