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Biomedical subjects

Jan Balzarini

Publications and source records attributed to Jan Balzarini.

193 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Bicyclic pyrimidine nucleoside analogues (BCNAs) as highly selective and potent inhibitors of varicella-zoster virus replication.

Bicyclic pyrimidine nucleoside analogues (BCNAs) represent highly potent and selective inhibitors of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) replication in cell culture. The compounds inhibit a variety of clinical VZV strains, in the higher picomolar range, whilst being non-toxic at micromolar concentrations. The compounds do not inhibit the closely related simian varicella virus or any other viruses, including herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2 and cytomegalovirus. The BCNAs owe at least part of their antiviral selectivity to a specific activation/phosphorylation by the VZV-encoded thymidine kinase (TK) and associated thymidylate kinase (dTMP-K) activity, while being not recognized by the closely related HSV-1-encoded TK/dTMP-K enzyme. In addition, the 5'-monophosphates of BCNAs are neither a substrate nor an inhibitor of the cellular dTMP-K, and are not subject of back-conversion to the corresponding nucleosides by 5'-deoxynucleotidases. In contrast to the anti-HSV-1/VZV drug (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (BVDU), the BCNAs are not catabolized by human (erythrocyte) or bacterial (Escherichia coli) thymidine phosphorylase to release the free bicyclic pyrimidine base. Also, unlike BVU (the free base of BVDU), the BCNA bases do not inhibit dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase. Consequently, the catabolism of the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is not influenced by the BCNA base in cell-free enzyme assays or in mice that were exposed to combinations of 5-FU with BCNAs or their free base. BCNAs have a good oral bioavailability and, owing to their highly lipophilic nature, are assumed to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier efficiently. Given the above-mentioned favourable properties, BCNAs may represent a promising novel class of highly selective anti-VZV drugs that should be further pursued for clinical application.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Specific recognition of the bicyclic pyrimidine nucleoside analogs, a new class of highly potent and selective inhibitors of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), by the VZV-encoded thymidine kinase.

Recently, an entirely new class of bicyclic nucleoside analogs (BCNAs) was found to display exquisite potency and selectivity as inhibitors of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) replication in cell culture. A striking difference in their ability to convert the BCNAs to their phosphorylated derivatives was observed between the VZV-encoded thymidine kinase (TK) and the very closely related herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) TK. Whereas VZV TK efficiently phosphorylated the BCNAs, HSV-1 TK was unable to do so. In addition, the thymidylate (dTMP) kinase activity of VZV TK further converted BCNA-5'-MP to BCNA-5'-DP. The BCNAs (or their phosphorylated derivatives) were not a substrate for cytosolic TK, mitochondrial TK, or cytosolic dTMP kinase. Human erythrocyte nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase was unable to phosphorylate the BCNA 5'-diphosphates to BCNA 5'-triphosphates. Under the same experimental conditions, the anti-herpetic (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (BVDU) derivative was efficiently converted to BVDU-MP and BVDU-DP by both VZV TK and HSV-1 TK and further, into BVDU-TP, by NDP kinase. Our observations may account for the unprecedented specificity of BCNAs as anti-VZV agents.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed2002

Chimeric human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and feline immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptases: role of the subunits in resistance/sensitivity to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are specific for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) and do not inhibit HIV-2. Given that the amino acids lining the NNRTI-specific pocket of HIV-1 RT display higher similarity to the corresponding feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) RT amino acids than to HIV-2 RT, the susceptibility of FIV RT and chimeric HIV-1/FIV RTs to NNRTIs and the role of the p51 subunit in the inhibitory action of NNRTIs were investigated. We found that the wild-type FIV RT and the FIVp66/HIVp51 chimeric enzyme showed no susceptibility for NNRTIs. On the other hand, the chimeric HIVp66/FIVp51 RT retained a sensitivity spectrum for NNRTIs similar to that of the wild-type HIV-1 RT. The noncompetitive nature of inhibition of HIV-1 RT by nevirapine was also observed with the HIVp66/FIVp51 chimeric enzyme. Inhibition of the chimeric RTs by nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and foscarnet was in the same range as observed for the corresponding HIVp66/HIVp51 and FIVp66/FIVp51 wild-type enzymes. The chimeric RTs had an affinity (K(m)) for their dNTP substrate and template/primer comparable with that of the wild-type HIV-1 and FIV RTs, but their catalytic efficacy (k(cat)) was markedly decreased. This decreased catalytic efficacy of the RT chimeras may suggest suboptimal interactions between p66 and p51 in the chimeric enzymes. Our results point to a minor role of the p51 subunit in the sensitivity to RT inhibitors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Lack of susceptibility of bicyclic nucleoside analogs, highly potent inhibitors of varicella-zoster virus, to the catabolic action of thymidine phosphorylase and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase.

The susceptibility of the bicyclic nucleoside analogs (BCNAs), highly potent and selective inhibitors of varicella-zoster virus (VZV), to the enzymes involved in nucleoside/nucleobase catabolism has been investigated in comparison with the established anti-VZV agent (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine [BVDU; brivudine (Zostex)]. Whereas human and bacterial thymidine phosphorylases (TPases) efficiently converted BVDU to its antivirally inactive free base (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil (BVU), BCNAs showed no evidence of conversion to the free base in the presence of these enzymes. The lack of substrate affinity of TPase for the BCNAs could be rationalized by computer-assisted molecular modeling of the BCNAs in the TPase active site. Moreover, in contrast with BVU, which is a potent and selective inhibitor of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) (50% inhibitory concentration; 10 microM in the presence of a 25 microM concentration of the natural substrate thymine), the free base (Cf 1381; 6-octyl-2,3-dihydrofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-one) of BCNA (Cf 1368; 3-(2'-deoxy-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-6-octyl-2,3-dihydrofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-one) and the free base Cf 2200 [6-(4-n-pentylphenyl)-2,3-dihydrofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-one] of BCNA (Cf 1743; 3-(2'-deoxy-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-6-(4-n-pentylphenyl)-2,3-dihydrofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-one) did not inhibit the DPD-catalyzed catabolic reaction of pyrimidine bases (i.e., thymine) and pyrimidine base analogs [i.e., 5-fluorouracil (FU)] at a concentration of 250 microM. Consequently, whereas BVU caused a dramatic rise of FU levels in FU-treated mice, the BCNAs did not affect FU levels in such mice. From our data it is evident that BCNAs represent highly stable anti-VZV compounds that are not susceptible to breakdown by nucleoside/nucleobase catabolic enzymes and are not expected to interfere with cellular catabolic processes such as those involved in FU catabolism.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Alkyloxyphenyl furano pyrimidines as potent and selective anti-VZV agents with enhanced water solubility.

We have previously reported bicyclic furanopyrimidines as potent and selective inhibitors of varicella zoster virus (VZV) with subnanomolar activity for p-alkylphenyl substituted analogues. These compounds are highly lipophilic and of limited water solubility. In an effort to address this issue, and with a view to oral dosing, we have sought to enhance water solubility whilst retaining high antiviral potency and we herein report a novel series of p-alkyloxyphenyl compounds which contain a phenolic ether atom intended to boost hydrophilicity. We report the synthesis, characterisation and antiviral evaluation of this series and note the retention of extremely high antiviral potency, with EC50 values as low as 1 nanomolar.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed2002

Comparative study of bis(benzyl)phosphate triesters of 2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydrothymidine (d4T) and cyclosal-d4TMP--hydrolysis, mechanistic insights and anti-HIV activity.

A comparative study of three cycloSal-d4TMP 1, 2 and 3 and a variety of bis(benzyl) phosphate triester 4-8 of the antivirally active nucleoside analogue 2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydrothymidine (d4T) will be described. This study has been initiated by the observation that the introduction of a simple 7-methyl group in the cycloSal-structure (2) led to a completely different hydrolysis pattern as compared to the prototype cycloSal-d4TMP 1. Instead of the selective formation of d4TMP, a phenyl phosphate diester was formed in the case of the 7-methyl-substituted compound 2. The difference in degradation pathway was caused by a change of the reaction mechanism. The phenyl phosphate diester was chemically and enzymatically inert to further cleavage to yield d4TMP. For comparison bis(benzyl)-d4TMP 4, bis(alpha-methylbenzyl)-d4TMP 5, bis(alpha-methoxycarbonylmethyl [MCM]-benzyl)-d4TMP 6 as well as the enzyme-cleavable bis(4-acetoxybenzyl)-d4TMP [bis(AB)-d4TMP(7 and bis(alpha-methoxycarbonylmethyl-4-acetoxybenzyl)-d4TMP [bis(alpha-MCM-AB)-d4TMP] 8 were synthesized. Chemical hydrolysis studies proved that all bis(benzyl) triesters hydrolyze to give the intermediate benzyl phosphate diesters. Moreover, the latter two triesters 7,8 and cycloSal-d4TMPs 1 and 3 led finally to the delivery of d4TMP. The chemical hydrolysis studies allowed a detailed mechanistic interpretation of the degradation pathways of triesters 1-8. Cell extract studies of the bis(benzyl) triesters 4-8 confirmed that only triesters 7 and 8 released d4TMP although with a considerable increase of the reaction rate. Anti-HIV evaluation of the compounds showed that cycloSal-d4TMP 1 and the bis(AB) triesters 7,8 were entirely independent of the presence of cellular thymidine kinase (TK).

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed2002

Aryl-substituted and benzo-annulated cyc/osal-derivatives of 2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydrothymidine monophosphate--correlation of structure, hydrolysis properties and anti-HIV activity.

The synthesis of phenyl-substituted and benzoannulated cycloSal phosphate triesters of the nucleoside analogue 2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydrothymidine (d4T, Zerit) as lipophilic, membrane-soluble pronucleotides is described. The cycloSal moiety was introduced by using cyclic chlorophosphite agents prepared from phenyl-substituted saligenin derivatives and ortho-hydroxymethylated naphthols, respectively. Hydrolysis studies (HPLC analysis) of the triesters 2, 3 showed a range of hydrolytic stability from 1.4 h up to 5.1 h and the stability could be correlated with the substitution pattern in the cycloSal moiety. A slight decrease of their stability was observed, if phenyl-substituted derivatives were hydrolyzed in human CEM/O cell extracts. D4T and thymine, possible products of enzymatic cleavage of the pronucleotides, were not detected in the cell extracts. A further investigation of the hydrolysis process was performed by 31P-NMR spectroscopy. This technique allowed a precise monitoring of the degradation products and the exact determination of the product ratio. Finally, the newly synthesized compounds were tested concerning their antiviral activity against HIV in vitro. A strong correlation of the hydrolysis properties and the antiviral activity was found. 3-phenyl-cycloSal-d4TMP showed a threefold increase in its anti-HIV-1 activity and retained full activity in thymidine kinase (TK) deficient cells, indicative of a successful TK-bypass.

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed2002

cycloSal-d4TMP pronucleotides structural variations, mechanistic insights and antiviral activity.

Pronucleotides represent a promising alternative to improve the biological activity of nucleoside analogues against different viral diseases. The basic idea is to achieve nucleotide delivery into cells, bypassing limitations with intracellular formation of nucleotides from their nucleoside precursors. The cycloSal-concept is one of several pronucleotide systems reported so far. For the nucleoside analogue d4T, the cycloSal-approach improved antiviral potency. The basic idea, chemistry, different structural modifications and their effects on the antiviral potency of the cycloSal-d4TMP triesters have been discussed in this review.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of 3-deoxy-beta-D-ribofuranosyl purines and study of their biological properties.

9-(3-Deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-2,6-diaminopurine (2) was synthesized by an enzymatic transglycosylation of 2,6-diaminopurine using 3'-deoxycytidine (1) as a donor of the sugar moiety. Nucleoside 2 was transformed to 3'-deoxy guanosine (3), 9-(3-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-2-amino-6-oxopurine (3'-deoxyisoguanosine; 4), and 9-(3-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-2-fluoroadenine (5). Compounds 2-5 were evaluated for their anti-HIV activity.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Synthesis and fluorescent properties of 6-(4-biphenylyl)-3,9-dihydro-9-oxo-5H-imidazo[1,2-a]purine analogues of acyclovir and ganciclovir.

Tricyclic (T) analogues of acyclovir (ACV, 1) and ganciclovir (GCV, 2) carrying the 3,9-dihydro-9-oxo-5H-imidazo[1,2-a]purine system [i.e., 6-(4-BrPh)TACV, 5 and 6-(4-BrPh)TGCV, 6] were transformed into 6-[(4'-R2)-4-biphenylyl] derivatives of TACV (7-9) and TGCV (10-12) by Suzuki cross coupling with 4-substituted phenylboronic acids. Compound 11 (R2 = CH2OH) showed a high (approximately 1000) selectivity index against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) together with advantageous fluorescence properties (emission in visible region, little overlap with absorption and moderate intensity).

Acyclovir↗