Pronounced cytostatic activity and bystander effect of a novel series of fluorescent tricyclic acyclovir and ganciclovir derivatives in herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene-transduced tumor cell lines.

A number of tricyclic acyclovir (ACV) and ganciclovir (GCV) derivatives substituted with bulky lipophilic groups have been identified as potent and highly selective cytostatic agents against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-thymidine kinase (TK) gene-transduced human osteosarcoma and murine mammary carcinoma tumor cells. Although their affinity for HSV-1 TK was inferior to that of ACV or GCV, their cytostatic potency and selectivity was at least as high as observed for the parental ACV and GCV compounds. The tricyclic ACV and GCV derivatives were also endowed with a very pronounced bystander effect in cell culture, albeit at relatively high drug concentrations. Unlike ACV and GCV, the tricyclic purine derivatives are endowed with intrinsically strong fluorescent properties, which allow simple and sensitive monitoring of drug concentrations in biological fluids and tissues. Also, the lipophilicity of the tricyclic purine derivatives is much higher than that of ACV and GCV, and this may allow better uptake of these derivatives from the blood into the central nervous system.

Fluorescent tricyclic analogues of acyclovir and ganciclovir. A structure-antiviral activity study.

Of a series of new guanine base modified tricyclic analogues of acyclovir (ACV, 1) and ganciclovir (GCV, 2), derivatives of the 3,9-dihydro-9-oxo-5H-imidazo[1,2-a]purine system, evaluated for activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2, several fluorescent analogues, 6-(4-MeOPh)-TACV (8), 7-Me-6-Ph-TACV (17), 6-(4-MeOPh)-TGCV (27), and 7-Me-6-Ph-TGCV (28), were obtained that showed similar potency and selectivity as the parent compounds. The activity was found to be strongly dependent on the nature and steric demands of the substituents in the 6 and/or 7 position.

Water molecules in the crystal structure of tricyclic acyclovir.

The biologically important molecule tricyclic acyclovir, presented here as 3-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-6-methyl-3H-imidazolo[1,2-a]purin-9(5H)-one dihydrate, C11H13N5O3*2H2O, shows conformational flexibility, which is observed in the solid state as two symmetrically independent molecules with different side-chain conformations. Additionally, one of these molecules exhibits side-chain disorder, such that there are three different conformations in the crystal. Water molecules found in the crystal form (H2O)8 clusters which are located between molecules of tricyclic acyclovir. The complex hydrogen-bond network formed between water and tricyclic acyclovir in the solid state may be related to the solvation of the molecules in solution.

Substituent--directed aralkylation and alkylation reactions of the tricyclic analogues of acyclovir and guanosine.

Aryl or tert-butyl substituent in the 6 position of 3,9-dihydro-3-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-9-oxo-6-R-5H-imidazo[1,2-a]purine (6-R-TACV) 1 partly directs aralkylation reactions into unusual positions: N-4 to give 3 and C-7 to give N-5,7-disubstituted or N-4,7-disubstituted derivatives. In the case of alkylation the effect is limited to aryl substituent and position N-4. Replacement of acyclic moiety of 1 with a ribosyl one like in 7 prevents N-4 substitution. Cleavage of the third ring of 3b to give 3-benzylacyclovir 10 is an example of a new short route to 3-aralkyl-9-substituted guanines.

Synthetic and biological applications of tricyclic analogues of guanosine.

Tricyclic nucleosides incorporating the 9-oxo-imidazo [1,2-a]purine (1,N2-ethenoguanine) system, natural prototypes of which occur in tRNA(Phe) as nucleosides of the wyosine series, were used for synthetic, structural and biological purposes. 1,N2-(Prop-1-ene-1,2-diyl)guanosine derivatives used as intermediates allowed to enforce on guanosine the substitution at the N-3 position and at the N2 exo-amino group, not possible to be performed directly. Wyosine and 2'-deoxywyosine together with 4,5'-anhydro-4-desmethylwyosine and its congeners were used as, respectively, 100% anti and 100% syn conformation standards in a new graphical method for the syn-anti conformational analysis of nucleosides by 1D 1H NOE difference spectroscopy. Substitution at the appended third ring allowed to modify the biological and physical properties of antiviral agents acyclovir and ganciclovir, e.g. to develop their fluorescent analogues.

Synthesis and antiviral activity of benzyl-substituted imidazo [1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine (5,8-diaza-7,9-dideazapurine) derivatives.

A variety of imidazo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine derivatives carrying C-, O-, and S-benzyl and/or 4-methylbenzyl groups were synthesized and examined for their inhibitory effects on the replication of ortho- and paramyxoviruses. The key compounds 8-R-2-thioxo-2,3-dihydroimidazo [1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazin-4(1H)-ones 3a,b,d were synthesized by chlorotrimethylsilane/HMDS-effected cyclization--rearrangement of the corresponding 6-amino-5-(formylamino)-5-R-2-mercaptopyrimidin-4(5H)-ones 2a,b,d (R = benzyl, 4-methylbenzyl and 5-(benzyloxy)pentyl). Compounds 3a,b were further transformed into 4-thiones 5a,b and 4-dimethylamino derivatives 7a,b. Preparation of S-methyl, S-benzyl, and S-(4-methylbenzyl) derivatives 12-19 was carried out by the treatment of thioxo compounds 3b,d, 5b, and 8b in an alcohol/potassium carbonate system with methyl iodide or the appropriate aralkyl bromide. Simultaneous presence of the benzyl and thio structural units was found to be indispensable for any selective biological activity. Some 2-thio substituted compounds were specifically inhibitory to some viruses, e.g., 8-(4-methylbenzyl)-2-[(4-methylbenzyl) thio]imidazo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazin-4-one (13) and 8-[5-(benzyloxy)pentyl]-2-[(4-methylbenzyl)thio]imidazo [1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazin-4-one (15) inhibited influenza A virus at a concentration of 4.1 and 5.3 microM, and 2-(benzylthio)-6, 8-dimethylimidazo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazin-4-one (16) and 6, 8-dimethyl-2-[(4-methylbenzyl)thio]imidazo[1,5-a]1,3, 5-triazin-4-one (17) inhibited respiratory syncytial virus at a concentration of 21.9 and 15.7 microM, respectively, that is, at concentrations that were 20-50-fold lower than the cytotoxic concentrations. Compound 13 was inhibitory to respiratory syncytial virus at a concentration of 1.4 microM, that is, at a concentration that was 180-fold lower than the cytotoxic concentration to MDCK or Vero cells but only 7-fold lower than the cytotoxic concentration to HeLa cells. The 4-thiones 5a,b were nonselectively inhibitory to ortho-and paramyxoviruses at concentrations that coincided with their cytotoxic concentrations.

Tricyclic analogues of acyclovir and ganciclovir. Influence of substituents in the heterocyclic moiety on the antiviral activity.

The effect of substitution in the tricyclic moiety of 3,9-dihydro-9-oxo-5H-imidazo[1,2-alpha]purine (1,N-2-ethenoguanine) analogues of acyclovir (1) and ganciclovir (2) on their physical properties and antiherpetic activity was investigated by synthesizing a series of compounds substituted in the 2, 6, or 7 position (6-14). Substitution in the 6-position with phenyl or 4-biphenylyl resulted in fluorescent compounds (7, 9, 13, 14). In general, the substituent in the 6 position potentiated the antiviral activity. The fluorescent 6-phenyl derivatives: 3,9-dihydro-3-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-9-oxo-6-phenyl-5H-imidaxo[ 1,2-alpha]purine (7) and its 3-[(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl] congener (13) were the most potent tricyclic analogues of 1 and 2, respectively. Compound 7 was inhibitory to TK+ HSV-1, TK+ HSV-2, and TK+ VZV within the concentration range of 0.2-2.0 micrograms/mL, well below the cytotoxicity threshold (50 to > 100 micrograms/mL). Compound 13 was inhibitory to TK+ HSV-1 and TK+ HSV-2 within the concentration range of 0.005-0.3 microgram/mL and to TK+ and TK- VZV within the concentration range of 0.4-3 micrograms/mL (cytotoxicity threshold > 200 micrograms/mL). Both 7 and 13 seem to be promising candidate compounds for the noninvasive diagnosis of herpesvirus infections.

Synthesis and antiviral activity of 3-substituted derivatives of 3,9-dihydro-9-oxo-5H-imidazo[1,2-a]purines, tricyclic analogues of acyclovir and ganciclovir.

9-[(2-Hydroxyethoxy)methyl]guanine (acyclovir, 1a) and 9-[(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl]guanine (DHPG, ganciclovir, 1b) were transformed to their respective tricyclic derivatives, 3-substituted 3,9-dihydro-9-oxo-5H-imidazo[1,2-a]purines 2b, 3a, and 3b. The 6-methyl-substituted compound 2b was obtained following reaction of 1b with bromoacetone. A two-step approach via 1-(2,2-diethoxyethyl) intermediates 4a,b was the most effective for the preparation of the derivatives unsubstituted in the appended ring (3a,b). The novel acyclonucleosides, in particular ganciclovir derivative 2b, proved markedly active against herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus, and cytomegalovirus.

Chemical synthesis and spontaneous glycosidic hydrolysis of 3-methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine and 2'-deoxywyosine [1].

3-methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine (1a) is obtained from 2'-deoxyguanosine by a reaction sequence involving conversion into tricyclic 1,N-2-isopropeno derivative (4-desmethyl-2'-deoxywyosine, 3a) followed by methylation which results in 2'-deoxywyosine (2a) and final removal of the 1,N-2 blocking system. Compounds 1a and 2a undergo spontaneous hydrolytic cleavage of their glycosidic bonds at pH 7, 37 degrees C, which makes them the most labile of all known nucleosides composed of structural units occurring in nature.

Synthesis and antiviral activity of novel N-substituted derivatives of acyclovir.

Novel N-substituted derivatives of acyclovir (1a) were synthesized and evaluated for their antiviral, antimetabolic, and antitumor cell properties in vitro. Monomethylation of 1a at positions 1, 7, and N-2 gave compounds 2-4, respectively. When positions 1 and N-2 were linked together by an isopropeno group, the tricyclic 9-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-1,N-2-isopropenoguanine (5) was obtained. Compound 5 was then further methylated at positions N-2 and 7 to give 6 and 7, respectively. None of the new acyclovir derivatives showed any appreciable antimetabolic or antitumor cell activity. However, compounds 2 and 5 exhibited a marked antiherpetic activity. Their activity spectrum was similar to that of acyclovir, and their selectivity as inhibitors of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) was at least as great as, if not greater than, that of acyclovir.

Thermal 7-9 transglycosylation of purine nucleosides and their analogues.

A novel thermal 7 in equilibrium 9 transglycosylation reaction was studied in the series of fully acetylated purine ribonucleosides and their 2-acetoxyethoxymethyl analogues. Ratio 7- to 9-isomers in the resultant mixtures was determined by the proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Kinetics and mechanism of the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of a hypermodified nucleoside wyosine and its 5'-monophosphate.

The rates of acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of a hypermodified nucleoside, wyosine and its 5'-monophosphate were determined at various pH, temperature and buffer concentrations. The results show that despite distinct differences in structure and the glycosyl bond stability, the hydrolysis of wyosine proceeds via cleavage of the C-N bond by A-1 mechanism, analogously to simple nucleosides. Unlike majority of other monophosphates studied so far, wyosine 5'-monophosphate is not more stable than respective nucleoside.

Methylation of desmethyl analogue of Y nucleosides. Wyosine from guanosine.

Wyosine la, one of the fluorescent hypermodified Y nucleosides found in tRNAsPhe, was synthesized chemically from its biogenetic precursor guanosine 2. The route involved transformation of 2 into the tricyclic structure 3a and subsequent methylation at N-4. The major products of various methylation procedures were isomers of wyosine, methylated at N-5 (3b) or at N-1 (4). Mesoionic compound 4 is a new analogue of 7-methylguanosine 5, modified nucleoside occurring in the unique positions in transfer, messenger and ribosomal RNAs. The chromatographic and spectral characteristics of wyosine and its isomers is given.

Steric and charge factors in the resistance of uridylyl(3' - 5')N6-(N-threonylcarbonyl)adenosine to venom phosphodiesterase hydrolysis.

The contribution of steric and negative charge factors to the resistance of uridylyl(3' - 5')N6-(N-threonylcarbonyl)adenosine to venom phosphodiesterase was investigated. The hydrolysis rates of uridylyl(3'-5')N6-(N-threonylcarbonyl)-adenosine, its model derivatives, methyl ester and O-benzyl ester, together with unmodified uridyly (3'-5')adenosine, were studied. It was found that the contribution of both factors is of the same order. The steric inhibition of digestion is distinctly higher than that confirmed by N6-(delta2-isopentenyl)adenosine [1], which is ascribed to the rigid conformation of the threonylcarbonyladenosine side chain.