9-((2-phosphonylmethoxy)ethyl)guanine and 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)-2-6-diaminopurine

Recently, Gilead Sciences (Foster City, CA, USA) presented a potential cytostatic drug GS-9219. It is a novel lipophilic prodrug of cyprPMEDAP, in vivo releasing the active compound PMEG in a two-step process. GS-9219 has shown a substantial therapeutic potential in treatment of spontaneous non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in dogs and its utilization in the human medicine is prospective. Hence, cyprPMEDAP represents a key intermediate in the intracellular activation of GS-9219. Both acyclic nucleoside phosphonates PMEG and cyprPMEDAP, serving as the basis for development of GS-9219, were discovered and their mechanism of action was investigated in detail at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The biological studies using the rat lymphoma were carried out at the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University.

Topics: Adenine; Alanine; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Guanine; Humans; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Nucleosides; Organophosphonates; Organophosphorus Compounds; Purines

9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl] guanine (PMEG) is a nucleotide analogue with anticancer activity. Here we investigate the role of ERK, p38, JNK and AKT kinases in PMEG-induced apoptosis.. CCRF-CEM and HL-60 leukemia cells were used to assess MAPK mRNA and protein expression in PMEG-treated cells. MAPK activation was measured using phospho-specific antibodies. Apoptosis was evaluated by caspase-3 and PARP cleavage.. Up-regulation of p38β, γ and δ mRNA were observed following PMEG treatment of CCRF-CEM cells, however, the total protein expression remained unchanged. Neither PMEG nor its analogue 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy) ethyl]-2,6-diaminopurine (PMEDAP) induced p38 kinase phosphorylation in CCRF-CEM cells, whereas increased p38 phosphorylation was observed in HL-60 cells. The ERK pathway was also activated by these compounds. Pretreatment of the cells with the p38 inhibitor SB203580 diminished drug-induced apoptosis whereas inhibition of ERK, JNK or AKT pathways did not. [corrected].. PMEG- and PMEDAP-induced. [corrected].

Topics: Adenine; Antineoplastic Agents; Caspase 3; Cell Line, Tumor; Enzyme Activation; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; Guanine; HL-60 Cells; Humans; MAP Kinase Kinase 4; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Organophosphorus Compounds; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; RNA, Messenger

Acyclic nucleotide analogue PMEG represents promising drug candidate against lymphomas. In the present work we describe the ability of PMEG to induce resistance and we elucidate the mechanisms involved in this process. CCRF-CEM T-lymphoblastic cells resistant to either PMEG or its 6-amino congener PMEDAP were prepared and assayed for the expression of membrane transporters, PMEG and PMEDAP uptake and intracellular metabolism. Genes for guanylate kinase (GUK) and adenylate kinase (AK) isolated from PMEG- and PMEDAP-resistant cells were sequenced and cloned into mammalian expression vectors. PMEG-resistant cells were transfected with GUK vectors and catalytic activities of GUKs isolated from PMEG-sensitive and resistant cells were compared. PMEG phosphorylation to PMEG mono- and diphosphate was completely impaired in resistant cells. GUK obtained from PMEG-resistant cells revealed two point mutations S(35)N V(168)F that significantly suppressed its catalytic activity. Transfection of resistant cells with wtGUK led to the recovery of phosphorylating activity as well as sensitivity towards PMEG cytotoxicity. No differences in PMEG uptake have been found between sensitive and resistant cells. In contrast to GUK no changes in primary sequence of AK isolated from PMEDAP resistant cells were identified. Therefore, resistance induced by PMEDAP appears to be conferred by other mechanisms. In conclusion, we have identified GUK as the sole molecular target for the development of acquired resistance to the cytotoxic nucleotide PMEG. Therefore, PMEG is unlikely to cause cross-resistance in combination therapeutic protocols with most other commonly used anticancer drugs.

Topics: Adenine; Adenylate Kinase; Amino Acid Sequence; Antineoplastic Agents; Cells, Cultured; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Guanine; Guanylate Kinases; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Organophosphorus Compounds; Phosphorylation; Point Mutation

We have previously shown that PMEG diphosphate (PMEGpp) and PMEDAP diphosphate (PMEDAPpp) inhibit the enzymatic activity of human telomerase in a cell-free assay. Here, we investigated the ability of PMEG and PMEDAP to induce telomere shortening and telomerase inhibition at both transcriptional and activity level in T-lymphoblastic leukemia cells CCRF-CEM and MOLT-4. At defined time points (3days and 9weeks), the telomerase activity and relative levels of hTERT and c-myc mRNA were determined using real-time RT-PCR. Telomere length was measured by the flow-FISH method. Both PMEDAP and PMEG induced telomere shortening in CCRF-CEM cells after 9weeks of exposure by 50% and 20%, respectively, without major impairment of telomerase activity. The effect of the tested compounds on telomere length in MOLT-4 cells was the opposite, with telomere elongation by 50% and 40% after 9-week treatment with PMEDAP and PMEG, respectively. At this time point, telomerase activity in MOLT-4 cells appeared to be slightly higher than that of CCRF-CEM cells, nevertheless no correlation between telomerase activity and telomere length was found. Both compounds down-regulated the expression of hTERT and c-myc mRNA in CCRF-CEM and MOLT-4 cells at 72h in a concentration-dependent manner while prolonged exposure to PMEG or PMEDAP for 9weeks had weaker effects. In conclusion, PMEDAP and PMEG are able to modulate telomere length in leukemic cells and this effect is cell-type specific. It is neither due to direct telomerase inhibition nor impairment of hTERT expression and it is likely to be telomerase-independent.

Topics: Adenine; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Line, Tumor; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Guanine; Humans; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Organophosphorus Compounds; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA; Telomerase; Telomere; Time Factors

Acyclic nucleoside phosphonates PMEDAP and PMEG modulate expression of selected proangiogenic genes in SD-lymphoma bearing rats. Antiangiogenic efficacy of PMEDAP is relatively weak and is manifested mainly by down-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor VEGFR detectable 24 hours after treatment. Compound PMEG (an active metabolite of the prodrug GS-9219) down-regulates selected proangiogenic genes EGF, FGF, PDGF, VEGF, EGFR, FGFR, PDGFR and VEGFR much more efficiently. Its antiangiogenic potency persists and is more intensive 48 hours after treatment. Findings show that in vivo antitumour efficacy of both antimitotic acyclic nucleoside phosphonates PMEDAP and PMEG consequently affect the angiogenesis in T-cell lymphoma.

Topics: Adenine; Animals; Epidermal Growth Factor; ErbB Receptors; Fibroblast Growth Factor 1; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Guanine; Lymphoma, T-Cell; Male; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Organophosphorus Compounds; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1; Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1

A series of novel 9-substituted (2-(3H-imidazo[1,2-a]purin-3-yl)ethoxy)methylphosphonic and 4-substituted (2-(1H-imidazo[2,1-b]purin-1-yl)ethoxy)methylphosphonic acids as tricyclic etheno analogs of potent antivirals and cytostatics PMEG and PMEDAP was synthesized and evaluated for their biological activity. Most of the compounds showed modest activity against varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) except for (2-(9-oxo-5,9-dihydro-3H-imidazo[1,2-a]purin-3-yl)ethoxy)methylphosphonic acid 8 which proved markedly active against VZV and HCMV. None of the compounds tested exhibited any significant cytostatic effect.

Topics: Adenine; Antiviral Agents; Cell Proliferation; Cytomegalovirus; Guanine; Herpesvirus 3, Human; Humans; Organophosphorus Compounds; Structure-Activity Relationship

Substrate activity and inhibitory potency of guanine phosphonomethoxyalkyl derivatives towards GMP kinase isoenzymes from L1210 cells were studied. 9-[2-(Phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]guanine (PMEG) and the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of both 9-[3-hydroxy-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]guanine (HPMPG) and 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]guanine (PMPG) were phosphorylated to the first step. Kinetic data showed that (R)-PMPG was a good substrate with a relative phosphorylation efficacy of 12% compared with the natural substrate GMP, whereas PMEG was a poor substrate with a relative phosphorylation efficacy of 1.1%. The structurally related 2,6-diaminopurine analogues 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]-2, 6-diaminopurine (PMEDAP) and (R)- and (S)-9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]-2,6-diaminopurine (PMPDAP) were not phosphorylated by any of the GMP kinase isoenzymes tested. The inhibitory activities of the individual compounds on GMP kinase isoenzymes decreased in the following order: (S)-HPMPG > (R)-PMPG > PMEG > (R)-HPMPG > (S)-PMPG > PMEDAP = (R)-PMPDAP = (S)-PMPDAP; each compound exerted a different type of inhibition.

Topics: Adenine; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Guanine; Guanosine Monophosphate; Guanylate Kinases; Isoenzymes; Kinetics; Nucleoside-Phosphate Kinase; Organophosphorus Compounds; Phosphorylation; Substrate Specificity; Swine

Acyclic nucleotide analogues perturb DNA replication by terminating the growing DNA chain. The analogues selected for testing on human leukemia cell lines, namely 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]adenine (PMEA), 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]-2,6-diaminopurine (PMEDAP), and 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]guanine (PMEG) exhibited growth-inhibiting activity at low concentrations, and apoptosis-inducing activity at high concentrations. A common feature was a reduction of the proportion of G1 cell cycle phase. Activities of the analogues increased in the order PMEA

Topics: Adenine; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Cell Cycle; Cell Division; DNA, Neoplasm; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Guanine; HL-60 Cells; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid; Organophosphorus Compounds; Tumor Cells, Cultured

9-(2-Phosphonylmethoxyethyl)-N6-cyclopropyl-2,6-diaminopurine (cpr-PMEDAP) is an acyclic nucleotide analog of the [9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)-] (PME) series containing a cyclopropyl substituent on the N6 position of the 2,6-diaminopurine (DAP) base. Growth inhibition assays in a broad range of tumor cell lines demonstrated that this analog had potent antiproliferative activity with IC50 values similar to those of the structurally related guanine analog 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)guanine (PMEG). A substantially lower growth inhibitory effect was observed for the 2,6-diaminopurine analog, PMEDAP. To dissect the basis for these varying potencies, the metabolism of the three analogs was examined in a human pancreatic carcinoma cell line, BxPC-3. HPLC analysis of the intracellular metabolites demonstrated that the cpr-PMEDAP was deaminated to PMEG and subsequently phosphorylated to PMEG mono- and diphosphates (PMEGp and PMEGpp). The level of PMEGpp generated from cpr-PMEDAP-treated cells was 50% greater than the level generated from cells incubated with PMEG. The presence of PMEG in the DNA of cells incubated with cpr-PMEDAP confirmed that the cpr-PMEDAP was converted to PMEG. In contrast, PMEDAP was not deaminated to PMEG, but directly phosphorylated to PMEDAPp and PMEDAPpp. The adenylate deaminase inhibitor 2'-deoxycoformycin (dCF) inhibited the conversion of cpr-PMEDAP in a rat liver cytosolic extract and increased the IC50 value for growth inhibition by 40-fold. The antiproliferative activities of PMEG and PMEDAP were unaffected by dCF. Thus, it appears that cpr-PMEDAP, but not PMEDAP, is converted by an adenylate deaminase-like enzyme and functions as a prodrug of PMEG.

Topics: Adenine; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Antiviral Agents; Cell Division; Deamination; Dideoxynucleosides; Guanine; Humans; Organophosphorus Compounds; Prodrugs; Rats; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The novel acyclic nucleoside phosphonate analogue 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)-N6-cyclopropyl-2,6-diaminopurine (cPr-PMEDAP) was shown in vitro to act as an intracellular prodrug of 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)guanine (PMEG). We compared the in vivo antitumor efficacy and selectivity of cPr-PMEDAP, its progenitor PMEDAP, and PMEG in a rat choriocarcinoma tumor model. The rats, inoculated with rat choriocarcinoma (RCHO) cells under the renal capsule, were treated IP during 10 days. Macroscopical and histological examination of the RCHO-inoculated kidneys was performed at two time points (i.e., immediately after the end of treatment or after an additional drug-free period of 2 weeks). Complete inhibition of choriocarcinoma tumor development was achieved upon treatment with cPr-PMEDAP, PMEG, and PMEDAP at a daily dose of 10, 1, and 50 mg/kg, respectively. At these doses, all three compounds produced moderate to strong toxicity (evidenced by atrophy of lymphoid organs and reduced body weight gain). When compared at the maximum tolerated (sublethal) doses (i.e., 0.5, 10, and 50 mg/kg for PMEG, cPr-PMEDAP, and PMEDAP, respectively), cPr-PMEDAP proved superior to PMEG and PMEDAP in achieving a complete inhibition of tumor development. Also, whereas PMEG was unable to produce a prolonged antitumor effect, the animals treated with cPr-PMEDAP still showed prominent inhibition of tumor development when tumor size was evaluated at 2 weeks after end of treatment. Based on its efficacy and therapeutic safety, cPr-PMEDAP can be regarded as a promising antitumor agent, which merits further in vivo evaluation in additional tumor models for human neoplasms.

Topics: Adenine; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Choriocarcinoma; Female; Guanine; Male; Organophosphonates; Organophosphorus Compounds; Pregnancy; Prodrugs; Rats; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Uterine Neoplasms

Incubation of CEM cells for 24 h with the guanine, 2,6-diaminopurine, and adenine nucleotide analogs of the 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl) series, 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)guanine (PMEG), 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)-2,6-diaminopurine (PMEDAP), and 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (PMEA), was found to inhibit DNA synthesis 50% at concentrations of 1, 6, and 25 microM, respectively. Possible reasons for the marked differences were investigated, including cellular transport of the analogs, different efficiencies of intracellular phosphorylation, differential effects on 2'-deoxynucleotide (dNTP) pools, and differences in the affinities of the cellular DNA polymerases for the diphosphate derivatives of the drugs. No significant differences in cellular uptake were found among the analogs; however, they did differ in the efficiency of phosphorylation, i.e., CEM cells were found to accumulate higher levels of PMEG-diphosphate (PMEGpp) than PMEDAP-diphosphate (PMEDAPpp) or PMEA-diphosphate (PMEApp). Treatment of cells with any of the nucleotide analogs resulted in increased dNTP pools, with PMEG producing the greatest increase. All three analogs had the greatest effect on the dATP pool size, whereas the dGTP pool size was not significantly affected. Comparison of the ratios of nucleotide analog diphosphates to their corresponding dNTPs under conditions where DNA synthesis is inhibited 50% suggested that cellular DNA polymerases were approximately twice as sensitive to PMEGpp than to PMEDAPpp and 5-fold more sensitive to PMEGpp than to PMEApp. Consistent with this hypothesis, examination of the efficiencies with which the replicative DNA polymerases alpha, delta, and epsilon incorporated the analogs showed that DNA polymerase delta, the most sensitive of the DNA polymerases, incorporated PMEGpp twice as efficiently as PMEDAPpp and 7-fold more efficiently than PMEApp.

Topics: Adenine; Antineoplastic Agents; Deoxyadenine Nucleotides; DNA; DNA Polymerase I; DNA Polymerase II; DNA Polymerase III; Guanine; Humans; Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; Organophosphonates; Organophosphorus Compounds; Tumor Cells, Cultured

An L1210 cell line showing a 300-fold resistance to the cytostatic effect of 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (PMEA) (designated L1210/PMEA-1) was selected in cell culture upon exposure of wild-type L1210/0 cells to stepwise-increased drug concentrations. The mutant L1210/PMEA-1 cell line was characterized by an unusual specificity in that the cytostatic activity was severely impaired only for PMEA and the closely related 2,6-diaminopurine derivative PMEDAP, but not for its guanine counterpart PMEG or for 9-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine (HPMPA). The L1210/PMEA-1 cell line showed poor resistance to the cytostatic activity of the lipophilic PMEA prodrug bis(POM)PMEA and virtually kept its PMEA resistance profile in the presence of indomethacin, excluding resistance of the cells of PMEA and PMEDAP by an increased efflux of the drugs. Intracellular purine nucleotide pool labelling studies with adenine, hypoxanthine and glycine revealed that PMEA/PMEDAP resistance did not originate from a defect in the enzymatic pathways of purine nucleotides. ATP, AMP and cAMP, but not adenosine, adenine, HPMPA and inhibitors of nucleoside transport carriers markedly interfered with PMEA uptake in L1210/0 cells. The L1210/PMEA-1 cells proved to have less than 10% of the PMEA uptake capacity of wild-type L1210/0 cells as measured by rapid sampling kinetics as well as long-term incubation experiments. After a 24-h incubation period, the intracellular levels of [2,8-3H]PMEA and its phosphorylated metabolites were approximately 10-fold lower in L1210/PMEA-1 cells than in L1210/0 cells. Our observations point to a compromised and highly specific PMEA/PMEDAP uptake as the molecular basis for the pronounced PMEA resistance of the mutant L1210/PMEA-1 cells.

Topics: Adenine; Adenosine Monophosphate; Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Biological Transport; Biotransformation; Cell Survival; Cyclic AMP; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Guanine; Kinetics; Leukemia L1210; Mice; Organophosphonates; Organophosphorus Compounds; Purine Nucleotides; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The genotoxic and embryotoxic effects of phosphonomethoxyalkylpurines, a new group of antiviral agents, decrease in the following order: PMEG > PMEthioG > PMEDAP > PMEA > (R)-PMPDAP = (R)-PMPA. Results of the present study are fully consistent with the previously found efficacy of their diphosphates to inhibit the replicative DNA polymerases. The marked genotoxicity of PMEG and PMEthioG is comparable to that of mitomycin C, whereas the moderate genotoxicity of PMEA is comparable to that of AZT. (R)-PMPDAP and (R)-PMPA did not induce any structural aberrations of chromosomes under the experimental conditions.

Topics: Adenine; Animals; Antiviral Agents; Cell Line; Female; Guanine; Humans; Male; Molecular Structure; Mutagenicity Tests; Mutagens; Organophosphonates; Organophosphorus Compounds; Purines; Rats; Rats, Inbred BN; Rats, Inbred Lew; Tenofovir; Teratogens; Thioguanine

The inhibition of incorporation of 3H-thymidine and the changes of the rate of nascent DNA chain elongation were investigated in CHO Chinese hamster cells treated with (S)-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonomethoxypropyl) (HPMP) and N-(2-phosphonomethoxyethyl) (PME) derivatives of adenine (A), guanine (G) and 2,6-diaminopurine (DAP). No direct correlation was observed in PME and HPMP derivatives between cytotoxicity, inhibition of 3H-thymidine incorporation and inhibition of nascent DNA chain elongation. The highest cytotoxicity and inhibition of DNA synthesis were caused by PMEG. The limited extent of inhibition of DNA elongation was encountered in the case of HPMPG and HPMPA. With PMEA, weak inhibition of elongation of DNA was observed only after a prolonged exposure (6 h). None of the investigated drugs induced DNA breaks.

Topics: Adenine; Animals; Antiviral Agents; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Cytarabine; DNA Damage; DNA Replication; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Guanine; Organophosphonates; Organophosphorus Compounds; Zidovudine