title: Cytotoxicity of pivoxil esters of antiviral acyclic nucleoside phosphonates: adefovir dipivoxil versus adefovir.
abstract: Biological effectiveness of antiviral acyclic nucleoside phosphonate adefo vir, 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethy]ade nine (PMEA) and its more lipophilic (bis)pivaloyloxymethyl ester prodrug adefovir dipivoxil (bis-POM-PMEA) were compared under in vitro conditions in mammalian cell systems. Proliferation of murine splenocytes was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner, the bis-POM-PMEA being more effective than PMEA. In contrast to PMEA, bis-POM-PMEA inhibited production of nitric oxide (NO) in macrophages activated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Viability of both splenocytes and macrophages remained uninfluenced by PMEA, whereas pronounced cytocidal effects were exhibited by bis-POM-PMEA. The IC(50)s reached the values of 15 microM and 30 microM in cultures of macrophages and splenocytes, respectively (assayed at the interval of 24 hrs). The effects could partly be mimicked by formaldehyde, a decomposition product of the pivoxil moiety of bis-POM-PMEA. The other possible product, pivalic acid, was ineffective in this respect. The present data are consistent with the view that pivoxil prodrug of PMEA, bis-POM-PMEA possesses enhanced but also broader spectrum of biological effects than the parent compound.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences, Vídenská 1083, Prague, Czech Republic. zidekz@biomed.cas.cz
authors.forename: Zdenĕk
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zídek
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kmonícková
authors.forename: Antonín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holý
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000633:toxicity*; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000633:toxicity; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D063065:Organophosphonates; D011355:Prodrugs; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C053001:adefovir; D000225:Adenine; C106812:adefovir dipivoxil