Structure-activity relationships for dipeptide prodrugs of acyclovir: implications for prodrug design.
A series of water-soluble dipeptide ester prodrugs of the antiviral acyclovir (ACV) were evaluated for their chemical stability, cytotoxicity, and antiviral activity against several strains of Herpes Simplex-1 and -2, vaccinia, vesicular stomatitis, cytomegalovirus and varicella zoster viruses. ACV dipeptide esters were very active against herpetic viruses, independently of the rate at which they liberate the parent drug. Their minimum cytotoxic concentrations were above 100 microM and the resulting MCC/EC(50) values were lower than those of ACV. When comparing the reactivity of Phe-Gly esters and amides (ACV, zidovudine, paracetamol, captopril and primaquine) in pH 7.4 buffer it was found that the rate of drug release increases with drug's leaving group ability. Release of the parent drug from Phe-Gly in human plasma is markedly faster than in pH 7.4 buffer, thus suggesting that the dipeptide-based prodrug approach can be successfully applied to bioactive agents containing thiol, phenol and amine functional groups.
CIQUP, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, R. Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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Emília
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D000212:Acyclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000187:drug effects; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015195:Drug Design; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000187:drug effects; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000187:drug effects; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007700:Kinetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013997:Time Factors; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000187:drug effects; D018116:Vesiculovirus / Q000187:drug effects
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004151:Dipeptides; D011355:Prodrugs; D000212:Acyclovir