Synthesis and antiviral evaluation of carbocyclic analogues of 2-amino-6-substituted-purine 3'-deoxyribofuranosides.

Carbocyclic analogues of 2-amino-6-substituted-purine 3'-deoxyribofuranosides were synthesized by beginning with (+/-)-(1 alpha,3 alpha,4 beta)-3-amino-4-hydroxycyclopentanemethanol and 2-amino-4,6-dichloropyrimidine. The route parallels the earlier syntheses of the corresponding ribofuranoside and 2'-deoxyribofuranoside analogues. The 2-amino-6-chloropurine, guanine, and 2,6-diaminopurine derivatives and the analogous 8-azapurines were prepared. The analogue (3'-CDG) of 3'-deoxyguanosine is active in vitro against a strain of type 1 herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) that induces thymidine kinase and is modestly active against a thymidine kinase inducing strain of type 2 HSV. 3'-CDG is not active against a strain of HSV-1 that lacks the thymidine kinase inducing capacity, whereas the carbocyclic analogue of 2-amino-6-chloropurine 3'-deoxyribofuranoside is active against that strain. The carbocyclic analogue of 2,6-diaminopurine 3'-deoxyribofuranoside displayed modest activity in vitro against influenza virus.

Resolution of racemic carbocyclic analogues of purine nucleosides through the action of adenosine deaminase. Antiviral activity of the carbocyclic 2'-deoxyguanosine enantiomers.

The action of adenosine deaminase on racemic carbocyclic analogues of 6-aminopurine nucleosides was investigated. When either racemic carbocyclic adenosine [(+/-)-C-Ado] or the racemic carbocyclic analogue [(+/-)-C-2,6-DAP-2'-dR] of 2,6-diaminopurine 2'-deoxyribofuranoside was incubated with this enzyme, approximately half of the material was deaminated rapidly. From the resulting solution, the D isomers of the deaminated carbocyclic analogues (D-carbocyclic inosine, D-C-Ino, or D-carbocyclic 2'-deoxyguanosine, D-2'-CDG) and the L isomers of the undeaminated carbocyclic analogues were isolated. At higher concentrations of the enzyme, deamination of L-C-Ado and L-C-2,6-DAP-2'-dR proceeded slowly, thus also making the other enantiomers accessible. In tests in vitro against herpes simplex virus, types 1 and 2, D-2'-CDG was as active and potent as (+/-)-2'-CDG, whereas L-2'-CDG displayed only modest activity. In contrast to the previously reported high activity and potency of (+/-)-C-2,6-DAP-2'-dR against these two viruses, L-C-2,6-DAP-2'-dR was inactive.

Carbocyclic analogues of 5-halocytosine nucleosides.

Carbocyclic analogues of 5-halocytosine nucleosides were prepared by direct halogenation of the carbocyclic analogues of cytidine, 2'-deoxycytidine, 3'-deoxycytidine, or ara-C. The 5-chloro and 5-bromo derivatives of the cytidine (carbodine) and of the 2'-deoxycytidine analogues and the 5-iodo derivatives of all four of the cytosine nucleoside analogues were prepared. All of the C-5-halocytosine nucleosides, as well as the parent C-cytosine nucleosides, were tested against a strain of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) that induces thymidine kinase in host cells. Carbodine, 5-bromocarbodine, C-2'-deoxycytidine, C-5-bromo-2'-deoxycytidine, the four C-5-iodocytosine nucleosides, and C-ara-C inhibited replication of this strain of HSV-1 in cultured cells. Most of these compounds were tested also against the type 2 virus (HSV-2) in vitro and were active. The greatest activity observed was exerted by C-5-iodo-2'-deoxycytidine in inhibiting replication of HSV-1 in L929 cells. In tests against these DNA viruses, carbodine, a ribofuranoside analogue that had been shown previously to be highly active against human influenza A virus in vitro, was the most active compound against HSV-2 and one of the most active compounds against HSV-1 in Vero cells. 5-Bromocarbodine was active against influenza virus, but it was less active than carbodine.

Carbocyclic analogues of 5'-amino-5'-deoxy- and 3'-amino-3'-deoxythymidines.

The carbocyclic analogue of 5'-amino-5'-deoxythymidine was synthesized from the carbocyclic analogue of 2,5'-O-anhydrothymidine acetate. The carbocyclic analogues of 3'-amino-3'-deoxythymidine and of 1-(3'-amino-2',3'-di-deoxylyxofuranosyl)thymine (an all-cis structure) were synthesized from the carbocyclic analogues of 5'-O-trityl-2,3'-O-anhydrothymidine and 5'-O-trityl-3'-O-(methylsulfonyl)thymidine, respectively. The carbocyclic analogue of 5'-amino-5'-deoxythymidine inhibited cytopathogenic effects (CPE) induced by a TK+ strain of type 1 herpes simplex virus replicating in L929 (mouse connective tissue) cells, but it did not inhibit CPE in Vero cells. In contrast, the all-cis-3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine analogue demonstrated modest inhibition of CPE in Vero cells, but not in L929 cells.

Synthesis and antiviral activity of the carbocyclic analogues of 5-ethyl-2'-deoxyuridine and of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine.

The carbocyclic analogue of the antiviral agent 5-ethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EDU) was synthesized by two routes. The pivotal step in the first route is the reaction of lithium dimethylcuprate with the carbocyclic analogue of 5-(bromomethyl)-2'-deoxyuridine dibenzoate (6). The second route is based on the synthesis of the carbocyclic analogue of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (12) by a coupling reaction catalyzed by bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) chloride and copper(I) iodide, a method reported recently (Robins and Barr) for the synthesis of the true nucleoside 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (1b). The carbocyclic analogue of EDU inhibits the replication of type 1 and type 2 herpes simplex viruses in Vero cells. The carbocyclic analogue of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine has modest activity against herpes simplex virus, types 1 and 2.

Synthesis and antiviral activity of carbocyclic analogues of 2'-deoxyribofuranosides of 2-amino-6-substituted-purines and of 2-amino-6-substituted-8-azapurines.

(+/-)-(1 alpha, 2 beta, 4 alpha)-4-[(2,5-Diamino-6-chloro-4-pyrimidinyl) amino]-2-hydroxycyclopentanemethanol (9) was synthesized by beginning with 2-amino-4,6-dichloropyrimidine and (+/-)-1 alpha, 2 beta, 4 alpha)-4-amino-2-hydroxycyclopentanemethanol, preparing the 5-[(4-chlorophenyl)azo] derivative of the resulting pyrimidine, and reducing the azo derivative. The carbocyclic analogue of 2-amino-6-chloropurine 2'-deoxyribofuranoside (10) was prepared from 9 and triethyl orthoformate, and the analogous 8-azapurine (11) was obtained by diazotizing 9. From 10 or 11, the carbocyclic analogues of 2'-deoxyguanosine, 2'-deoxythioguanosine, 2,6-diaminopurine 2'-deoxyribofuranoside, 2'-deoxy-8-azaguanosine, and 2,6-diamino-8-azapurine 2'-deoxyribofuranoside were prepared. All of these 2'-deoxyribofuranoside analogues were active against herpes simplex virus (types 1 and 2) replicating in cells in culture; some demonstrated potent activity.

Synthesis and properties of some 13-cis- and all-trans-retinamides.

Several 13-cis-retinamides were synthesized from 13-cis-retinoic acid via either 13-cis-retinoyl chloride or 13-cis-1-retinoylimidazole. All-trans-retinoylglycine was prepared from all-trans-retinoyl chloride and ethyl glycinate. Detailed procedures were developed for the preparation of other all-trans-retinamides on a large scale for studies of the chemoprevention of cancer.

Carbocyclic analogues of 5-substituted uracil nucleosides: synthesis and antiviral activity.

Carbocyclic analogues of 3'-deoxyuridines, 3'-deoxyuridines, and uridines with substituents at position 5 of the uracil moiety were prepared by direct halogenation (5-bromo and 5-iodo groups) and by displacement of the 5-bromo group by amino and substituted-amino groups. The analogue of 5-(hydroxymethyl)uridine was prepared via reaction of the isopropylidene derivative of the uridine analogue with paraformaldehyde. The carbocyclic analogues of thymidine and of 5-bromo-, 5-iodo-, and 5-(methylamino)-2'-deoxyuridine were highly active in vitro against herpes simplex virus, types 1 and 2. The corresponding analogues of 5-substituted 3'-deoxyuridines and of 5-substituted uridines were not active in this assay.

Evaluation of carbodine, the carbocyclic analog of cytidine, and related carbocyclic analogs of pyrimidine nucleosides for antiviral activity against human influenza Type A viruses.

Carbodine, the carbocyclic analog of cytidine, was found to possess significant antiviral activity against influenza virus types A0/PR-8/34 and A2/Aichi/2/68 (Hong Kong) in vitro. The compound selectively inhibited PR-8 influenza virus-induced cytopathogenic effects in Madin-Darby canine kidney and inhibited Hong Kong influenza virus replication in primary rhesus monkey kidney cell cultures. The 50% minimum inhibitory concentration for inhibition of human influenza type A viruses by carbodine was approximately 2.6 microgram/ml (i.e., in the range of antiviral potency of ribavirin, but less potent than amantadine hydrochloride in concomitant assays). The fact that carbodine is metabolized to carbodine triphosphate in mammalian cells makes interference with the viral ribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase reaction a likely possibility for its principal mode of action. The carbocyclic analogs of uridine (the deamination product of carbodine), 2'-deoxycytidine, 3'-deoxycytidine, N,N-dimethylcytidine, N-methylcytidine, and some related carbocyclic analogs of pyrimidine nucleosides were inactive against PR-8 influenza virus in vitro. The combination of carbodine plus tetrahydrouridine was no more effective in vitro than carbodine alone, thus indirectly indicating that deamination of carbodine probably did not occur to a significant degree during the cell culture experiments. Although reproducibly active in vitro, carbodine did not exhibit any efficacy against lethal influenza virus infections in mice when administered by either the intraperitoneal or intranasal routes up to dose-limiting toxic levels.

Synthesis of 5-(3, 3-disubstituted-1-triazenyl) imidazole-4-carbonitriles.

The 3, 3-dimethyl-, 3-n-butyl-3-methyl-, 3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methyl-, 3,3-bis(2-fluoroethyl)-, and 3, 3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-triazenyl derivatives of imidazole-4-carbonitrile were prepared from 5-diazoimidazole-4-carbonitrile, a stable compound which produced a mass spectrum consistent with its structure. In contrast to the corresponding carboxamides, none of the triazenylimidazole-4-carbonitriles were active against lymphatic leukemia L-1210 im mice. Like the analogous carboxamide, the bis(2-chloroethyl) triazene readily cyclizes to the 1, 2, 3-triazolinium chloride.