Potentiating effect of (2-[2-[(2-amino-1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-9H-purin-9-yl)methyl]-phenyl]ethenyl) -phosphonic acid (MDL 74,428), a potent inhibitor of purine nucleoside phosphorylase, on the antiretroviral activities of 2',3'-dideoxyinosine combined with ribavirin in mice.

2',3'dideoxyinosine (ddI) has potent activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but is rapidly metabolized by erythrocytic purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), and therefore has a very short plasma half-life in rodents, monkeys and in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is now reported that 100 microM (2-[2-[(2-amino-1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-9H-purin-9-yl)methyl]-phenyl]ethenyl) - phosphonic acid (MDL 74,428), a very potent inhibitor of PNP blocks the intracellular phosphorolysis of ddI in cultured human red blood cells, in T leukemic CEM lymphoblasts and prolongs ddI plasma effective concentration in mice at a dose of 250 mg/kg body weight given i.p.

Spermidine nuclear acetylation in rat hepatocytes and in logarithmically growing rat hepatoma cells: comparison with histone acetylation.

Spermidine acetylation has been studied in nuclear homogenates and in entire nuclei from rat hepatocytes and rat hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells, isolated at different stages of logarithmic growth, and compared to histone acetylation. Under all experimental conditions, N8-acetylspermidine was the predominant product of the reaction (90%). Unlike histone, spermidine acetylation in HTC cell and hepatocyte entire nuclei was almost absent or strikingly reduced relative to acetylation using nuclear homogenates as the enzyme sources.

Comparative antitumor properties in rodents of irreversible inhibitors of L-ornithine decarboxylase, used as such or as prodrugs.

The antitumor properties of (E)-2-(fluoromethyl)dehydroornithine methyl ester (delta-MFMO-ME) and of (E)-2-(fluoromethyl)dehydroornithine ethyl ester (delta-MFMO-EE), the prodrugs of delta-MFMO, an irreversible inhibitor of mammalian L-ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) 14 times more potent than alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and equipotent to (2R,5R)-6-heptyne-2,5-diamine (MAP) in vitro, have been investigated in L1210 leukemia- and Lewis lung carcinoma-bearing mice. The anticancer properties of these esters have been compared with those of DFMO and MAP as a function of the dose, the route of administration, and the stage of the lewis lung carcinoma development in mice. The two esters, administered i.