Synthesis of esters and amides of 2-aryl-1-hydroxy-4-methyl-1H-imidazole-5-carboxylic acids and study of their antiviral activity against orthopoxviruses.

Smallpox was eradicated >40 years ago but it is not a reason to forget forever about orthopoxviruses pathogenic to humans. Though in 1980 the decision of WHO to cease vaccination against smallpox had seemed logical, it led to the decrease of cross immunity against other infections caused by orthopoxviruses. As a result, in 2022 the multi-country monkeypox outbreak becomes a topic of great concern. In spite of existing FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of such diseases, the search for new small-molecule orthopoxvirus inhibitors continues. In the course of this search a series of novel 2-aryl-1-hydroxyimidazole derivatives containing ester or carboxamide moieties in position 5 of heterocycle has been synthesized and tested for activity against Vaccinia virus in Vero cell culture. Some of the compounds under consideration revealed a selectivity index higher than that of the reference drug Cidofovir. The highest selectivity index SI = 919 was exhibited by ethyl 1-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-1H-imidazole-5-carboxylate 1f. The most active compound also demonstrated inhibitory activity against the cowpox virus (SI = 20) and the ectromelia virus (SI = 46).

[Mass spectrum and uniformity of decomposition of certain 2-substituted 9-(o-chlorbenzyl)-8-azahypoxanthines]. / Mass-spektry i zakonomernosti raspada nekotorykh 2-zameshchennykh 9-(o-khlorbenzil)-8-azagipoksantinov.

The regularities of mass spectrometric fragmentation under electron impact of new 9-(o-chlorobenzyl)-8-azahypoxantines with (N-aryl)amidocarbonylmethylthiomethyl substituents in position 2 were studied. The main fragmentation pathways are the elimination of Ar-NH+ and o-chlorobenzyl ions and cleavage of C-S bonds, characteristic of organic sulfides. During the fragmentations, some rearrangements occur, consisting in the transfer of labile hydrogen atoms from the alpha-positions to ions being eliminated. Fragmentation of 8-azapurine parts of the molecules does not prevail. Peaks of molecular ions are clearly visible in the mass spectra of all the substances studied. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2004, vol. 30, no. 1; see also http://www.maik.ru.