A new class of nucleoside analogs, the pyridimine acyclonucleosides, are competitive inhibitors of uridine phosphorylase but have no effect on thymicline phosphorylase, uridine kinase or thymidine kinase. The most potent of the series is acyclothymidine [5-methyl-1-(2′-hydroxyethoxymethyl)uracil] with a Ki value of 3 μM. Ki values of less than 30 μM were estimated for other analogs substituted at the 5-position of the pyrimicline ring. Extracts of xenografts of six human tumors were assayed for tissue levels of uricline phosphorylase and thymicline phosphorylase and for inhibition of 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine (FUdR) phosphorolytic activity by acyclouridine [1-(2′-hydroxyethoxymethyl) uracil]. FUdR cleavage was inhibited most in those tissues in which the ratio of thymidine phosphorylase to uricline phosphorylase was low. Potential usage of these uricline phosphorylase inhibitors with the chemotherapeutic agent FUdR is discussed. © 1988.
