5-(2,2-Difluorovinyl)uracil (IV) was synthesized from 2,4-dimethoxy-5-bromopyrimidine by sequential formylation, difluoromethylenation, and removal of the 2- and 4-methyl groups. Condensation of the trimethylsilyl derivative of IV with protected D-erythro-pentofuranosyl chloride followed by separation of anomers and deblocking gave 5-(2,2-difluorovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (V). Compound V was active against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection as well as tumor cells transformed by the HSV-1 thymidine kinase gene.

5-Ethynyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (EAC) was prepared from 1-(2,3,5-tri-O-acetyl-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)cytosine by iodination followed by coupling with (trimethylsilyl)acetylene and deblocking. At 50 microM, EAC was found to inhibit the in vitro replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 by greater than 99%. EAC also showed activity against a strain of HSV-1 resistant to (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine which has an alteration of the virus-induced thymidine kinase (TK). At 100 microM, EAC did not inhibit the in vitro growth of leukemia L1210 and HeLa cells. EAC was resistant to the action of dCR-CR deaminase, its rate of deamination being approximately 2% that of dCR. The compound was a poor substrate for dCR kinase, but it was phosphorylated by HSV-1- and HSV-2-induced TKs at 50% and 30%, respectively, the rate of thymidine.

No abstract

Iodination of 1-(2,3,5-tri-O-acetyl-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)uracil furnished the 5-iodo derivative (Ib), which, on treatment with (trimethylsilyl)acetylene in the presence of catalytic amounts of (Ph3P)2PdCl2/CuI and subsequent deblocking, afforded 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-ethynyluracil (Ie). Condensation of the trimethylsilyl derivative of 5-(dibromovinyl)uracil with 3-O-acetyl-5-O-benzoyl-2-deoxy-2-azido-D-arabinofuranosyl chloride, followed by treatment with phenyllithium, gave 1-(2-deoxy-2-azido-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)-5-ethynyluracil (IIb). Condensation of 3-O-acetyl-5-O-benzoyl-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-arabinofuranosyl bromide with the trimethylsilyl derivative of 5-ethynylcytosine and subsequent removal of the protecting groups furnished 1-(2-deoxy-2-fluoro-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)-5-ethynylcytosine (IIIb). The structural assignment for IIb and IIIb was made by NMR and ORD spectra. Compounds Ie and IIIb inhibited the growth of leukemia L-1210 cells in culture by 50% at concentrations of 1.7 X 10(-5) and 6 X 10(-5) M, respectively. In addition, Ie and IIIb inhibited the replication of herpes simplex virus type I by 90% at concentrations of 2.8 X 10(-5) and 5 X 10(-5) M, respectively. Compound IIb did not show any antileukemic or antiherpes activity.