Effect of DNA polymerase inhibitors on repair of gamma ray-induced DNA damage in proliferating (intact versus permeable) human fibroblasts: evidence for differences in the modes of action of aphidicolin and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine.

The mammalian DNA polymerase inhibitors aphidicolin and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC), when used in combination, inhibit the repair of DNA damage induced by gamma rays or 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide in normal human fibroblasts to an extent 2- to 4-fold greater than that seen with each inhibitor alone. Thus either aphidicolin modulates the rate of intracellular accumulation of araC 5'-triphosphate (araCTP), the presumed rate-limiting step in the genotoxic action of araC, or aphidicolin and araC inhibit repair by different mechanisms. To explore these possibilities, we compared the effects of aphidicolin, araC, araCTP, and 2',3'-dideoxythymidine triphosphate (ddTTP) on repair of DNA damage induced by 60Co gamma radiation in intact versus permeable human fibroblasts. Both aphidicolin and araC strongly inhibited repair in permeable cells, as indicated by the accumulation of DNA strand breaks in irradiated cultures that were subsequently treated with saponin (25 micrograms/ml; 10 min) and incubated for 2 h with either chemical. The extent of repair inhibition by each drug was comparable in intact and permeable cells, amounting to approximately 1.1 sites/10(8) daltons/2 h upon exposure to 150 Gy. The active metabolite of araC, araCTP, did not inhibit repair in intact cells, but did so in permeable cells to an extent within the range of that seen with araC or aphidicolin alone. The incidence of DNA strand breaks accumulating in gamma-irradiated permeable cultures as a result of incubation with araCTP plus aphidicolin, or araC plus aphidicolin, was approximately 2-fold greater than that arising in parallel cultures which had been incubated with optimal concentrations of each of the three drugs alone. Although the resolution of our assays compelled us to monitor repair events in moribund cell populations, we have reason to be confident that within the short post-irradiation period considered here, the observed drug-accumulated breaks truly represent functional repair inhibition and not merely abortive pathological responses. We thus conclude that (1) the accumulation of araCTP in intact cells is not limiting the ability of araC to inhibit DNA repair; and (2) the mode of the inhibitory action of araC/araCTP on gamma ray repair is different from that of aphidicolin. In contrast to the observations with these chemicals, ddTTP (20 microM), a potent inhibitor of DNA polymerase beta, did not produce any measurable effect on DNA repair in gamma-irradiated permeable fibroblasts, nor did it enhance the efficacy of araC, araCTP or aphidicolin to inhibit repair. These results strongly suggest that DNA polymerase beta plays no significant role in the repair of gamma radioproducts in human fibroblasts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Two syntheses of 3-amino-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranosyl 3-amino-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranoside, a new analog of alpha,alpha-trehalose, involving reduction of a diazide and reductive amination of a diketone.

A new diamino sugar, 3-amino-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranosyl 3-amino-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranoside (5) was synthesized by two routes starting from alpha,alpha-trehalose. The first route involved reduction and deprotection of a previously described, benzylidenated diazido analog. The second approach proceeded from the known 2,2'-di-O-benzyl-4,6;4',6'-bis-O-benzylidene derivative of alpha-D-altropyranosyl alpha-D-altropyranoside, to the corresponding 3,3'-diketone, which was subjected to reductive amination with sodium cyanoborohydride and ammonium acetate. The major product, separated in 39% yield from by-products after N-acetylation, was deprotected to give 5. Four by-products were isolated in low yields and determined to be monoaminated analogs which comprise two epimeric, 3'-hydroxy structures and two 3'-epimeric, 3'-cyano-3'-hydroxy structures in their non-aminated residues. A number of observations concerning the 13C- and 1H-n.m.r. spectra of the products are discussed, especially with regard to chemical-shift dependencies for certain ring and substituent protons, and attention is drawn to some inter-residue shielding phenomena.

Nucleophilic ring-opening in a carbohydrate nitrocyclopropane: a stereospecific approach to chiral isoalkyl structures.

Chemical reactions to open the cyclopropane ring in (1R)-1,2-dideoxy-3,4:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-1,2-C-methylene-1-nitro-D-m annitol (1) were investigated. Catalytic hydrogenation over Pd-C produced the corresponding 1-amino compound, isolated as its N-acetyl derivative, but failed to cleave the ring. However, ring opening succeeded by nucleophilic addition of sodium thiophenoxide to 1, giving 1,2-dideoxy-3,4:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-1-nitro-2-C- (phenylthio)methyl-D-mannitol. The latter reacted further with thiophenoxide to furnish phenyl 2-deoxy-3,4:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-2-C-(phenylthio)methyl-D- mannothiohydroximate. Raney nickel converted both of these thio sugar derivatives into the same product, namely, 1-acetamido-1,2-dideoxy-3,4:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-2-C-methyl-D-mannito l. The use of these transformations for the design of stereospecific syntheses of chiral isoalkyl structures is proposed.

Solubility, dissolution rate and phase transition studies of ranitidine hydrochloride tautomeric forms.

Understanding the polymorphic behavior of pharmaceutical solids during the crystallization process and further in post-processing units is crucial to meet medical and legal requirements. In this study, an analytical technique was developed for determining the composition of two solid forms of ranitidine hydrochloride using two peaks of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra without the need to grind the samples. Solubility studies of ranitidine hydrochloride showed that Form 2 has a higher solubility than Form 1. Solution-mediated transformation is very slow and occurs from Form 2 to Form 1 and not the reverse. No solid-solid transformation was observed due to grinding or compressing the pure samples of either forms and of a 50/50 wt.% mixture. Grinding was found to be a proper technique for increasing the bulk solid density of the ranitidine hydrochloride without the risk of solid-solid transformation. Dissolution rate found to be equally fast for both forms. The solubility data were modeled using the group contribution parameters and UNIversal QUAsi-Chemical (UNIQUAC) theory. There was a good agreement between the experimental solubility data of ranitidine hydrochloride and the results of UNIQUAC equation.

Sensitivity of equine herpesviruses 1 and 3 in vitro to a new nucleoside analogue, 9-[[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl) ethoxy] methyl] guanine.

The following members of the Herpetoviridae family were tested to determine their sensitivities to the new antiviral drug, BIOLF-62: equine herpesvirus types 1 and 3, human herpesvirus types 1 and 2, swine herpesvirus, bovine herpesvirus type 4, feline herpesvirus, canine herpesvirus, and herpes simiae virus. Equine herpesviruses 1 and 3, human herpesviruses 1 and 2, and herpes simiae virus were all sensitive to BIOLF-62 at concentrations of less than 0.55 micrograms/ml. Equine herpesvirus types 1 and 3 were particularly sensitive, viral median effective dose (ED50) concentrations of the drug being only 0.033 and 0.16 micrograms/ml, respectively. Such high antiviral potency and low cell toxicity indicate that BIOLF-62 might be useful in the treatment of infected animals.

Comparative genotoxicity of 2,3'-O-cyclocytidine, beta-xylocytidine and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine in human tumor cell lines.

We have investigated the genotoxicity of two 3'-derivatives of cytidine, 2,3'-O-cyclocytidine (3'-cycloC) and beta-xylocytidine (xyloC), in human leukemia and solid tumor cell lines. Both derivatives were found to be cytotoxic at micromolar concentrations. For example, in the alveolar tumor cell line A549 which was included in all experiments as a reference, drug concentrations required to induce 50% inhibition of cell growth (D50 values) equalled 55 microM for 3'-cycloC and 80 microM for xyloC. Compared with the response of this reference cell line, none of the solid tumor cell lines tested--representing five different malignancies--displayed significant hypersensitivity to these drugs, while the acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines proved to be hypersensitive (range of D50 values, 5-13 microM). To gain insight into the modes of cytotoxic action of xyloC and 3'-cycloC, we compared the effect on DNA metabolism of these compounds with that of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC), a potent inhibitor of semi-conservative DNA replication and long-patch excision repair. As seen with araC, the xylo compound strongly inhibited both DNA replicative synthesis and the repair of DNA damage induced by UV light and 60Co gamma-radiation. In gamma-irradiated A549 cells, the extent of repair inhibition by 1 mM xyloC was approximately 40% of that inhibited by araC, and concomitant exposure of the irradiated cultures to xyloC plus araC gave rise to a synergistic response. Since araC was employed at a concentration (0.1 mM) which produced a maximal effect on DNA repair when applied alone, the observed synergistic response implies that the mode of action of xyloC on DNA repair is different from that of araC. In contrast to that observed with xyloC, 3'-cycloC proved to be a very weak inhibitor of DNA replication and repair, strongly suggesting that the genotoxic action of the latter analog may be through a mechanism other than inhibition of DNA synthesis.

A new nucleoside analog, 9-[[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxyl]methyl]guanine, highly active in vitro against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2.

A novel nucleoside analog, 9-[[2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethoxy]methyl]-guanine (BIOLF-62), was found to have potent antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 at concentrations well below cytotoxic levels. For example, the Patton strain of herpes simplex virus type 1 was susceptible at concentrations 140- to 2,900-fold below that which inhibited cell division by 50%, depending upon the cell line used for assay. Different herpesvirus strains varied considerably in their susceptibility to the drug, as did results obtained with the same virus strain in different cell lines. BIOLF-62 compared favorably with 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine and acyclovir with respect to ratios of viral to cell inhibitory drug concentrations. Patterns of drug resistance to herpesvirus mutants suggested that the primary mode of action of BIOLF-62 is different from that of known antiviral compounds. Human adenovirus type 2, varicella-zoster virus, and Epstein-Barr virus were inhibited by this drug but at concentrations within the cell inhibitory range. Vaccinia virus and human cytomegalovirus were not inhibited at high drug concentrations.