Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 1998, 63, 713-722
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc19980713

Synthesis and Biological Activity of N4-Methyl-5-azacytidines

Naeem B. Hanna, Milena Masojídková and Alois Pískala

Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic

Abstract

Protected N4-methyl and N4,N4-dimethyl derivatives of 5-azacytidine 3 and 4 were prepared by selective aminolysis of benzoylated 4-methoxy-1-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2(1H)-one 5, by glycosylation of silylated N4-methyl- or N4,N4-dimethyl-5-azacytosines 7 and 8 with 2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-α,β-D-ribofuranosyl chloride (11) or by several modifications of the isocyanate method. By the isocyanate approach, also the α-D anomer of protected N4-methyl-5-azacytidine 17 was obtained as a minor product. The protected dimethyl derivative 4 was also obtained by the reaction of isobiuret 22 with dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal. The free nucleosides 1 and 2 were obtained either by aminolysis of the free methoxy nucleoside 23 with methylamine or dimethylamine, respectively, or by methanolysis or ammonolysis of the corresponding benzoyl derivatives 3 and 4. The free α-D anomer 24 was obtained by methanolysis of its tribenzoate 17. Nucleosides 1 and 2 exhibited a lower antibacterial, antitumor and antiviral activity than the unsubstituted 5-azacytidine.

Keywords: 5-Azacytidines; 1,3,5-Triazines; 5-Azapyrimidines; Nucleosides; Antitumor activity.