Cell kill kinetics of an antineoplastic nucleoside, 1-(2-deoxy-2-methylene-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)cytosine

Antitumor activity of sugar-modified cytosine nucleosides

Nucleoside analogues which show antimetabolic activity in cells have been successfully used in the treatment of various tumors. Nucleosides such as 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC), 6-mercaptopurine, fludarabine and cladribine play an important role in the treatment of leukemias, while gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil and its prodrugs are used extensively in the treatment of many types of solid tumors. All of these compounds are metabolized similarly to endogenous nucleosides and nucleotides. Active metabolites interfere with the de novo synthesis of nucleosides and nucleotides or inhibit the DNA chain elongation after being incorporated into the DNA strand as terminators. Furthermore, nucleoside antimetabolites incorporated into the DNA strand induce strand-breaks and finally cause apoptosis. Nucleoside antimetabolites target one or more specific enzyme(s). The mode of inhibitory action on the target enzyme is not always similar even among nucleoside antimetabolites which have the same nucleoside base, such as araC and gemcitabine. Although both nucleosides are phosphorylated by deoxycytidine kinase and are also good substrates of cytidine deaminase, only gemcitabine shows antitumor activity against solid tumors. This suggests that differences in the pharmacological activity of these nucleoside antimetabolites may reflect different modes of action on target molecules. The design, in vitro cytotoxicity, in vivo antitumor activity, metabolism and mechanism of action of sugar-modified cytosine nucleosides, such as (2'S)-2'-deoxy-2'-C-methylcytidine (SMDC), 1-(2-deoxy-2-methylene-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)cytosine (DMDC), 1-(2-C-cyano-2-deoxy-1-beta-D-arabino-pentofuranosyl)cytosine (CNDAC) and 1-(3-C-ethynyl-beta-D-ribo-pentofura-nosyl)cytosine (ECyd), developed by our groups, are discussed here.

An efficient method for the preparation of 1'alpha-branched-chain sugar pyrimidine ribonucleosides from uridine: the first conversion of a natural nucleoside into 1'-substituted ribonucleosides

The 1'alpha-phenylselenouridine derivative 13 was successfully synthesized by enolization of the 3',5'-O-TIPDS-2'-ketouridine 8, and was subjected to a radical reaction with a vinylsilyl tether--an efficient procedure for preparing 1'alpha-branched-chain sugar pyrimidine nucleosides. Successive treatment of 8 with LiHMDS and PhSeCl in THF at < -70 degrees C gave the desired 1'-phenylseleno products in 85% yield as an anomeric mixture of the 1'alpha-product 11 and the 1'beta-product 12 (11/12= 2.5:1). Highly stereoselective reduction at the 2'-carbonyl of the 1'alpha-product 11 occurred from the beta-face by using NaBH4/CeCl3 in MeOH, and subsequent introduction of a dimethylvinylsilyl tether at the 2'-hydroxyl gave the radical reaction substrate 14. The photochemical radical atom-transfer reaction of 14 by using a high-pressure mercury lamp proceeded effectively in benzene to give the exo-cyclized PhSe-transferred product 18, in which (PhSe)2 proved to be essential as an additive for radical atom-transfer cyclization reactions. Subsequent phenylseleno-group elimination of 18 gave the sugar-protected 1'alpha-vinyluridine. With this procedure, 1'alpha-vinyluridine (22) and -cytidine (25), designed to be potential antitumor agents, were successfully synthesized. This study is the first example of functionalization at the anomeric 1'-position of a nucleoside by starting from a natural nucleoside to produce a ribo-type 1'-modified nucleoside.

Clinical pharmacokinetics of 2'-deoxy-2'-methylidenecytidine (DMDC), a deoxycytidine analogue antineoplastic agent

This article reviews the clinical pharmacokinetics of a deoxycytidine analogue of cytarabine, 2'-deoxy-2'-methylidenecytidine (DMDC). DMDC belongs to the antimetabolite class of anticancer drugs and is phosphorylated into its active, triphosphate, form within the tumour cell. Cancer cell death appears to be a result of the impairment of DNA synthesis by the triphosphate form. DMDC undergoes deamination to the inactive 2'-deoxy-2'-methylideneuridine (DMDU), its main plasma metabolite. Following intravenous administration at 30 to 450 mg/m2, DMDC has low systemic clearance (10 to 15 L/h/m2), moderate volume of distribution (nominally similar to total body water) and a short elimination half-life of between 2 and 6 hours. Renal clearance of DMDC accounts for approximately 30 to 50% of total clearance. Following oral administration of DMDC at 12 to 50 mg/m2, mean maximum DMDC plasma concentrations are within the 100 to 400 microg/L range and are generally reached within 2 hours. Oral bioavailability of DMDC is in the order of 40%, largely as a result of first-pass metabolism in the gut and liver. This first-pass effect results in considerable interpatient variability in systemic exposure to DMDC after oral administration. The systemic availability of DMDC is proportional to the administered dose and, although there was evidence that systemic exposure to DMDC decreased on repeated administration, there are no excessive time-dependent changes in systemic exposure to DMDC. Following oral administration, DMDC is metabolised in the gut wall and liver by deamination to DMDU. The kidneys eliminate DMDC and DMDU, with up to 50% of the administered dose recovered in urine, on average, as parent drug and metabolite. Dose escalation to the maximum tolerated dose was facilitated by a pharmacokinetically guided dose escalation strategy. DMDC has shown activity in non-small-cell lung cancer and colorectal cancers following oral administration. Several tumour responses are observed at the highest doses of DMDC, indicating a possible dose-response relationship with this drug. The main clinical adverse event of DMDC therapy is myelotoxicity. The haematological toxicity of DMDC was schedule dependent; twice daily administration was associated with greater toxic effects than a once daily regimen. A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model characterised the relationship between plasma DMDC concentrations and the time-dissociated toxicity. This model-dependent approach may be used to predict the consequences of as-yet-untested therapy as well as relating acceptable risks of haematological toxicity to target drug exposure.

A new antitumor nucleoside, 1-(3-C-ethynyl-beta-D-ribo-pentofuranosyl)cytosine (ECyd), is a potent inhibitor of RNA synthesis

The antitumor activity, metabolism, and mechanism of action of a newly developed antitumor nucleoside, 1-(3-C-Ethynyl-beta-D-ribo-pentofuranosyl)cytosine (ECyd) are described.

Synthesis of L-enantiomers of 4'-thioarabinofuranosyl pyrimidine nucleosides

L-Enantiomers of 4'-thioarabinofuranosyl pyrimidine nucleosides were synthesized from D-xylose. Methyl 2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-D-xylofuranoside 6 was converted to the corresponding xylitol 7, which was treated with MsCl and then Na2S to give 1,4-anhydro-L-4-thioarabitol 8. As previously reported, Pummerer rearrangement of 8 followed by glycosylation with a silylated thymine and N4-acetylcytosine derivative and deprotection gave the corresponding alpha- and beta-L-4'-thioarabinofuranosyl pyrimidine nucleosides.

Nucleosides and Nucleotides. 156. Chelation-Controlled and Nonchelation-Controlled Diastereofacial Selective Thiophenol Addition Reactions at the 2'-Position of 2'-[(Alkoxycarbonyl)methylene]-2'-deoxyuridines: Conversion of (Z)-2'-[(Alkoxycarbonyl)methylene]-2'-deoxyuridines into Their (E)-Isomers(1)

The Wittig reaction of 1-[3,5-O-(1,1,3,3-tetraisopropyldisiloxane-1,3-diyl)-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranos-2-ulosyl]uracil (4) with Ph(3)P=CHCO(2)R (R = ethyl or tert-butyl) exclusively gave (Z)-2'-[(alkoxycarbonyl)methylene] derivatives 5 and 13, respectively, in high yields. An unusual beta-facial selectivity of thiophenol addition to the 2'-[(alkoxycarbonyl)methylene] moiety of 5 and 13 was observed, and this facial selectivity was found to be influenced by both the thiolate counter cation and the bulkiness of the alkoxy moiety. Treatment of 2'-[(ethoxycarbonyl)methylene] derivative 5with LiSPh (1.5 equiv) in the presence of PhSH in THF selectively gave 2'beta-(phenylthio) derivative 11 in high yield along with a trace of 2'alpha-(phenylthio) derivative 10. On the other hand, when 2'-[(tert-butoxycarbonyl)methylene] derivative13 was treated with KSPh in the presence of PhSH in dioxane/DMF, the facial selectivity was reversed to selectively give the 2'alpha-(phenylthio) adduct14 (alpha:beta, 77:23) in 90% yield. Oxidation of 14 with m-chloroperbenzoic acid in CH(2)Cl(2) and subsequent pyrolysis of the resulting sulfoxides exclusively gave the (Z)-isomer 13 in 92% yield. The oxidativesyn-elimination of the (2'R)-2'-[(tert-butoxycarbonyl)methyl]-2'-deoxy-2'-thiophenoxy-5'-O-(triisopropylsilyl)uridine (17), which was obtained from 14 in two steps, exclusively gave the desired (E)-[(tert-butoxycarbonyl)methylene] derivatives 18 in 90% yield. Deprotection of 18 gave the (E)-(carboxymethylene)-2'-deoxyuridine (3). The (Z)-(carboxymethylene)-2'-deoxyuridine (2) was synthesized from 13 in a similar manner.