Synthesis and Antitumor Evaluation of Acyclic 1-[${\omega}$-(N^I-2-chloroethyl-N^I-nitrosoureido)alkyl]thymidine Nucleoside Analogues

In the preparation of acyclic thymidine nucleoside analogues, $K_2CO_3$(or NaH) treated thymine in DMSO was alkylated with .omega.-chloroalkyl nitrite (Cl-(CH_2)n-CN; n=1, 2, 3, 4) to provide an isomeric mixture of 1-(${\omega}$-cyanoalkyl)thymine (2a-d) and 1,3-bis(${\omega}$-cyanoalkyl)thymine in approximately 5:1 ratios. Reduction of the cyano function 2a-d with $NaBH_{4}/CoCl_{2}$ center dot$ 6H_{2}O$gave the corresponding 1-(${\omega}$aminoalkyl)thymine (3a-d). The newly formed primary amino function in 3a-d was directly reacted with 2-chloroethylisocyanate to afford the 1-[.omega.($N^{I}$-2-chloroethylureido) alkyl]thymine (4a-d) in good yields. Nitrosation of 1-[5-($ N^{I}-2$-chloroethylureido)pentyl] thymine (4d) with glacial acetic acid and dry $NaNO_{2}$-powder in anhydrous $CH_{2}Cl_{2}$gave two types of regioisomeric nitrosoureas, 1-[5-($N^{I}$--chloroethyl-$N^{I}$--nitrosoureido)pentylithymine (5d) and 1-[5-($N^{I}-2$-chloroethyl-N-nitrosoureido)pentyllthymine in approximately 5 :1 ratios. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized compounds (2a-d, 3a-d, 4a-d and 5a-d) against three cell lines (K-562, P-388 and FM-3A) are measured as $IC^{50}$ values. Compounds 3b and 4c showed moderate activities against all three cell lines, and all other compounds were found to be not active.