2',3'-Dideoxythymidine permeation of the human erythrocyte membrane by nonfacilitated diffusion

The influx of 2',3'-dideoxythymidine into human erythrocytes was characterized to gain insight into the molecular properties of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine which allow this latter nucleoside analog to permeate cell membranes by nonfacilitated diffusion (J. Biol. Chem. 262, 5748-5754 (1987]. The influx of 2',3'-dideoxythymidine was (1) nonconcentrative, (2) a linear function of permeant concentration (0.05 to 12 mM), and (3) insensitive to potent inhibitors of nucleoside transport and to permeants of either the nucleoside or nucleobase transporter. It is concluded that 2',3'-dideoxythymidine, like 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine, permeates the human erythrocyte membrane predominantly by nonfacilitated diffusion. This unusual characteristic of these two nucleoside analogs is attributed both to their lack of a 3'-hydroxyl moiety, a structural determinant which appears to be important for transport by the nucleoside carrier, and to their relatively high partition coefficients (greater than or equal to 0.2).     

Inhibition of replication of human hepatitis B virus

Several nucleoside 5'-triphosphate analogs were investigated as inhibitors of human hepatitis B virus replication. Different analogs inhibited DNA synthesis differently, 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine 5'triphosphate being the most active compound. This inhibitor blocked DNA synthesis by 50% at inhibitor: substrate molar ratio 1:8, and by 80% - at 1:1. The hypothesis is formulated that 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine 5'-triphosphate inhibits RNA directed viral DNA replication due to incorporation of this compound into 3'-termini of newly synthesized DNA chains. The phenomenon observed opens new possibilities for chemotherapy of acute and chronic human hepatitis B.     

Synthesis of new terminator substrates for DNA-polymerases-- nucleoside-5'-triphosphates with modified carbohydrate residue

Synthesis of 3'-chloro- and 3'-cyanothio-2',3'-dideoxythymidine by the reaction of 2,3'-anhydro-2'-deoxythymidine with ammonium chloride and lithium thiocyanate, respectively, has been developed. In addition, 3'-methanesulphonylamido- and 3'-sulphonylamido-2',3'-dideoxythymidines were synthesized starting from 3'-amino-2',3'-dideoxythymidine. All these compounds along with 2',3'-anhydroriboadenosine,2',3'-anhydrolyxoadenosine, 2',3'-O-isopropylidenecytidine, and 2,3'-anhydro-2'-deoxythymidine were transformed into 5'-triphosphates by treatment with phosphoryl tris-1,2,4-triazolide and then with bis(tri-n-butylammonium)pyrophosphate. All 5'-triphosphates of nucleoside analogues were tested as termination substrates in cell-free systems with various DNA polymerases.     

Diverging substrate specificity of pure human thymidine kinases 1 and 2 against antiviral dideoxynucleosides

The two thymidine (dThd) kinases in human cells, the cytosolic, S-phase-specific TK1 and the mitochondrial, constitutively expressed TK2 were purified to homogeneity as judged from sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. The substrate specificity of TK1 and TK2 toward natural substrates and important nucleoside analogues was compared. With TK1, the Km values for 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd), 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT), and 3'-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (FLT) were 2.2, 0.6, and 2.1 microM as compared to 0.5 microM for dThd and 9 microM for deoxyuridine (dUrd). With TK2, dUrd, deoxycytidine (dCyd), and 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd) were efficiently phosphorylated, but with distinctly different kinetics: Michaelis-Menten kinetics with dCyd, dUrd, and FdUrd; negative cooperativity with dThd. Negative cooperativity was also observed with AZT, although this drug was a very poor substrate for TK2 with a Vmax of 5-6% of that with dThd. FLT, 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddCyd), and arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC) were not substrates for TK2, and 2',3'-didehydrodideoxy-thymidine (D4T) was not a substrate for TK1 or TK2. On the other hand, AZT, FLT, and D4T were competitive inhibitors with Ki values of 0.6, 6, and 2073 microM for TK1, and 2, 10, and 78 microM for TK2, respectively. The much lower tolerance for modifications of the deoxyribose moiety of TK2 as compared to TK1 is important for the design of new antiviral nucleoside analogues intended for use in cells with different expression of TK1 and TK2.     

3'-(N-hydroxyimino)-2',3-dideoxynucleosides and their derivatives: synthesis, broad spectrum antiviral properties and synthetical application for the preparation of other nucleoside analogues.

A series of 3'-(N-hydroxyimino)-2',3'-dideoxynucleosides bearing different nucleic bases has been prepared. In vitro antiviral activity studies showed that among these compounds the thymine derivative possesses significant activity against HIV, HSV, EBV and HBV. Conveniently 5'-protected 3'-(N-hydroxyimino)-2',3'-dideoxythymidine was further used as a synthon for the preparation of other nucleoside analogues.     

Synthesis and anti-HIV activities of symmetrical dicarboxylate esters of dinucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors

Three nucleoside analogues, 3'-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (FLT), 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT), and 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC) were conjugated with three different dicarboxylic acids to afford the long chain dicarboxylate esters of nucleosides. In general, dinucleoside ester conjugates of FLT and 3TC with long chain dicarboxylic acids exhibited higher anti-HIV activity than their parent nucleosides. Dodecanoate and tetradecanoate dinucleoside ester derivatives of FLT were found to be the most potent compounds with EC(50) values of 0.8-1.0nM and 3-4nM against HIV-1(US/92/727) and HIV-1(IIIB) cells, respectively. The anti-HIV activity of the 3TC conjugates containing long chain dicarboxylate diester (EC(50)=3-60nM) was improved by 1.5-66 fold when compared to 3TC (EC(50)=90-200nM). This study reveals that the symmetrical ester conjugation of dicarboxylic acids with a number of nucleosides results in conjugates with improved anti-HIV profile.     

Synthesis and anti-HIV activity of beta-D-3'-azido-2',3'-unsaturated nucleosides and beta-D-3'-azido-3'-deoxyribofuranosylnucleosides

Since the discovery of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) and 2',3'-didehydro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (d4T) as potent and selective inhibitors of the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), there has been a growing interest for the synthesis of 2',3'-didehydro-2',3'dideoxynucleosides with electron withdrawing groups on the sugar moiety. Here we described an efficient method for the synthesis of such nucleoside analogs bearing structural features of both AZT and d4T The key intermediate, 3-azido-1,2-bis-O-acetyl-5-O-benzoyl-3-deoxy-D-ribofuranose, 5 was synthesized from commercially available D-xylose in five steps, from which a series of pyrimidine and purine nucleosides were synthesized in high yields. The resultant protected nucleosides were converted to target nucleosides using appropriate chemical modifications. The final nucleosides were evaluated as potential anti-HIV agents.     

Suppression of the human immunodeficiency virus in cultured cells by 5'-phosphites of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxynucleosides]

5'-Phosphites (5'-hydrogenphosphonates) of 3'-azido-2'-, 3'-dideoxynucleosides are shown to be effective inhibitors of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) in MT4 cell culture. 5'-Phosphite of 3'-azido-2', 3'-dideoxythymidine was the most active among these compounds and even a little more active as compared to the well-known anti-AIDS drug 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine; at the same time 5'-phosphites of 3'-azido-2',3' -dideoxynucleosides with adenine, guanine and cytosine bases were more active than the corresponding nucleosides. The toxicity of all four phosphites was comparatively low and the equimolar mixture of all four phosphites was 2-3 fold less toxic than each of them separately. Data on the decreased toxicity of the phosphite mixture are explained from the viewpoint of a decreased pool disbalance of natural 2'-deoxynucleoside 5'-triphosphates in cells; a significant pool disbalance is developed in the case of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine action.     

5-Fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine has effects on mitochondria in CEM T-lymphoblast cells

Fluoropyrimidines are useful anticancer agents and the compound 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdUrd) plays an important role in chemotherapy of colon cancers. Several nucleoside analogs, such as 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) and 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (ddC), can be incorporated into and cause depletion of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). These drugs are known to cause mitochondrial toxicity after prolonged treatment in patients. In this study we demonstrate that FdUrd reduces the mtDNA content and the expression level of the mtDNA encoded cytochrome c oxidase (COX II) in a CEM T-lymphoblastic cell line.     

Novel isosteric, isopolar phosphonate analogs of oligonucleotides: preparation and properties

A synthetic approach leading to novel-type modified oligothymidylates containing an isosteric, isopolar, enzyme-stable C3'-O-P-CH(2)-O-C4' phosphonate alternative to phosphodiester internucleotide bond was elaborated. The suitable monomers were prepared from 4'-phosphonomethoxy derivatives of alpha-L-threo and beta-D-erythro-2',5'-dideoxythymidine, which were considered interesting as structurally related to nucleoside 5'-monophosphates. The phosphotriester method was applied to the automated synthesis of both homooligomeric phosphonate 15-mer chains and alternating phosphonate-phosphate constructs. The fully modified homooligomers did not hybridize while homooligomers with alternating sequences containing alpha-L-threo-configured units (but not beta-D-erythro-) showed a significant decrease in T(m) values in comparison with natural dT(15). For a comparative study, phosphodiester 4'-CH(3)-substituted oligothymidylate was synthesized and physical studies (NMR, CD, MDS modeling) were undertaken to shed more light on the changes in conformational behavior arising from the chosen structural alterations.