Synthesis and biological activity of 5-phenylselenenyl-substituted pyrimidine nucleosides

Several 5-phenylselenenyl derivatives of pyrimidine nucleosides were synthesized by electrophilic addition of phenylselenenyl chloride to the nucleosides under basic conditions. With use of this route, 5-(phenylselenenyl)-6-azauracil was also prepared. These compounds may serve as inhibitors of thymidylate synthase, as potential antiviral and anticancer agents, and as versatile intermediates for the synthesis of 5- or 6-substituted nucleosides. 5-(Phenylselenenyl)arabinosyluracil (PSAU, 4) and the corresponding cytosine analogue (PSAC, 5) were poor inhibitors of a promyelocytic leukemia cell line that was arabinosylcytosine-resistant. PSAU and PSAC were significantly less active than ara-C against L1210 cells and were found to selectively interfere with the cellular uptake and/or phosphorylation of 2'-deoxycytidine and 2'-deoxyuridine in intact L1210 cells.