Antiviral Action and Cellular Toxicity of Four Thymidine Analogues: 5-Ethyl-, 5-Vinyl-, 5-Propyl-, and 5-Allyl-2′-Deoxyuridine

Abstract

5-Ethyl-, 5-vinyl-, 5-propyl-, and 5-allyl-2′-deoxyuridine (dUrd) had antiviral activity against herpes simplex type 1 and type 2 grown in HeLa TK − cells, in the order 5-vinyl-dUrd, 5-ethyl-dUrd, 5-propyl-dUrd, 5-allyl-dUrd, but they were inactive against a TK − mutant of herpes simplex type 1. The antiviral activity of these compounds could be partially reversed by thymidine. Except for 5-vinyl-dUrd, they were not toxic to WI-38 and HeLa TK − cells at a concentration of 25 μM. All four analogues inhibited the growth of herpes simplex type 1-transformed HeLa TK − cells at a concentration of 1 μM.