Nucleotide Delivery fromcycloSaligenyl-3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine Monophosphates (cycloSal-AZTMP)

The application of our cycloSaligenyl- (cycloSal) pronucleotide concept to the approved anti-HIV dideoxynucleoside 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine AZT (1) is reported. This pro-nucleotide concept has been designed to deliver the corresponding 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine monophosphate AZTMP (2) by selective chemical hydrolysis from the lipophilic precursors cycloSal-AZTMP 4a−h. All derivatives 4a−h were synthesized using differently substituted salicyl alcohols 7a−h as starting materials. In hydrolysis studies, compounds 4 decomposed selectively releasing AZTMP (2) and the salicyl alcohols 7 following the designed tandem reaction. Furthermore, due to the electronic properties introduced by substituents, the half-lives of the triesters 4 could be ajusted over a wide range. Phosphotriesters 4 exhibited considerable biological activity in HIV-1 and HIV-2 infected wild-type human T-lymphocyte (CEM/O) cells, whereas, contrary to our expectations, nearly all activity was lost in HIV-2 infected thymidine-kinase-deficient CEM cells.