Structure-based approach to pharmacophore identification, in silico screening, and three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship studies for inhibitors of Trypanosoma cruzi dihydrofolate reductase function.

We have employed a structure-based three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) approach to predict the biochemical activity for inhibitors of T. cruzi dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS). Crystal structures of complexes of the enzyme with eight different inhibitors of the DHFR activity together with the structure in the substrate-free state (DHFR domain) were used to validate and refine docking poses of ligands that constitute likely active conformations. Structural information from these complexes formed the basis for the structure-based alignment used as input for the QSAR study. Contrary to indirect ligand-based approaches the strategy described here employs a direct receptor-based approach. The goal is to generate a library of selective lead inhibitors for further development as antiparasitic agents. 3D-QSAR models were obtained for T. cruzi DHFR-TS (30 inhibitors in learning set) and human DHFR (36 inhibitors in learning set) that show a very good agreement between experimental and predicted enzyme inhibition data. For crossvalidation of the QSAR model(s), we have used the 10% leave-one-out method. The derived 3D-QSAR models were tested against a few selected compounds (a small test set of six inhibitors for each enzyme) with known activity, which were not part of the learning set, and the quality of prediction of the initial 3D-QSAR models demonstrated that such studies are feasible. Further refinement of the models through integration of additional activity data and optimization of reliable docking poses is expected to lead to an improved predictive ability.

Comparison of pharmacokinetics of 5-fluorouracil and 5-fluorouracil with concurrent thymidine infusions in a Phase I trial.

The serum half-life of 5-fluorouracil (5-FUra) in humans is best described as a biexponential decay function, with t1/2 alpha = 7.8 +/- 2.6 (S.E.) min and t1/2 beta = 36.8 +/- 13.5 min during initial courses of this drug alone. Pharmacokinetics of 5-FUra during courses of daily therapy (for 5 days) revealed prolongation of t1/2 in both components of the decay curve, which has not been previously reported. Despite the efficacy of thymidine (dThd) given as a continous i.v. infusion of 8 g/sq m/day in prevention of high-dose methotrexate toxicity, continuous infusion of dThd at this dose does not prevent the toxicity of 5-FUra orreverse inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis by 5-fura. On the contrary, continuous infusion of dThd appears to increase the toxicity of 5-FUra during continuous dThd infusion revealed prolongation of the 5-FUra t1/2 which remained stable through the course of 5 days of 5-FUra with dThd. This protracted t1/2 is believed to account at least in part for the increased toxicity of 5-FUra with dThd. Dose-limiting mucositis, myelosuppression, and gastrointestinal toxicity were observed at 5-FUra doses ranging from one-half to two-thirds the customarily tolerated dose of 5-FUra alone in similar courses of daily bolus therapy (for 5 days).

Alkylating agents: in vitro studies of cross-resistance patterns in human cell lines.

The alkylating agents represent one of the most important classes of antitumor agents and play a major role in combination with other agents in the curative chemotherapy of selected human cancers. By repeatedly exposing cells to escalating doses of an alkylating agent, we have developed four human tumor cell lines which are relatively stably resistant to the drug with which the culture was treated. The response of these cell lines to a variety of alkylating agents was compared to the response of the parent cell lines to the same drug. The Raji/HN2 line was 7-fold resistant to nitrogen mustard and about 3-fold resistant to 4-hydroxyperoxycyclophosphamide, but it was not resistant to N,N'-bis(2-chloroethyl)-N-nitrosourea (BCNU), melphalan (MEL), busulfan, trimethyleneiminethiophosphoramide, 4-hydroperoxyifosfamide, or cisplatin [cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)] (CDDP). The Raji/BCNU line was 5.3-fold resistant to BCNU and 4-fold resistant to both MEL and CDDP. The Raji/CP line was 7-fold resistant to CDDP and 3-fold resistant to both nitrogen mustard and BCNU, but it was not resistant to busulfan, trimethyleneiminethiophosphoramide, or 4-hydroperoxyifosfamide. The SCC-25/CP line, which was 12-fold resistant to CDDP, was 5-fold resistant to MEL and 3-fold resistant to 4-hydroxyperoxycyclophosphamide. The SCC-25/CP line was almost 24-fold resistant to methotrexate after 30-min treatment and about 7-fold resistant to methotrexate after continuous treatment. None of the other cell lines was resistant to methotrexate. The survival of SCC-25 and SCC-25/CP cells exposed to several antineoplastic agents was examined over several logs of survival. The SCC-25/CP cells are highly resistant to CDDP; the ratio of the slopes of the survival curves (SCC-25/CP to SCC-25) of the two lines was 43. At survivals of 1%, resistance to MEL and BCNU became evident in the SCC-25/CP line. At survivals of 0.1%, resistance to mitomycin C and, to a lesser degree, to Adriamycin and vincristine was evident. It is more difficult to produce resistance to alkylating agents, even with extended selection pressure, than to other antineoplastic drugs such as antimetabolites and natural products. We found no evidence of pleiotropic resistance in any alkylating agent-resistant cell line. Our results suggest that a judicious choice of alkylating agents given in sequential or concurrent combination may be a rational treatment strategy with potential applications in the clinic.

A Phase 1 study of high doses of aminopterin with leucovorin rescue in patients with advanced metastatic tumors.

We have conducted a Phase 1 study of aminopterin (AMT) with leucovorin (LV) in 17 patients. AMT was administered by bolus injection every 7 to 14 days in dosages from 25 to 425 mg/sq m. LV rescue was instituted at 24 hr and continued for 48 to 72 hr. At dosages above 50 mg/sq m, we observed nephrotoxicity defined as greater than or equal to a 25% increase in serum creatinine 24 hr after AMT administration, but its incidence was not strictly dose related. Urinary alkalinization and volume expansion appeared to reduce the incidence of nephrotoxicity. Nephrotoxic drug courses were associated with 24-hr plasma AMT levels [3.6 +/- 2.0 (S.D.) X 10(-6) M] which were significantly higher than nonnephrotoxic courses (1.6 +/- 1.0 x 10(-6) M) (p less than 0.05). In nonnephrotoxic courses, serum elimination pharmacokinetics appeared to be biphasic with a t1/2 alpha of 1.08 +/- 0.01 hr and t1/2 beta of 12.31 +/- 0.06 hr. Systemic toxicity (myelosuppression and mucositis) could be prevented in patients with impaired AMT clearance by the administration of LV at an increased dose rate. In several courses, systemic toxicity occurred in spite of apparently normal plasma clearance, suggesting that 24-hr plasma levels may not accurately reflect intracellular drug effects. Cytokinetic studies on bone marrow aspirates allowed determination of the rescue effect of LV and may prove useful in predicting marrow protection.

Biochemical and biological studies on 2-desamino-2-methylaminopterin, an antifolate the polyglutamates of which are more potent than the monoglutamate against three key enzymes of folate metabolism.

Biochemical and biological studies have been carried out with 2-desamino-2-methylaminopterin (dmAMT), which inhibits tumor cell growth in culture but is only a weak inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Since it was possible that the species responsible for growth inhibition are polyglutamylated metabolites, the di-, tri-, and tetraglutamates of dmAMT were synthesized and tested as inhibitors of purified recombinant human DHFR, murine L1210 leukemia thymidylate synthase (TS), chicken liver glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT), and murine L1210 leukemia aminoimidazolecarboxamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (AICARFT). The compounds with three and four gamma-glutamyl residues were found to bind two orders of magnitude better than dmAMT itself to DHFR, TS, and AICARFT, with 50% inhibitory concentration values in the 200 to 300 nM range against all three enzymes. In contrast, at a concentration of 10 microM, dmAMT polyglutamates had no appreciable effect on GARFT activity. These findings support the hypothesis that dmAMT requires intracellular polyglutamylation for activity and indicate that replacement of the 2-amino group by 2-methyl is as acceptable a structural modification in antifolates targeted against DHFR as it is in antifolates targeted against TS. In growth assays against methotrexate (MTX)-sensitive H35 rat hepatoma cells and MTX-resistant H35 sublines with a transport defect, dmAMT was highly cross-resistant with MTX, but not with the TS inhibitors N10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolic acid and N-(5-[N-(3,4-dihydro-2-methyl-4-ox-oquinazolin-6-yl)-N- methylamino]thenoyl)-L-glutamic acid, implicating DHFR rather than TS as the principal target for dmAMT polyglutamates in intact cells. On the other hand, an H35 subline resistant to 2'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine by virtue of increased TS activity was highly cross-resistant to N10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolic acid and not cross-resistant to MTX, but showed partial cross-resistance to dmAMT. Both thymidine and hypoxanthine were required to protect H35 cells treated with concentrations of dmAMT and MTX that inhibited growth by greater than 90% relative to unprotected controls. In contrast, N10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolic acid and N-(5-[N-(3,4-dihydro-2-methyl-4-oxoquinazolin-6-yl)-N-methylamino] thenoyl)- L-glutamic acid required only thymidine for protection. Like MTX, therefore, dmAMT appears to inhibit purine as well as pyrimidine de novo synthesis, and its effect on cell growth probably reflects the ability of dmAMT polyglutamates to not only block dihydrofolate reduction but also interfere with other steps of folate metabolism, either directly or indirectly via alteration of reduced folate pools.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Phenotypic heterogeneity in cultured human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma lines with low-level methotrexate resistance.

Low-level methotrexate (MTX) resistance (less than 20-fold) was induced by gradual selection pressure in four human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma lines established in culture from biopsies of patients not previously treated with MTX. Each parental and resistant line was characterized with respect to MTX uptake and polyglutamylation, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) content, and growth rate. Relative DHFR gene copy numbers and amounts of DHFR-related cytoplasmic messenger RNA were analyzed by plasmid complementary DNA hybridization in a dot blot assay and were correlated with the amount of gene product. The resistant lines were not cloned in order to simulate in vitro the conditions which might exist in an in vivo setting, where multiple resistant subpopulations of cells may be present in a tumor. The study was restricted to cells with low-level resistance since these are likely to be the clinically most relevant type. Of the four resistant lines characterized, one showed a severe defect in MTX uptake and polyglutamylation, another was a DHFR overproducer with only small changes in uptake and polyglutamylation, a third was likewise a DHFR overproducer but also showed lower MTX uptake, and the fourth was minimally altered except for growth rate. The diversity in resistance phenotype among these cells in vitro suggests that in vivo resistance in patients with head and neck carcinoma who are treated with MTX may similarly involve multiple mechanisms and that further therapeutic intervention using MTX or other antifolates should take this into account.

Collateral methotrexate resistance in cultured human head and neck carcinoma cells selected for resistance to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II).

A human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma line (SCC25) derived from a patient with no prior history of radiotherapy or chemotherapy was made resistant to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) by continuous escalation of weekly 30-min pulses of the CDDP from 0 to 0.2 mM over 20 months and then cloned and pulsed weekly with 0.2 mM CDDP for another 20 months. This afforded a resistant subline, SCC25/CP[1], with an IC50 for CDDP 12-fold higher than that of the parental cells. The SCC25/CP[1] cells unexpectedly proved to be cross-resistant to methotrexate (MTX) (24-fold for 30-min treatment and 8-fold for continuous treatment). Resistance was associated with a modest (about 2-fold) increase in the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) content according to radioligand-binding assay, and in the rate of cell division. In addition there was a 4-fold decrease in the fraction of long-chain MTX polyglutamates MTX(G4-6) in the cell after 24 h exposure to either 0.2 or 2.0 microM MTX. When the SCC25/CP[1] cells were kept out of CDDP for 8-9 months and 12 months to give the sublines SCC25/CP[2] and SCC25/CP[3], respectively, MTX sensitivity to continuous exposure returned to normal. The SCC25/CP[3] cells still exhibited a slightly elevated DHFR level, but their generation time became shorter than that of the parental SCC25 line. In addition the SCC25/CP[3] cells had an initial uptake velocity (V0) for MTX that was 9-fold greater than the V0 of the SCC25 or SCC25/CP[1] cells, while its ability to form MTX(G4-6) was comparable to that of the SCC25 cells. When SCC25/CP[2] cells were rechallenged with weekly 0.2 mM CDDP pulses for 4-6 months, a MTX-resistant line, SCC25/CP[4], was produced. The SCC25/CP[4] cells retained a slightly elevated DHFR content and a high proliferation rate, but the V0 for MTX influx was intermediate between SCC25 and SCC25/CP[3] cells. The ability to form the longer-chain polyglutamates MTX(G4-6) was again impaired. Thus, MTX cross-resistance can develop in cultured head and neck carcinoma cells when CDDP is used as the selecting agent for primary resistance. MTX resistance is multifactorial, as it is when MTX itself is used as the selecting agent, and appears to involve various combinations of altered growth rate, DHFR content, MTX uptake, and ability to form noneffluxing long-chain MTX polyglutamate species. These results are potentially of clinical relevance, since CDDP and MTX are often used in combination with other drugs or with radiation to treat patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Characterization of a human squamous carcinoma cell line resistant to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II).

We have developed a human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line (SCC-25/CP) which is relatively stably resistant to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) after repeated exposure to escalating doses of the drug. The studies reported elucidate the mechanism(s) by which the SCC-25/CP cell line is resistant to CDDP. The SCC-25/CP cell line is approximately 30-fold resistant to CDDP, approximately 10-fold resistant to carboplatin, and about 9-fold resistant to iproplatin. Using [195mPt]CDDP, we examined the levels of platinum in whole cells and cellular fractions of both the SCC-25 and SCC-25/CP cells after 1 h exposure to 100 microM drug. The SCC-25 cells took up 30 pmol of platinum/10(6) cells in 1 h; 64% of the drug was in the nucleus and 21% in the cytosol. The SCC-25/CP cells took up 7 pmol of platinum/10(6) cells; of this, 41% was in the nucleus and 33% in the cytosol. The SCC-25 cell nuclei contained 331 pmol of platinum/mg protein and the cytosol 21 pmol of platinum/mg protein, whereas the SCC-25/CP cell nuclei contained 47 pmol of platinum/mg protein and the cytosol 8.1 pmol/mg protein. The release of drug from both cell lines followed a very similar course and was most rapid over the first 6 h. There was no difference in the non-protein sulfhydryl content of the cell lines. The protein sulfhydryl content, as measured by Ellman's procedure, indicated that the SCC-25/CP cell line has approximately a 2-fold increase in protein sulfhydryl content compared to the SCC-25 cell line. The SCC-25/CP cell line is about 2-fold resistant to cadmium chloride at 50% cell kill and about 2.5-fold resistant at 1 log kill compared to the SCC-25 cell line. Glutathione transferase activity in crude cytoplasmic extracts was measured and found to be approximately 2- to 3-fold higher in the CDDP resistant cells. The isoelectric point of the glutathione transferase isozyme was 4.8 in both the sensitive and resistant cell lines, suggesting induction of the predominant isozyme present in the parent cell line. By alkaline elution there was greater cross-link formation by CDDP in the SCC-25 cell line than in the SCC-25/CP cell line at the same drug concentrations. In conclusion, the mechanism of resistance of the SCC-25/CP cell line to CDDP is multifactorial, involving plasma membrane changes, increased cytosolic binding, and decreased DNA cross-linking.

Selective expansion of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate pools and modulation of 5-fluorouracil antitumor activity by leucovorin in vivo.

Expansion of CH2THF pools in tissues of BALB/c mice bearing s.c.-implanted EMT6 mammary adenocarcinomas was measured after leucovorin administration. Twenty-four mice were treated with leucovorin at doses of 0, 45, 90, or 180 mg/kg/injection x 8 injections spaced over 48 h. Tumor and bone marrow cytosols were assayed for CH2THF by forming ternary complexes with thymidylate synthase and [3H]FdUMP. Tumor CH2THF pools were expanded significantly at the two higher doses. Marrow levels were not different from controls. Groups of tumor bearing mice were treated with saline, leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil or 5-fluourouracil plus leucovorin on an optimal dosage schedule. Measured plus leucovorin on an optimal dosage schedule. Measured from the last day of treatment, these tumors grew to 10 mm root-mean-square diameters in 3.5 +/- 1.4, 5.0 +/- 1.2, 6.5 +/- 1.5, and 9.3 +/- 1.2 days, respectively. Growth rates were significantly different from controls only in the latter two groups.

Cyclophosphamide pharmacokinetics: correlation with cardiac toxicity and tumor response.

BACKGROUND: Cyclophosphamide, which forms the nucleus for virtually all preparative regimens for autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT), is an alkylating agent of which cytotoxicity is not directly caused by the parent compound but by its biologically active metabolites. Its nonmyelosuppressive toxicity in the ABMT setting is cardiomyopathy. We attempted to determine any correlation between plasma levels of total cyclophosphamide and the subsequent development of cardiac dysfunction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Analyses of plasma levels and the derivation of plasma concentration-time curves (area under the curve [AUC]) were performed in 19 women with metastatic breast carcinoma, who received a continuous 96-hour infusion of cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin (CTCb) with ABMT. The assay for total cyclophosphamide measures the inactive parent compound; reliable assays of the active metabolites of cyclophosphamide are not yet available. RESULTS: Six of 19 women developed moderate, but transient, congestive heart failure (CHF) as assessed by clinical and radiologic criteria. These patients had a significantly lower AUC of total cyclophosphamide (median, 2,888 mumol/L/h) than patients who did not develop CHF (median, 6,121 mumol/L/h) (P less than .002). Median duration of tumor response in these patients was also more durable; at least 22 months in patients with lower AUCs versus a median of 5.25 months in those with higher AUCs (P = .008). CONCLUSION: These pharmacokinetic data support the premise that enhancement of cyclophosphamide activation may lead to both greater tumor cytotoxicity and increased but reversible end-organ toxicity. Early analysis of pharmacokinetic data may allow modulation of cyclophosphamide administration in an attempt to enhance therapeutic efficacy.

The effect of side-chain, para-aminobenzoyl region, and B-ring modifications on dihydrofolate reductase binding, influx via the reduced folate carrier, and cytotoxicity of the potent nonpolyglutamatable antifolate N(alpha)-(4-amino-4-deoxypteroyl)-N(delta)-hemiphthaloyl-L- ornithine.

N(alpha)-(4-Amino-4-deoxypteroyl)-N(delta)-hemiphthaloyl-L-o rnithine (PT523) is an unusually tight-binding dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor and is efficiently taken up into cells via the reduced folate carrier (RFC). Unlike classical DHFR inhibitors with a glutamate side chain, such as methotrexate and aminopterin, PT523 cannot form polyglutamates. Thus, it resembles lipophilic antifolates such as trimetrexate in not requiring metabolic activation by folylpolyglutamate synthetase in order to produce its antifolate effect. However, in contrast to trimetrexate, PT523 retains growth inhibitory activity in cells with the multidrug resistance phenotype. As part of the preclinical development of this drug, we have performed systematic modification of several regions of the PT523 molecule, with the aim of defining the optimal structural features for DHFR binding, influx into cells via the RFC, and the ability to inhibit cell growth. The following structure-activity correlations have emerged from this ongoing investigation, and are discussed: (1) the hemiphthaloylornithine side chain has the optimal length; (2) the preferred location of the aromatic carboxyl group is the ortho position; and (3) replacement of the phenyl ring of the para-aminobenzoic acid moiety by naphthalene, of nitrogen at the 10-position of the bridge by carbon, and of nitrogen at the 5- and/or 8-position of the B-ring by carbon are all well tolerated. Several of the second generation analogs of PT523 are more potent DHFR inhibitors and better RFC substrates than PT523 itself, and are more potent inhibitors of tumor cell growth in culture.

A phase I and pharmacokinetic study of a new camptothecin derivative, 9-aminocamptothecin.

Camptothecins are the only available antitumor agents which target the nuclear enzyme topoisomerase I. 9-Aminocamptothecin (9-AC) is a water-insoluble derivative of camptothecin which has demonstrated impressive antitumor activity in preclinical models. While two other water-soluble derivatives, CPT-11 and topotecan, have successfully completed Phase I and Phase II testing, biochemical and tissue culture studies suggest that camptothecin analogues differ in characteristics which may be important in determining antitumor activity. We performed a Phase I trial of 9-AC to determine the pharmacokinetics, dose-limiting toxicity, and maximum tolerated dose of this agent when administered as a 72-h continuous i.v. infusion. Thirty-one patients with resistant solid cancers received 5-60 microgram/m2/h 9-AC for 72 h, repeated at 3-week intervals. The drug was administered in a vehicle containing dimethylacetamide, polyethylene glycol, and phosphoric acid. Blood samples were collected and the lactone (closed ring) form of 9-AC was quantitated. The maximum tolerated dose of 9-AC was determined to be 45 microgram/m2/h. Dose-limiting toxicity consisted of neutropenia. Thrombocytopenia was also prominent. There were no significant nonhematological toxicities. Minimal responses were seen in patients with gastric, colon, and non-small cell lung cancer. Although significant interpatient variation in plasma 9-AC lactone levels was observed, pooled data were fit to a two-compartment model, with a terminal half-life of 36 h. Analyses of topoisomerase protein levels in peripheral blood cells indicated decreases in topoisomerase I accompanied by increases in topoisomerase II in two of three patients. 9-AC is an active antitumor agent and may be administered safely as a 72-h infusion in patients with cancer. Although Phase II trials with a 72-h infusion of 9-AC are warranted, alternate schedules should be evaluated given the dramatic preclinical activity seen with more prolonged administrations.

Antitumor effects of L-glutamic acid dihydroxyanilides against experimental melanoma.

L-glutamic acid, gamma-(p-hydroxyanilide), is a naturally occurring metabolic inhibitor found in mushrooms and shown to be active against B-16 melanoma in vivo. We have prepared and evaluated 2 analogs, the 3,4- and 2,5-dihydroxy derivatives, since these might represent more immediate precursors to the putative biologically active quinone. Both dihydroxy derivatives were more toxic than the parent phenol. The 2,5-dihydroxy derivative was significantly more cytotoxic with a 5-fold decrease in IC50 for both human and B-16 melanoma cells in vitro. In the presence of mushroom tyrosinase, both derivatives were potent inhibitors of isolated DNA polymerase with essentially complete inhibition occurring at concentrations of 10(-5) M. The 3,4-dihydroxy derivative exerted inhibitory effects primarily upon thymidine incorporation into melanoma cells in vitro while the 2,5-dihydroxy derivative also inhibited uridine and leucine incorporation. There was no significant antitumor activity observed in the B-16 system, a fact which might be attributed to the increased toxicity of the compounds.

PT523 and other aminopterin analogs with a hemiphthaloyl-L-ornithine side chain: exceptionally tight-binding inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase which are transported by the reduced folate carrier but cannot form polyglutamates.

Nonpolyglutamatable antifolates are potentially of therapeutic interest for the treatment of tumors that are inherently refractory, or have become resistant, to classical antifolates as a result of decreased expression of the enzyme folylpolyglutamate synthetase. An interesting class of water-soluble nonpolyglutamatable analogs of aminopterin (AMT) have been developed, which are much more cytotoxic because they bind more tightly to dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and also utilize the reduced folate carrier (RFC) pathway more efficiently for influx into the cell. This review summarizes the in vitro and in vivo preclinical data on the initial lead compound, Nalpha-(4-amino-4-deoxypteroyl)-Ndelta- hemiphthaloyl-L-ornithine (PT523). In addition, the synthesis and in vitro biochemical and biological properties of several types of second-generation analogs are discussed. Analogs modified in the B-ring of the pteridine moiety have been found to be of particular interest because their affinity for DHFR and their influx rate into cells via the RFC pathway are even greater than those of PT523. The hemiphthaloylornithine moiety, which is larger and more hydrophobic than the glutamate side chain of classical antifolates, appears to be chiefly responsible for the exceptionally high biological potency of PT523 and its B-ring analogs.

Methotrexate analogues. 16. Importance of the side-chain amide carbonyl group as a structural determinant of biological activity.

N-[[[(2,4-Diaminopteridin-6-yl)methyl]amino]benzyl]-L-glutamic acid ("deoxoaminopterin", 1), a new aminopterin analogue containing a CH2 group in the side chain in place of the amide C = O, was synthesized by condensation of 2,4-diamino-6-(bromomethyl)pteridine with diethyl N-(p-aminobenzyl)-L-glutamate, followed by saponification with a stoichiometric amount of barium hydroxide in 50% ethanol. The apparent importance of the amide C = O group as a structural determinant of biological activity was indicated by the finding that 1 has 10- to 20-fold lower affinity for bacterial and mammalian dihydrofolate reductase than aminopterin, is not toxic to L1210 murine leukemia cells in culture at a concentration of up to 1.0 microM, and shows no antitumor effect in L1210 leukemic mice at doses as high as 240 mg/kg (q3d X 3).

Methotrexate analogues. 18. Enhancement of the antitumor effect of methotrexate and 3',5'-dichloromethotrexate by the use of lipid-soluble diesters.

Lipophilic methotrexate (MTX) and 3',5'-dichloromethotrexate (DCM) diesters were prepared by HCl-catalyzed esterification or by neutral esterification using cesium carbonate and an alkyl or aralkyl halide in Me2SO. The products were tested for in vivo antitumor activity against L1210 leukemia in mice to test whether all MTX and DCM diesters are therapeutically equivalent in this species. Contrary to what has been found with simple primary dialkyl esters, ortho-substituted dibenzyl esters of MTX produce longer survival on a q3dX3 schedule than does MTX itself and show a dose-sparing effect comparable to that of MTX at shorter treatment intervals. Thus, MTX bis(6-chloropiperonyl) ester at an MTX-equivalent dose of 5.5 mg/kg gave a +88% increase in median life span (ILS), whereas for MTX a +88% ILS required 30 mg/kg. When the MTX-equivalent dose of MTX bis(6-chloropiperonyl) ester was increased to 40 mg/kg, a +167% ILS was observed, as compared with a +100% ILS with 60 mg/kg of the parent drug. High activity (greater than 100% ILS) was likewise shown by the bis(2,5-dimethylbenzyl), bis(2,6-dichlorobenzyl), and di-3-picolyl esters of MTX and by the bis(1-methylbutyl) ester of DCM. The results of this study indicate that MTX and DCM esters are not therapeutically equivalent in mice, despite the high serum esterase activity in this species, and that an up to 10-fold reduction in total administered dose on the q3dX3 schedule is feasible by this approach.

Nucleosides. 1. 9-(3'-Alkyl-3'-deoxy-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)adenines as lipophilic analogues of cordycepin. Synthesis and preliminary biological studies.

A series of lipophilic 9-(3'-alkyl-3'-deoxy-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)adenines of increasing chain length was synthesized from the corresponding branched sugars via titanium chloride catalyzed ribosylation of chloromercuri-6-benzamidopurine. Enhanced growth inhibitory activity was observed against (CCRF-CEM human lymphoblastic leukemia cells in culture as the length of the alkyl side chain in the sugar and the resultant lipophilic character of the nucleoside were increased. Experiments involving incorporation of radiolabeled uridine, thymidine, and leucine revealed that in contrast to cordycepin (1) the 3'-n-butyl and 3'-n-hexyl analogues 5 and 6 markedly inhibit not only RNA synthesis but DNA and protein synthesis as well.

Synthesis and biological activity of methotrexate analogues with two acid groups and a hydrophobic aromatic ring in the side chain.

The heretofore unknown gamma-(m-carboxyanilide) and gamma-(m-boronoanillide) derivatives of methotrexate (MTX) and the gamma-(m-carboxyanilide) derivatives of aminopterin (AMT) were prepared and tested as inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and as inhibitors of cell growth in culture with the aim of comparing their activity with that of N alpha-(4-amino-4-deoxypteroyl)-N delta-hemiphthaloyl-L-ornithine, a potent antifolate whose side chain likewise contains a hydrophobic aromatic ring with an acid group on the ring. All three anilides were potent DHFR inhibitors, with activity comparable to MTX and AMT. The gamma-(m-boronoanilide) displayed growth inhibitory potency similar to that of the hemiphthaloylornithine analogue, with an IC50 of only 0.7 nM. This compound, which is the most potent of the gamma-amides of MTX tested to date, is also the first reported example of an antifolate with a B(OH)2 group in the side chain and is especially novel because of its potential to form a stable tetrahedral boronate complex by reaction with electron rich OH or NH2 groups in the active site of DHFR or other folate enzymes. In antitumor assays against L1210 leukemia in mice, N alpha-(4-amino-4-deoxypteroyl)-N delta-hemiphthaloyl-L-ornithine gave a T/C of greater than 263% at 20 mg/kg (qdx9) and 300% at 16 mg/kg (bidx10), whereas maximally tolerated doses of MTX of 8 mg/kg (qdx9) and 1 mg/kg (bidx10) gave T/C values of 213 and 188%, respectively. MTX gamma-(m-boronoanilide) was also active, with a T/C of 175% at 32 mg/kg (qdx9), the highest dose tested.

Analogues of methotrexate and aminopterin with gamma-methylene and gamma-cyano substitution of the glutamate side chain: synthesis and in vitro biological activity.

Analogues of methotrexate (MTX) and aminopterin (AMT) modified at the gamma-position of the glutamate side chain were synthesized and evaluated as dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors and tumor cell growth inhibitors. Condesations of 4-amino-4-deoxy-N10-methylpteroic acid (mAPA) with dimethyl DL-4-methyleneglutamate in the presence of diethyl phosphorocyanidate (DEPC) followed by alkaline hydrolysis yielded N-(4-amino-4-deoxy-N10-methylpteroyl)-DL-4-methyleneglutamic acid (gamma-methyleneMTX). Condensation of 4-amino-4-deoxy-N10-formylpteroic acid (fAPA) with dimethyl-DL-4-methyleneglutamate by the mixed carboxylic-carbonic anhydride method yielded N-4-amino-4-deoxypteroyl)-DL-4-methyleneglutamic acid (gamma-methyleneAMT). Also prepared via DEPC coupling was a mixture of the four possible diastereomers of N-(4-amino-4-deoxy-N10-methylpteroyl)-4-cyanoglutamic acid (gamma-cyanoMTX). The requisite intermediate gamma-tert-butyl alpha-methyl 4-cyanoglutamate, as a DL-threo/DL-erythro mixture, was prepared from methyl N alpha-Boc-O-tosyl-L-serinate by reaction with sodium tert-butyl cyanoacetate followed by mild trifluoroacetic treatment to selectively remove the Boc group. The gamma-methylene derivatives of MTX and AMT are attractive because of their potential to act as Michael acceptors within the DHFR active site. gamma-CyanoMTX may be viewed as a congener of the nonpolyglutamated MTX analogue gamma-fluoroMTX. In vitro bioassay data for the gamma-methylene and gamma-cyano compounds support the idea that the active site of DHFR, already known for its ability to tolerate modification of the gamma-carboxyl group of MTX and AMT, can likewise accommodate substitution on the gamma-carbon itself.

Methotrexate analogues. 14. Synthesis of new gamma-substituted derivatives as dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors and potential anticancer agents.

The gamma-tert-butyl ester (1), gamma-hydrazide (2), gamma-n-butylamide (3), and gamma-benzylamide (4) derivatives of methotrexate (MTX) were synthesized from 4-amino-4-deoxy-N10-methylpteroic acid (APA) and the appropriate blocked L-glutamic acid precursors with the aid of the peptide bond forming reagent diethyl phosphorocyanidate. The affinity of these side chain modified products for dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) from Lactobacillus casei and L1210 mouse leukemic cells was determined spectrophotometrically or by competitive radioligand binding assay, and their cytotoxicity was evaluated against L1210 leukemic cells in culture. The results provide continuing support for the view that the "gamma-terminal region" of the MTX side chain is an attractive site for molecular modification of this anticancer agent.