Biomedical subjects

Jan Balzarini

Publications and source records attributed to Jan Balzarini.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Activity of reverse transcriptase inhibitors in monocyte-derived dendritic cells: a possible in vitro model for postexposure prophylaxis of sexual HIV transmission.

Because prevention of heterosexual HIV transmission is not always possible, it is important to develop effective strategies of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). Since in vivo comparison of drug potency is difficult, we developed an in vitro model with cells resembling primary targets during sexual transmission: monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MO-DCs), Langerhans cells (MO-LCs), and resting autologous CD4(+) T cells. Nucleoside and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs and NNRTIs, respectively) were evaluated for their antiviral activity, when added immediately after infection or at a later time point. In parallel, their immune-suppressive effect was examined by measuring inhibition of mixed MO-DC/allogeneic CD4(+) T cell cultures. Most RTIs potently inhibited HIV replication, even if added 24 hr after infection (representing PEP). The sensitivity to antiretroviral drugs was similar in HIV-infected MO-DCs and MO-LCs, but decreased in cocultures with resting autologous CD4(+) T cells. The NNRTIs efavirenz and UC-781 as well as the NRTIs AZT, 3TC, and d4T showed a similar high potency in MO-DC plus autologous CD4(+) T cell cocultures as compared with CEM T cells, whereas their activity in phytohemagglutinin/interleukin 2 (PHA/IL-2)-activated CD4(+) T cells was lower. The dideoxynucleoside RTI abacavir as well as the phosphonates (R)-PMPA and PMEA were more active in infected MO-DCs as compared with either CEM T cells or PHA/IL-2 activated CD4(+) T cells. Infection in cocultures of MO-DCs and autologous CD4(+) T cells could be aborted in a proportion of the cultures, with high concentrations of PMEA and/or efavirenz, but not with AZT. Suppressive activity in mixed leukocyte cultures was observed only at very high concentrations of RTI. Our data suggest that cocultures of MO-DCs and autologous CD4(+) T cells can be used as a possible in vitro model to explore protocols for PEP after sexual HIV transmission.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

PubMed2002

Acyclic nucleoside analogues as novel inhibitors of human mitochondrial thymidine kinase.

A series of acyclic nucleoside analogues of 5'-O-tritylthymidine have been synthesized and evaluated as potential human mitochondrial thymidine kinase (TK-2) inhibitors. In this series, the sugar moiety of the parent 5'-O-tritylthymidine has been replaced by aliphatic chains including (E)- and (Z)-butenol, butynol, or butanol. Among them the (Z)-butenyl derivative (10) showed an IC(50) against TK-2 of 1.5 microM, being 1 order of magnitude more potent than the parent 5'-O-tritylthymidine. This lead compound has been further modified by replacing the thymine base by other pyrimidine bases such as 5-iodouracil, 5-ethyluracil, 5-methylcytosine, 3-N-methylthymine, or 5,6-dihydrothymine, as well as by the purine base guanine. The trityl group has also been replaced by different aliphatic and aromatic acyl moieties including tert-butylacetyl, hexanoyl, decanoyl, and diphenylacetyl moieties. The evaluation of the compounds against TK-2 and the phylogenetically close HSV-1 TK has shown that the base moiety plays a crucial role in their interaction against these pyrimidine nucleoside kinases. Also, the presence of a lipophilic substituent, preferentially an aromatic moiety such as diphenylmethyl or triphenylmethyl, is required for efficient TK-2 inhibition. Whereas some compounds showed marked specificity for either TK-2 (i.e, the 5,6-dihydrothymine derivative, 26) or HSV-1 TK (i.e., the butynyl derivative, 11), some others, including the (Z)-and (E)-butenyl derivatives 10 and 12, showed significant inhibition against both enzymes. They also proved to be inhibitory against HSV-1 TK in intact human osteosarcoma cells that were transduced with the HSV-1 TK gene.

Catalysis↗

PubMed2002

Synthesis of 3' '-substituted TSAO derivatives with anti-HIV-1 and anti-HIV-2 activity through an efficient palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling approach.

Various synthetic studies for the introduction of several functional groups at position 3' ' of the spiro moiety of TSAO derivatives have been explored. Among them, Stille cross-coupling of 3' '-iodo-TSAO derivatives with different stannanes provided an efficient and straightforward route for the direct and selective functionalization of the 3' '-position of the sultone spiro moiety via carbon-carbon bond formation. The compounds synthesized were evaluated for their inhibitory effect on HIV-1 and HIV-2 replication in cell culture. The introduction of a bromine and particularly an iodine at the 3' '-position conferred the highest anti-HIV-1 activity. In contrast, the presence at this position of (un)substituted vinyl, alkynyl, phenyl, or thienyl groups markedly diminished the anti-HIV-1 activity. Surprisingly, several of the 3' '-alkenyl-substituted TSAO derivatives also gained anti-HIV-2 activity at subtoxic concentrations, an observation that is very unusual for NNRTIs and never observed before for TSAO derivatives. Finally, the anti-HIV-1 activity of some of the 3' '-substituted TSAO derivatives is discussed in light of our recently proposed molecular model of interaction of TSAO derivatives with the interphase between the two subunits of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

Catalysis↗

PubMed2002

Correlations between cytotoxicity and topography of some 2-arylidenebenzocycloalkanones determined by X-ray crystallography.

Three series of 2-arylidenebenzocycloalkanones 1-3 were prepared in order to compare the topography of the molecules with cytotoxicity. These compounds contain two aryl rings whose spatial relationships to each other were influenced by the size of the alicyclic ring and the nature of the substituents in the arylidene aryl rings. All compounds were evaluated against murine P388 and L1210 cells as well as human Molt 4/C8 and CEM T-lymphocytes. From these results, 1l and 2c,l emerged as useful lead molecules and 1l was shown to significantly inhibit macromolecular DNA, RNA, and protein syntheses in L1210 cells. Various interatomic distances, bond angles, and a torsion angle of 19 representative compounds were determined by X-ray crystallography, and correlations between these data and the cytotoxicity were noted in nearly 40% of the cases examined. Structure-activity relationships revealed that in general, the steric properties of the groups in the arylidene aryl ring, as revealed by measurements of the molar refractivity values, contributed more to bioactivity than the electronic and hydrophobic properties of the aryl substituents. The compounds displayed little murine toxicity, which favors the decision to develop these molecules as cytotoxic and anticancer agents.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

The A167Y mutation converts the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase into a guanosine analogue kinase.

The thymidine (dThd) kinase (TK) encoded by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is not only endowed with dThd kinase, but also with thymidylate (dTMP) kinase and 2'-deoxycytidine (dCyd) kinase (dCK) activity. HSV-1 TK also recognizes a variety of antiherpetic guanine nucleoside analogues such as acyclovir (ACV), ganciclovir (GCV), lobucavir (LBV), penciclovir (PCV), and others (i.e., A5021). Site-directed mutagenesis of the highly conserved Ala-167 to Tyr in HSV-1 TK completely abolished TK, dTMP-K, and dCK activity, but maintained ACV-, GCV-, LBV-, PCV-, and A5021-phosphorylating capacity. A variety of 5-substituted pyrimidine nucleoside substrates, but also a number of selective HSV-1 TK inhibitors structurally related to thymine lost significant binding affinity for the mutant enzyme and did not markedly compete with GCV phosphorylation by the mutant enzyme. These findings could be explained by computer-assisted modeling data that revealed steric hindrance of the pyrimidine ring in the HSV-1 TK active site by the large 4-hydroxybenzyl ring of 167-Tyr, while the positioning of the purine ring of guanine-based HIV-1 TK substrates in the active site was kept virtually unaltered. Surprisingly, the efficiency of conversion the antiherpetic 2'-deoxyguanosine analogues ACV, GCV, LBV, PCV, and A5021 to their phosphorylated forms by the A167Y mutant HSV-1 TK was far more pronounced than for the wild-type enzyme. Therefore, the single A167Y mutation converts the wild-type HSV-1 TK from a predominantly pyrimidine nucleos(t)ide kinase into a virtually exclusive purine (guanine) nucleoside analogue kinase.

Alanine↗

PubMed2002

6-[2-(Phosphonomethoxy)alkoxy]pyrimidines with antiviral activity.

6-Hydroxypyrimidines substituted at positions 2 and 4 by hydrogen, methyl, amino, cyclopropylamino, dimethylamino, methylsulfanyl, or hydroxyl group afford by the reaction with diisopropyl 2-(chloroethoxy)methylphosphonate in the presence of NaH, Cs(2)CO(3), or DBU a mixture of N(1)- and O(6)-[2-(diisopropylphosphorylmethoxy)ethyl] isomers which were converted to the free phosphonic acids by treatment with bromotrimethylsilane followed by hydrolysis. Analogously, 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine gave on reaction with [(R)- and (S)-2-(diisopropylphosphorylmethoxy)propyl] tosylate, followed by deprotection, the enantiomeric 6-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propoxy]pyrimidines. 2,4-Diamino-6-sulfanylpyrimidine gave, on treatment with diisopropyl 2-(chloroethoxy)methylphosphonate in the presence of NaH and subsequent deprotection, 2,4-diamino-6-[[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]sulfanyl]pyrimidine. 2-Amino-4-hydroxy-6-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]pyrimidine was obtained from the appropriate 2-amino-4-chloropyrimidine derivative by alkaline hydrolysis and ester cleavage. Direct alkylation of 2-amino-4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine afforded a mixture of 2-amino-4,6-bis[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]- and 2-amino-1,4-bis[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]pyrimidine. None of the N(1)-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl] isomers exhibited any antiviral activity against DNA viruses or RNA viruses tested in vitro. On the contrary, the O(6)-isomers, namely the compounds derived from 2,4-diamino-, 2-amino-4-hydroxy-, or 2-amino-4-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethoxy]-6-hydroxypyrimidine, inhibited the replication of herpes viruses [herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV)] and retroviruses [Moloney sarcoma virus (MSV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2)], their activity being most pronounced against the latter. The antiviral activity was lower if the oxygen at the position 6 was replaced by a sulfur atom, as in 2,4-diamino-6-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethylsulfanyl]pyrimidine. In analogy to N(9)-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]-2,6-diaminopurine (PMPDAP), solely the (R)-2,4-diamino-6-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propoxy]pyrimidine exerted antiviral activity, whereas its (S)-enantiomer was essentially inactive.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Anti-angiogenic activity of a novel multi-substrate analogue inhibitor of thymidine phosphorylase.

7-Deazaxanthine (7-DX) was recently identified as the first purine derivative with pronounced inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and angiogenesis. In order to "freeze" the enzyme in an open, inactive conformation, a novel multi-substrate analogue inhibitor of TP, containing an alkyl phosphonate moiety covalently linked to 7-DX, was synthesized. The prototype compound TP65 (9-(8-phosphonooctyl)-7-deazaxanthine) (at 250 microM) completely inhibited TP-induced formation of microvascular sprouts from endothelial cell aggregates in a three-dimensional fibrin gel. In the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay, TP caused a dose-dependent stimulation of angiogenesis, which was completely inhibited by 250 nmol TP65. This dose proved to be non-toxic for the developing chick embryo. TP65 thus emerges as a potent and specific inhibitor of TP and TP-induced angiogenesis, which opens new perspectives for multi-substrate analogue inhibitors of TP as potential anti-cancer agents and as inhibitors of angiogenesis and of diseases with enhanced expression of TP.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗

PubMed2002

Macrophages and HIV infection: therapeutical approaches toward this strategic virus reservoir.

Cells of macrophage lineage represent a key target of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in addition to CD4-lymphocytes. The absolute number of infected macrophages in the body is relatively low compared to CD4-lymphocytes. Nevertheless, the peculiar dynamics of HIV replication in macrophages, their long-term survival after HIV infection, and their ability to spread virus particles to bystander CD4-lymphocytes, make evident their substantial contribution to the pathogenesis of HIV infection. In addition, infected macrophages are able to recruit and activate CD4-lymphocytes through the production of both chemokines and virus proteins (such as nef). In addition, the activation of the oxidative pathway in HIV-infected macrophages may lead to apoptotic death of bystander, not-infected cells. Finally, macrophages are the most important target of HIV in the central nervous system. The alteration of neuronal metabolism induced by infected macrophages plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of HIV-related encephalopathy. Taken together, these results strongly support the clinical relevance of therapeutic strategies able to interfere with HIV replication in macrophages. In vitro data show the potent efficacy of all nucleoside analogues inhibitors of HIV-reverse transcriptase in macrophages. Nevertheless, the limited penetration of some of these compounds in sequestered districts, coupled with the scarce phosphorylation ability of macrophages, suggests that nucleoside analogues carrying preformed phosphate groups may have a potential role against HIV replication in macrophages. This hypothesis is supported by the great anti-HIV activity of tenofovir and other acyclic nucleoside phosphonates in macrophages that may provide a rationale for the remarkable efficacy of tenofovir in HIV-infected patients. Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) do not affect HIV-DNA chain termination, and for this reason their antiviral activity in macrophages is similar to that found in CD4-lymphocytes. Interestingly, protease inhibitors (PIs), acting at post-integrational stages of virus replication, are the only drugs able to interfere with virus production and release from macrophages with established and persistent HIV infection (chronically-infected cells). Since this effect is achieved at concentrations and doses higher than those effective in de-novo infected CD4-lymphocytes, it is possible that lack of adherence to therapy, and/or suboptimal dosage leading to insufficient concentrations of PIs may cause a resumption of virus replication from chronically-infected macrophages, ultimately resulting in therapeutic failure. For all these reasons, therapeutic strategies aimed to achieve the greatest and longest control of HIV replication should inhibit HIV not only in CD4-lymphocytes, but also in macrophages. Testing new and promising antiviral compounds in such cells may provide crucial hints about their efficacy in patients infected by HIV.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed2002

Cytotoxic 1,4-bis(2-oxo-1-cycloalkylmethylene)benzenes and related compounds.

A series of 1,4-bis(2-oxo-1-cycloalkylmethylene)benzenes 2a-c and 4 and a related acyclic analogue 6a were synthesised and converted to the corresponding Mannich bases 3a-c, 5 and 6b. Evaluation of these compounds against murine P388 and L1210 cells as well as human Molt 4/C8 and CEM T-lymphocytes revealed that the Mannich bases were more cytotoxic than the corresponding unsaturated ketones. 1,4-bis(3-Dimethylaminomethyl-2-oxo-1-cyclohexylmethylene)benzene dihydrochloride (3a) had lower IC(50) values than melphalan against the four cell lines and was 15 times more potent than this drug when examined against a panel of human tumours.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Synthesis, conformational analysis and antiviral and antitumoral activity of new 1,2-disubstituted carbocyclic nucleosides.

New 1',2'-cis-disubstituted 8-azapurine-based carbocyclic analogues of nucleosides with or without a methylene between the carbocycle and the base were synthesised, starting from appropriate amino alcohols, via 6-chloro-8-azapurines; their antiviral and antitumoral activities were evaluated; and their structures were compared with that of 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (ddA) on the basis of AM1 calculations. No new compound had antiviral activity. The one with the best overall antitumoral activity against L1210, Molt4/C8 and CEM/0 cells, compound 10, was that in which the position of the hydroxymethyl group on the carbocycle relative to the heterocyclic base was closest to that found in the best-fitting low-energy conformer of ddA.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMed2002

Cytotoxic 1,3-diarylidene-2-tetralones and related compounds.

A number of 1,3-arylidene-2-tetralones 1, 2 and 4 were synthesised and demonstrated cytotoxic activity towards murine P388 and L1210 cells as well as human Molt 4/C8 and CEM T-lymphocytes. In general, the related 1-arylidene-2-tetralones 3 possessed lower potencies in these screens than the compounds in series 1 and 4. Approximately, half of the compounds were evaluated against a panel of human tumour cell lines. In this screen, most of the enones were more cytotoxic than the established anticancer agent melphalan and some demonstrated selective toxicity towards leukemic and colon cancer cells. The modes of action of representative compounds include interfering with the biosyntheses of nucleic acids and proteins as well as altering redox potentials. The compounds were well tolerated when administered intraperiteonally to mice. Thus these novel enones are promising prototypic molecules due to their potent cytotoxic properties and lack of significant murine toxicity.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Cytotoxic N-[4-(3-aryl-3-oxo-1-propenyl)phenylcarbonyl]-3,5-bis(phenylmethylene)-4-piperidones and related compounds.

A series of 4-carboxychalcones 1 were prepared and coupled to 3,5-bis(phenylmethylene)-4-piperidone (2) giving rise to a novel series of N-[4-(3-aryl-3-oxo-1-propenyl)phenylcarbonyl]-3,5-bis(phenylmethylene)-4-piperidones (3). Molecular simplification of the amides 3 led to the formation of the corresponding N-(3-aryl-1-oxo-2-propenyl)-3,5-bis(phenylmethylene)-4-piperidones (4). A cytotoxic evaluation of the compounds in series 1-4 utilized murine P388 and L1210 cells as well as human Molt 4/C8 and CEM T-lymphocytes. In general, the compounds displayed significant toxicity; the IC(50) values of 54% of the enones were less than 10 microM when all four screens were considered and less than 1 microM for all members of series 3 in the P388 assay. Various correlations were established between the potencies of the compounds in series 1, 3 and 4 and the Hammett sigma, Hansch pi and molecular refractivity constants of the aryl substituents. Several torsion angles and interatomic distances of five representative compounds in series 3 and 4 were determined by X-ray crystallography, some of which contributed to the observed bioactivity. The marked cytotoxicity and lack of murine toxicity of most of the compounds described in this study, as well as their selective toxicity towards different tumour cell lines, revealed that development of the enones 2-4 as novel candidate antineoplastic agents should be pursued.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

A mercapto analogue of 5'-noraristeromycin.

5'-Noraristeromycin and its enantiomer have been found to possess a wide range of antiviral effects. In the search for analogues of and with improved activity, the synthesis of both enantiomers of 5'-mercapto-5'-deoxy-5'-noraristeromycin ( and ) has been accomplished. While (+)-7 was inactive, (-)- did show marginal activity against vaccinia virus, but not any other virus.

Adenosine↗

PubMed2002

Influence of 2-substituent on the activity of imidazo[1,2-a] pyridine derivatives against human cytomegalovirus.

The synthesis of various 2-substituted imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine bearing a thioether side chain in position 3 was reported. The new compounds were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectra. A conformational study was obtained by X-ray crystallographic analysis for 2-biphen-4-ylimidazopyridine 7. The antiviral activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was investigated. It was strongly influenced by the nature of C-2 substituent.

Antiviral Agents↗

PubMed2002

Database searching for thymidine and thymidylate kinase inhibitors using three-dimensional structure-based methods.

Structure-based drug design methods were used to search for novel inhibitors of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) thymidine kinase and Mycobacterium tuberculosis thymidylate kinase. The method involved the use of crystal structure complexes to guide database searching for potential inhibitors. A number of weak inhibitors of HSV-2 were identified, one of which was found to inhibit HSV-1 TK and HSV-1 TK-deficient viral strains. Each compound tested against M. tuberculosis thymidylate kinase was found to have some activity. The best of these compounds was only 4.6-fold less potent than 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine-5'-monophosphate (AZTMP). This study demonstrates the utility of structure-based drug design methods in the search for novel enzyme inhibitors.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2002

Synthesis and in vitro cytotoxic and antiviral activities of 1-(2,5,6-trideoxy-6-halogenohept-5-enofuranurononitrile)thymine and derivatives.

All 1-(2,5,6-trideoxy-6-halogenohept-5-enofuranurononitrile)thymine and their 3'-O-TBDMS derivatives have been prepared and their configuration established. Some of these compounds are endowed with a cytotoxic or cytostatic activity in cell culture. The single most important factor affecting the cytotoxicity of these compounds is the presence on the molecule of a soft (electrofugal) halogen atom.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Synthesis, antiviral and cytostatic activities, of carbocyclic nucleosides incorporating a modified cyclopentane ring. IV. Adenosine and uridine analogues.

Eight new carbocyclic nucleosides were prepared by mounting a purine (compounds 8-10), 8-azapurine (12 and 13) or pyrimidine (15, 16 and 17b) on the amino group of (1S,3R)-3-aminomethyl-2,2,3-trimethylcyclopentylmethanol (6). All the compounds were evaluated as antiviral and antitumor agents in a variety of assay systems. Only compound 8 showed any cytostatic activity against the tumor cell lines examined.

Adenosine↗

PubMed2002

Synthesis and biological evaluation of isonucleosides derived from methyl 3,5-anhydro-2-O-(2-fluorobenzyl)-D-xylofuranosides.

New isonucleosides [methyl 5-(1-pyrimidinyl)furanosides] are prepared by nucleophilic opening of the oxetane ring of methyl 3,5-anhydro-2-O-(2-fluorobenzyl)-D-xylofuranoside with silylated pyrimidine bases in the presence of trimethylsilyl triflate. Structures, configurations and conformations were determined by NMR techniques and several X-ray diffraction analyses, seven of the isonucleosides were tested for cytotoxicity and activity against HIV, HSV and several other viruses.

Animals↗