Synthesis and antitumor activity of 2',3'-didehydro-3'-deoxythymidine and its derivative

In an effort to enhance the lipophilicities, thereby, the penetration into the cell membrane and to increase the antitumor activities of modified derivatives of 2',3'-didehydro-3'-deoxythymidine (d4T, 1), derivatives of 1 were designed and synthesized. Starting from thymidine, 1, 2',3'-didehydro-3'-deoxythymidine-5'-phosphate, disodium salt (d4T-p, 7), and two nicotinate esters of 1; 2',3'-didehydro-3'-deoxy-5'-O-(3-pyridinylcarbonyl)thymidine (d4T-NA, 5) and 2',3'-didehydro-3'-deoxy-5'-phosphoryl-O-(3-pyridinylcarbonyl)thymidine (d4T-p-NA, 8) were synthesized. The lipophilicities of the synthesized compounds were measured by P-values and antitumor activities of those were estimated against mouse leukemia P388, murine mammary carcinoma FM3A, and human histiocytic lymphoma U937 tumor cells in vitro. Although the lipophilicities of the nicotinate esters, 5 and 8 were increased 2.75- and 9.71-fold relative to that of 1 and 7, respectively, the synthesized compounds, 1, 5, 7, and 8 were found to be inactive against P388 and FM3A cells except weak antitumor activity against U937 cell.