Acyclic pyrimidine nucleoside analogues: influence on growth of L5178y mouse lymphoma cells and antiherpes activity in KB cells.

Several uracil and cytosine nucleoside analogues with 2-hydroxyethoxymethyl, 2-aminoethoxymethyl or 1,3-dihydroxypropoxymethyl side chains were synthesized and evaluated for cytostatic (L5178y mouse lymphoma cells) and antiviral (herpes simplex virus type 1 infected KB cells) activity. Two compounds exhibited antiherpesvirus activity. These were 1-(2'-hydroxyethoxymethyl)-5-aza-cytosine and 1-(1',3'-dihydroxypropoxymethyl)-5-iodouracil. The MIC values were 25.8 and 325.7 micrograms/ml, respectively.