title: Synthesis and antiviral evaluation of nucleosides of 5-methylimidazole-4-carboxamide.
abstract: Due to the antiviral activity of certain 5-substituted imidazole nucleosides related to ribavirin, 5-methylimidazole-4-carboxamide nucleosides having beta-D-ribofuranosyl, 2-deoxy-beta- and -alpha-D-ribofuranosyl, and (2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl moieties have been prepared and tested as antiviral agents. 1-beta-D-Ribofuranosyl-5-methylimidazole-4-carboxamide was obtained by deacetylation of the corresponding tri-O-acetyl nucleoside 11 or by deacetylation and ammonolysis of the blocked ethyl 5-methylimidazole-4-carboxylate nucleoside 10, which was prepared from the stannic chloride catalyzed condensation of the trimethylsilyl derivative of ethyl 4(5)-methylimidazole-5(4)-carboxylate. Glycosylation of 4(5)-methylimidazole-5(4)-carboxamide with 3,5-di-O-p-toluoyl-2-deoxy-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl chloride via mercuric cyanide method provided an anomeric mixture of the blocked 5-methylimidazole-4-carboxamide deoxynucleoside 14 along with an anomeric mixture of the 4-methyl 5-carboxamide isomer 15. Separation of compound 14 into the corresponding beta and alpha anomers was achieved by conversion to the 3',5'-di-O-acetyl derivatives 17 and 18, which after chromatographic separation were deacetylated to give 1-(2-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-5-methylimidazole-4-carboxa mid e and its alpha anomer 20. 1-[(2-Hydroxyethoxy)methyl]-5-methylimidazole-4-carboxamide was prepared by alkylation of the imidazole 13 with (2-acetoxyethoxy)methyl bromide followed by treatment with methanolic ammonia. All these imidazole nucleosides were tested in HeLa cell cultures against type 1 herpes simplex and vesicular stomatitis viruses. The ribofuranosyl derivative 12 showed a significant activity against type 1 herpes simplex virus.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Andrés
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: García-López
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: de las Heras
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Herranz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alarcón
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carrasco
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000494:pharmacology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; D009705:Nucleosides; D012254:Ribavirin