title: Synthesis and antiviral activity of certain 4-substituted and 2,4-disubstituted 7-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines.
abstract: Treatment of the sodium salt of 4-chloro-2-(methylthio)pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (2) with (2-acetoxyethoxy)methyl bromide (3) has provided 4-chloro-2-(methylthio)-7[(2-acetoxyethoxy)methyl]pyrrolo[2,3- d]pyrimidine (4). Ammonolysis of 4 at room temperature gave 4-chloro-2-(methylthio)-7-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]pyrrolo[2,3- d]pyrimidine (5). However, ammonolysis of 5 at 130 degrees C furnished 4-amino-2-(methylthio)-7-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-pyrrolo[2,3- d]pyrimidine (6), which on desulfurization with Raney Ni yielded 4-amino-7-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)-methyl]pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (7) (acyclic analogue of tubercidin). The oxidation of 6 with m-chloroperbenzoic acid provided the sulfone derivative 8. A nucleophilic displacement of the 2-methylsulfonyl group from 8 with methoxide anion provided 4-amino-2-methoxy-7-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (9). Demethylation of 9 with iodotrimethylsilane gave 4-amino-2-hydroxy-7-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (10). Treatment of 2,4-dichloropyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (11) with 3 gave the protected acyclic compound 12, which on deacetylation and ammonolysis under controlled reaction conditions gave 2,4-dichloro-7-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)-methyl]pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (13) and 4-amino-2-chloro-7-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]pyrrolo[2,3- d]pyrimidine (14), respectively. The condensation of 2-acetamido-4-chloropyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (15) with 3 gave the protected acyclic compound 16, which on concomitant deacetylation and ammonolysis with methanolic ammonia at an elevated temperature yielded 2,4-diamino-7-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (17) in moderate yield. In tests involving human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), only slight activity and cytotoxicity were observed. The most active compounds (12 and 13) were slightly more active against HCMV than acyclovir, but both compounds were inactive against HSV-1. The activity against HCMV, however, was not well separated from cytotoxicity leading to the conclusion that these compounds did not merit further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Hagenow
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Genzlinger
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Turk
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Drach
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Townsend
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000187:drug effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013937:Thymidine Kinase