5-(Haloalkyl)-2'-deoxyuridines: a novel type of potent antiviral nucleoside analog

Abstract

Syntheses of 5-(2-haloethyl)-2''-deoxyuridines, 5-(3-chloropropyl)-2''-deoxyuridines, and 5-(2-chloroethyl)-2''-deoxycytidine are described. The antiviral activities of these compounds were determined in cell culture against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2. All compounds were shown to possess significant and selective antiviral activity. The most potent derivative, 5-(2-chloroethyl)-2''-deoxyuridine (CEDU), inhibited HSV-1 at concentrations below 0.1 .mu.g/mL. It exerted measurable inhibitory effects on cell proliferation only at concentrations higher than 100 .mu.g/mL. In vivo CEDU reduced the mortality rate of HSV-1-infected mice at concentrations lower than 5 mg/kg per day when given intraperitoneally and orally. Thus, it proved to be more effective in this in vivo model than the reference compounds (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2''-deoxyuridine (BVDU) and 9-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]guanine (ACV).