Herkömmliche Zytostatika greifen vornehmlich in den Zellzyklus ein und somit werden Zellen mit hoher Proliferationsrate geschädigt. Allerdings fallen hierunter nicht ausschließlich Krebszellen, sondern auch gesunde, schnell proliferierende Gewebearten. Auf Grund dessen verursacht eine klassische Chemotherapie schwerwiegende Nebenwirkungen. Neuere Therapieansätze greifen daher geno- sowie phänotypischer Unterschiede zwischen malignen und gesunden Zellpopulationen auf und können selektiv den zytotoxischen Wirkstoff in die Tumorpopulation einbringen. Dazu werden sogenannte Prodrug-Konzepte verfolgt, bei denen ein möglichst „untoxisches” Prodrug gezielt im entarteten Gewebe enzymatisch zum zytotoxischen Wirkstoff (Drug) aktiviert wird. In diesem Rahmen werden Substrate für die Antibody-Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (ADEPT) hergestellt. Bei diesem Konzept wird eine hohe Tumorspezifität durch Konjugate aus Enzymen und Antikörpern erlangt, indem das Immunglobulin selektiv an tumorassoziierte Antigene bindet und durch das konjugierte Enzym die Drugfreisetzung ermöglicht wird. Die natürlichen zytotoxischen Antibiotika (+)-CC 1065 und (+)-Duocarmycin SA dienen hierbei als Leitstrukturen für die Synthese entsprechender Prodrugs. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden insgesamt zwei neue Duocarmycin-analoge Prodrugs sowie neun neue seco-Drugs synthetisiert, wobei vier Vertreter eine terminale Alkinfunktion aufweisen. Für die Darstellung der Prodrugs wurden auf die Galaktose als Glykosideinheit zurückgegriffen. Zudem wurde ein neuartiges dimeres seco Drug hergestellt, das aus zwei pharmakophoren Einheiten sowie einem verbrückenden Linker mit Alkineinheit besteht. Die jeweiligen Substanzen wurden auf ihre In-vitro-Zytotoxizitäten sowie die Eignung für eine Anwendung im ADEPT-Ansatz evaluiert. Neun der neuen Duocarmycin-Analoga wurden in Form von seco- und Prodrugs wurden im Rahmen des aktivitätsbasierten Protein-Profilings untersucht. Hierbei konnte die Aldehyddehydrogenase 1 als wichtiges Angriffsziel der Duocarmycin-Familie verifiziert werden.

Les prodrogues sont des dérivés biologiquement inactifs d’un principe actif qui, après administration à un organisme, subissent une transformation chimique ou enzymatique pour libérer le principe actif au site d’action. Elles améliorent les propriétés physicochimiques du principe actif pour permettre un meilleur transport à travers les barrières biologiques et pour augmenter l’activité in vivo. Elles sont utilisées pour améliorer la formulation et l’administration, accroître la perméabilité et l’absorption, modifier le profil de distribution et éviter le métabolisme et la toxicité. Cette approche est très utile pour améliorer l'administration de principes actifs. Il existe deux types de prodrogues : les prodrogues liées à un transporteur et les bioprécurseurs. Dans le premier cas, la molécule active est liée par une liaison covalente à un groupement temporaire, ce qui fournit une nouvelle molécule, qui est inactive. Le groupement temporaire libéré ne doit pas avoir, par lui-même, d'action pharmacologique ni de toxicité. Dans le second cas, le principe actif est transformé métaboliquement ou chimiquement par réaction d’hydratation, d’oxydation ou de réduction. Les azapeptides sont des mimes peptidiques dans lesquels un ou plusieurs carbones de la chaîne peptidique sont remplacés par des atomes d’azote. Ce remplacement augmente la rigidité de la chaîne peptidique et favorise le repliement de type β. Le repliement β des azapeptides est associé à plusieurs propriétés thérapeutiques. Certains azapeptides ont montré une meilleure activité, une meilleure sélectivité et une plus grande stabilité comparativement aux peptides parents ce qui prolonge leur durée d'action et les rend plus résistants aux dégradations métaboliques. Ce mémoire s’intéresse particulièrement à l’azapeptide : [aza(p-MeO)F⁴]-GHRP-6. Celui-ci est un analogue du peptide sécréteur d’hormone de croissance 6 (GHRP-6, H-His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH₂), qui possède une affinité pour deux récepteurs distincts : les récepteurs de growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a) et le récepteur cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36). L’[aza(p-MeO)F⁴]-GHRP-6 démontre une sélectivité envers le récepteur CD36 offrant des possibilités de traitement de maladies telles que l’athérosclérose et la dégénérescence maculaire liée à l’âge (DMLA). De plus, le récepteur CD36 peut interagir avec un corécepteur toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), et l’[aza(p-MeO)F⁴]-GHRP-6 peut réduire des réponses immunitaires innées. La stratégie des prodrogues a été utilisée dans ce mémoire pour augmenter la durée d’action de l’azapeptide [aza(p-MeO)F⁴]-GHRP-6. Plus précisément, cinq analogues des prodrogues α-acyloxyéthylcarbamates de l’aza(p-MeO)F⁴-GHRP-6 ont été synthétisées. Ce mémoire présente la première synthèse de prodrogues α-acyloxyéthylcarbamates à caractère PEG de l’[aza(p-MeO)F⁴]-GHRP-6. / A prodrug is a biologically inactive derivative of a drug which after administration undergoes chemical or enzymatic modification to release the active drug at targeted sites of activity. Prodrugs improve physicochemical properties to enable better transport through biological barriers and enhance activity. They are used to improve formulation and administration, to enhance permeability and absorption, to modify distribution profiles and to avoid metabolism and toxicity. The prodrug approach is useful for improving drug delivery. Prodrugs are classified into two types: carrier-linked prodrugs and bio-precursors. In the first case, the parent drug is linked by a covalent bond to an inert carrier or transport moiety. The carrier should not be active or toxic. The active drug is released by a chemical or enzymatic cleavage in vivo. In the second case, the parent drug is converted metabolically or chemically by hydration, oxidation or reduction reactions. Azapeptides employ a semicarbazide as an amino amide surrogate in a peptide analog in which the backbone α-CH is replaced by nitrogen. Through electronic interactions, the semicarbazide favors backbone β-turn geometry due to a combination of urea planarity and hydrazine nitrogen lone pair – lone pair repulsion. Azapeptides have proven therapeutic utility. Some of them exhibit better selectivity, activity and stability than the parent peptides with increased duration of action and improved metabolic stability. Growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6, H-His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH₂) is a synthetic peptide possessing an affinity for two different receptors: growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a) and cluster of differentiation receptor 36 (CD36). The GHRP-6 azapeptide analogue, [aza(p-MeO)F⁴]-GHRP-6, has exhibited good affinity for CD36 and reduced nitric oxide overproduction in macrophage cells stimulated with the TLR-2 agonist R-FSL-1. Azapeptide ligands of CD36, such as [aza(p-MeO)F⁴]-GHRP-6, offers potential as prototypes for developing treatments of diseases such as atherosclerosis and age-related macular degeneration. A prodrug strategy has been pursued to improve the pharmacokinetic properties, such as duration of action, of [aza(p-MeO)F⁴]-GHRP-6. The first examples of α-acyloxyethyl carbamate peptides have been prepared. Five α-acyloxyethyl carbamate analogues of [aza(p-MeO)F⁴]-GHRP-6 have been synthesized by routes featuring acylation of the resin-bound peptide using different activated α-acyloxyethyl carbonates prior to resin cleavage and side chain deprotection. The evaluation of the activity of the pharmacokinetic properties of the [aza(p-MeO)F⁴]-GHRP-6 prodrugs is currently in progress and will be reported in due time.

Introduction: Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are the major family of enzymes responsible for detoxification and metabolism of a wide range of both endogenous and xenobiotics chemicals in living organisms. The use of CYPs to activate prodrugs to cytotoxins selectively in tumours has been explored including AQ4N, Phortress and Aminoflavone. CYP1A1, CYP1B1, CYP2W1, and CYP4F11 have been identified as expressed in tumour tissue and surrounding stroma at high frequency compared to most normal tissues. Aim is to investigate the differential metabolism of novel chloromethylindoline by high frequency expressed CYPs in tumours. This differential may be exploited to elicit a selective chemotherapeutic effect by metabolising inert small molecules to potent cytotoxins within the tumour environment. Materials and Methods: Sensitive and specific LC/MS/MS techniques have been developed to investigate the metabolism of chloromethylindolines. Recombinant enzymes and transfected cell lines were used to investigate the metabolic profiles with a focus on production of the cytotoxic derivatives of chloromethylindolines. Results: Detailed metabolic studies show that (1-(Chloromethyl)-1,2-dihydropyrrolo [3,2-e]indol-3(6H)-yl)(5-methoxy-1H-indol-2-yl) methanone (ICT2700) and other chloromethylindolines are converted by CYP1A1 mediated hydroxylation at the C-5 position leading to highly potent metabolites. In vitro cytotoxicity studies showed differentials of up to 1000-fold was achieved between CYP1A1 activated compared to the non-metabolised parent molecules. The reactivity of metabolites of ICT2700 was also explored using glutathione as a nucleophile. The metabolites were identified by a combination of LC/MS and LC MS/MS techniques. Investigations using mouse and human liver microsomes show that a large number of metabolites are created though none were shown to be associated with a potential anticancer effect. Studies focused on CYP2W1 show that this isoform metabolised ICT2706 to a cytotoxic species and a pharmacokinetic study showed a good distribution of ICT2706 into mouse tissues including tumour. However metabolism of ICT2726 by CYP2W1 resulted only in a non-toxic metabolite profile and may have potential as a biomarker for functional CYP2W1 in tissues. Preliminary studies show that palmitic acid hydroxylation is a useful marker of functional CYP4F11. Summary and conclusion: The in vitro results show that the chloromethylindolines are a novel class of agent with potential as prodrugs that following specific hydroxylation by CYP1A1 and CYP2W1 are converted to ultra-potent cytotoxins. Other metabolites are also evident which are not cytotoxic. Studies in vivo show that selected chloromethylindolines possess a good pharmacokinetic profile and show potential as prodrug anticancer agents that require activation by CYP1A1 or CYP2W1. The methods, results, progress and suggestions for future work are presented in this thesis.

O Trypanosoma cruzi é o agente etiológico da tripanossomíase americana ou doença de Chagas. A infecção ocorre desde o sul dos EUA até o sul da Argentina e cerca de 20 milhões de pessoas da América Latina correm o risco de adquirir a doença. Já a leishmaniose é causada por aproximadamente 17 diferentes espécies de protozoários unicelulares pertencentes à família Trypanosomatidae. Aproximadamente 350 milhões de pessoas correm o risco de contrair a infecção e estimam-se que existam 12 milhões de pessoas infectadas. A quimioterapia para estas duas doenças negligenciadas é limitada e os fármacos disponíveis na terapêutica são tóxicos, com eficácia discutível, podem causar resitência e, ocasionalmente, a administração parenteral é necessária. Frente ao exposto, a pesquisa e desenvolvimento de novos fármacos é necessária. À vista de tais fatos e utilizando-se o método de modificação molecular latenciação, o objetivo deste trabalho é a síntese e caracterização de pró-fármacos dendriméricos de primeira geração de hidroximetilnitrofural, 3-hidroxiflavona e quercetina. O hidroximetilnitrofural tem mostrado atividade contra as formas amastigotas e tripomastigotas do T. cruzi in vitro e in vivo. Os flavonóides 3-hidroxiflavona e quercetina mostraram-se mais ativos que o padrão miltefosina em ensaios in vitro para leishmaniose. Já os dendrímeros são novas arquiteturas moleculares com estruturas nanoscópicas, extremamente organizadas e apresentam massa molecular definida. As aplicações incluem, por exemplo, a atuação como agentes transportadores de fármacos. Diversas metodologias sintéticas foram desenvolvidas na tentativa de se obter os pró-fármacos dendriméricos. Um das maiores dificuldades encontradas foi a purificação dos compostos sintetizados. Adicionalmente, foram realizados estudos de modelagem molecular para auxiliar a compreensão sobre a liberação das substâncias ativas da malha dendrimérica. Experimentos sobre hidrólise enzimática do pró-fármaco composto por PAMAM (geração 1) e 3-hidroxiflavona também foram desenvolvidos. / Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of American trypanosomiasis or Chagas\' disease. The infection occurs from the southern USA to southern Argentina and about 20 million people in Latin America are at risk of acquiring the disease. Leishmaniasis is caused by approximately 17 different species of unicellular protozoa belonging to the family Trypanosomatidae. Approximately 350 million people are at risk of acquiring the infection and it is estimated that there are 12 million people infected. Chemotherapy for these two neglected diseases is limited and the drugs available on therapy are toxic, with uncertain efficacy, may cause resistance and, occasionally, intravenous administration is required. Based on these facts, research and development for new drugs is needed. Considering that and using the method of molecular modification prodrug design, the purpose of this work is the synthesis and characterization of first generation dendrimer prodrug of hydroxymethylnitrofurazone (NFOH), quercetin and 3-hydroxyflavone. The NFOH has shown activity against amastigotes and trypomastigotes of T. cruzi, in vitro and in vivo. The flavonoids quercetin and 3-hydroxyflavone were more active than miltefosine in in vitro assays for leishmaniasis. Dendrimers are new molecular architectures with nanoscopic structures, extremely organized and it has defined molecular weight. The applications include, for instance, working as drugs carriers. A range of synthetic methodologies have been developed in an attempt to synthesize the dendrimers prodrugs. A major difficulty was the purification of the compounds. Additionally, molecular modeling studies were performed to assist understanding the release of active agents from dendrimers. Experiments concerning the enzymatic hydrolysis of the dendrimer prodrug composed by PAMAM (generation 1) and 3-hydroxyflavone were also made.

As doenças cardiovasculares são as principais causas de morte no Brasil e no mundo e constituem problema de saúde médico-social, de grande impacto econômico. As alterações no perfil lipídico e hematológico são fundamentais na formação da aterosclerose, considerando que o LDL (do inglês Low-Density Lipoprotein) e a agregação plaquetária estão envolvidos na formação dos trombos e, consequentemente, em eventos vaso-oclusivos. Entre os fármacos utilizados, encontram-se as estatinas. A rosuvastatina, um dos fármacos utilizados, é inibidora da hidroximetilglutaril coenzima A (HMG CoA) redutase e possui melhor perfil farmacodinâmico entre as estatinas, com maior potência e seletividade. O ácido acetilsalicílico, anti-inflamatório não-esteroide com atividade antiplaquetária mais difundido na terapia, é utilizado, por esse efeito, em associação com estatinas. Fatores limitantes para o uso da rosuvastatina e o ácido acetilsalicílico são: a baixa permeabilidade da rosuvastatina cálcica, e consequente baixa biodisponibilidade (biodisponibilidade absoluta 20%), e tempo de meia-vida do ácido acetilsalicílico de 6-7 h, o que leva à necessidade de elevadas doses e maior frequência de administração de ambos os fármacos. Visto que a associação das estatinas e do ácido acetilsalicílico promove melhor eficácia na prevenção e tratamento de doenças cardiovasculares, o objetivo foi aumentar a solubilidade da estatina e, consequentemente, a sua biodisponibilidade, e a meia-vida do ácido acetilsalicílico, juntamente com a diminuição da toxicidade desse último.. Por outro lado, considerando-se a importância dos dendrímeros como transportadores de fármacos na latenciação, propôs-se o planejamento e a síntese de pró-fármacos dendriméricos, potencialmente cardiovasculares, derivados da associação de rosuvastatina e ácido acetilsalicílico, utilizando etilenoglicol e pentaeritritol como núcleos e ácido L(-)-málico, ácido 2,2-bis(hidroximetil)propiônico e etilenoglicol, como espaçantes.. Obtiveram-se dois pró-fármacos, que se constituem em dendrons como parte dos dendrímeros planejados. O primeiro foi sintetizado pelo método convergente em duplo estágio e faz parte do bloco da camada externa do dendrímero I e o segundo, pela abordagem convergente clássica, sendo este o dendron do dendrímero II. Parte limitante na obtenção desses dendrímeros, além das etapas de purificação, são as etapas de desproteção. / Cardiovascular diseases have been the main causes of death in Brazil and in the world and are medical-social health problem with great economic impact. Alterations in the lipid hematological profiles are essentials in atherosclerosis, as LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) and the platelet aggregation are involved in the thrombus formation and, consequently, in occlusive vessel events. Among the drugs used to overcome those alterations are the statins. Rosuvastatin, one of the drugs used, is a hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzine A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitor and it has the best pharmacodynamics profile among the statins, with higher potency and selectivity. Acetylsalicylic acid, a non-steroid anti-inflammatory agent with antiplatelet activity most disseminated in therapeutics, has been used in combination with statins due to this effect. Limited factors for the use of rosuvastatin and acetylsalycilic acid are the low permeability of the former, and consequently a low bioavailability (20% absolute bioavailability), and a 6 to 7 h half-life time of acetylsalycilic acid. Those factors lead to the need of high doses and higher frequency of administration of both drugs. Considering the combination of statins and acetylsalycilic acid promotes a better efficacy in either prevention or in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the objective of this work was to increase the rosuvastatin solubility and, consequently, its bioavailability, and the half-life time of acetylsalicylic acid, together with the decrease of its toxicity. On the other hand, considering the importance of dendrimers as drug carriers in prodrug approach, the design and synthesis of potentially cardiovascular dendrimer prodrugs derived from de combination of rosuvastatin and acetylsalicylic acid was proposed. With this goal, ethylene glycol and pentaerytritol were used as core and L(-)malic acid, 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid and ethylene glycol were used as spacer groups. Two prodrug dendrons were obtained as part of the designed dendrimers. The first one was synthesized by two-step convergent method and it is part of the external layer block of dendrimer I. The second was obtained through classical convergent synthesis as the dendron of dendrimer II. The purification and deprotection steps showed to be the greatest obstacles for obtaining the proposed compounds.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Pharmacy. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2007. / "A dissertation in pharmaceutical science and pharmacology." Advisor: Ashim K. Mitra. Typescript. Vita. Title from "catalog record" of the print edition Description based on contents viewed July 16, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 231-248). Online version of the print edition.

O Trypanosoma cruzi é o agente etiológico da tripanossomíase americana ou doença de Chagas. A infecção ocorre desde o sul dos EUA até o sul da Argentina e cerca de 20 milhões de pessoas da América Latina correm o risco de adquirir a doença. Já a leishmaniose é causada por aproximadamente 17 diferentes espécies de protozoários unicelulares pertencentes à família Trypanosomatidae. Aproximadamente 350 milhões de pessoas correm o risco de contrair a infecção e estimam-se que existam 12 milhões de pessoas infectadas. A quimioterapia para estas duas doenças negligenciadas é limitada e os fármacos disponíveis na terapêutica são tóxicos, com eficácia discutível, podem causar resitência e, ocasionalmente, a administração parenteral é necessária. Frente ao exposto, a pesquisa e desenvolvimento de novos fármacos é necessária. À vista de tais fatos e utilizando-se o método de modificação molecular latenciação, o objetivo deste trabalho é a síntese e caracterização de pró-fármacos dendriméricos de primeira geração de hidroximetilnitrofural, 3-hidroxiflavona e quercetina. O hidroximetilnitrofural tem mostrado atividade contra as formas amastigotas e tripomastigotas do T. cruzi in vitro e in vivo. Os flavonóides 3-hidroxiflavona e quercetina mostraram-se mais ativos que o padrão miltefosina em ensaios in vitro para leishmaniose. Já os dendrímeros são novas arquiteturas moleculares com estruturas nanoscópicas, extremamente organizadas e apresentam massa molecular definida. As aplicações incluem, por exemplo, a atuação como agentes transportadores de fármacos. Diversas metodologias sintéticas foram desenvolvidas na tentativa de se obter os pró-fármacos dendriméricos. Um das maiores dificuldades encontradas foi a purificação dos compostos sintetizados. Adicionalmente, foram realizados estudos de modelagem molecular para auxiliar a compreensão sobre a liberação das substâncias ativas da malha dendrimérica. Experimentos sobre hidrólise enzimática do pró-fármaco composto por PAMAM (geração 1) e 3-hidroxiflavona também foram desenvolvidos. / Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of American trypanosomiasis or Chagas\' disease. The infection occurs from the southern USA to southern Argentina and about 20 million people in Latin America are at risk of acquiring the disease. Leishmaniasis is caused by approximately 17 different species of unicellular protozoa belonging to the family Trypanosomatidae. Approximately 350 million people are at risk of acquiring the infection and it is estimated that there are 12 million people infected. Chemotherapy for these two neglected diseases is limited and the drugs available on therapy are toxic, with uncertain efficacy, may cause resistance and, occasionally, intravenous administration is required. Based on these facts, research and development for new drugs is needed. Considering that and using the method of molecular modification prodrug design, the purpose of this work is the synthesis and characterization of first generation dendrimer prodrug of hydroxymethylnitrofurazone (NFOH), quercetin and 3-hydroxyflavone. The NFOH has shown activity against amastigotes and trypomastigotes of T. cruzi, in vitro and in vivo. The flavonoids quercetin and 3-hydroxyflavone were more active than miltefosine in in vitro assays for leishmaniasis. Dendrimers are new molecular architectures with nanoscopic structures, extremely organized and it has defined molecular weight. The applications include, for instance, working as drugs carriers. A range of synthetic methodologies have been developed in an attempt to synthesize the dendrimers prodrugs. A major difficulty was the purification of the compounds. Additionally, molecular modeling studies were performed to assist understanding the release of active agents from dendrimers. Experiments concerning the enzymatic hydrolysis of the dendrimer prodrug composed by PAMAM (generation 1) and 3-hydroxyflavone were also made.

As doenças cardiovasculares são as principais causas de morte no Brasil e no mundo e constituem problema de saúde médico-social, de grande impacto econômico. As alterações no perfil lipídico e hematológico são fundamentais na formação da aterosclerose, considerando que o LDL (do inglês Low-Density Lipoprotein) e a agregação plaquetária estão envolvidos na formação dos trombos e, consequentemente, em eventos vaso-oclusivos. Entre os fármacos utilizados, encontram-se as estatinas. A rosuvastatina, um dos fármacos utilizados, é inibidora da hidroximetilglutaril coenzima A (HMG CoA) redutase e possui melhor perfil farmacodinâmico entre as estatinas, com maior potência e seletividade. O ácido acetilsalicílico, anti-inflamatório não-esteroide com atividade antiplaquetária mais difundido na terapia, é utilizado, por esse efeito, em associação com estatinas. Fatores limitantes para o uso da rosuvastatina e o ácido acetilsalicílico são: a baixa permeabilidade da rosuvastatina cálcica, e consequente baixa biodisponibilidade (biodisponibilidade absoluta 20%), e tempo de meia-vida do ácido acetilsalicílico de 6-7 h, o que leva à necessidade de elevadas doses e maior frequência de administração de ambos os fármacos. Visto que a associação das estatinas e do ácido acetilsalicílico promove melhor eficácia na prevenção e tratamento de doenças cardiovasculares, o objetivo foi aumentar a solubilidade da estatina e, consequentemente, a sua biodisponibilidade, e a meia-vida do ácido acetilsalicílico, juntamente com a diminuição da toxicidade desse último.. Por outro lado, considerando-se a importância dos dendrímeros como transportadores de fármacos na latenciação, propôs-se o planejamento e a síntese de pró-fármacos dendriméricos, potencialmente cardiovasculares, derivados da associação de rosuvastatina e ácido acetilsalicílico, utilizando etilenoglicol e pentaeritritol como núcleos e ácido L(-)-málico, ácido 2,2-bis(hidroximetil)propiônico e etilenoglicol, como espaçantes.. Obtiveram-se dois pró-fármacos, que se constituem em dendrons como parte dos dendrímeros planejados. O primeiro foi sintetizado pelo método convergente em duplo estágio e faz parte do bloco da camada externa do dendrímero I e o segundo, pela abordagem convergente clássica, sendo este o dendron do dendrímero II. Parte limitante na obtenção desses dendrímeros, além das etapas de purificação, são as etapas de desproteção. / Cardiovascular diseases have been the main causes of death in Brazil and in the world and are medical-social health problem with great economic impact. Alterations in the lipid hematological profiles are essentials in atherosclerosis, as LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) and the platelet aggregation are involved in the thrombus formation and, consequently, in occlusive vessel events. Among the drugs used to overcome those alterations are the statins. Rosuvastatin, one of the drugs used, is a hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzine A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitor and it has the best pharmacodynamics profile among the statins, with higher potency and selectivity. Acetylsalicylic acid, a non-steroid anti-inflammatory agent with antiplatelet activity most disseminated in therapeutics, has been used in combination with statins due to this effect. Limited factors for the use of rosuvastatin and acetylsalycilic acid are the low permeability of the former, and consequently a low bioavailability (20% absolute bioavailability), and a 6 to 7 h half-life time of acetylsalycilic acid. Those factors lead to the need of high doses and higher frequency of administration of both drugs. Considering the combination of statins and acetylsalycilic acid promotes a better efficacy in either prevention or in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the objective of this work was to increase the rosuvastatin solubility and, consequently, its bioavailability, and the half-life time of acetylsalicylic acid, together with the decrease of its toxicity. On the other hand, considering the importance of dendrimers as drug carriers in prodrug approach, the design and synthesis of potentially cardiovascular dendrimer prodrugs derived from de combination of rosuvastatin and acetylsalicylic acid was proposed. With this goal, ethylene glycol and pentaerytritol were used as core and L(-)malic acid, 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid and ethylene glycol were used as spacer groups. Two prodrug dendrons were obtained as part of the designed dendrimers. The first one was synthesized by two-step convergent method and it is part of the external layer block of dendrimer I. The second was obtained through classical convergent synthesis as the dendron of dendrimer II. The purification and deprotection steps showed to be the greatest obstacles for obtaining the proposed compounds.

First part of this thesis was focused on the previously overlooked field of C1'-branched acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (ANPs). Five diverse synthetic approaches were developed/optimized affording key 6-chloropurine intermediates bearing N9 -phosphonomethoxyethyl (PME) branched at C1' position in 2-4 steps. It was demonstrated that these intermediates can be further vastly diversified into ANPs bearing both natural and unnatural nucleobases. Single enantiomers as well as racemates of final C1'-branched ANPs (overall 48 final compounds) were prepared and selected compounds were evaluated with respect to their biological properties. The aforementioned ANPs showed no antiviral potency against studied viruses and only weak to moderate cytostatic activity. Adenine C1'-branched ANPs proved to be the most potent currently known inhibitors of Trypanosoma brucei adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (TbrAPRT), an enzyme involved in purine salvage pathway (PSP) of T. brucei. Further biological evaluation of prepared compounds is in progress. Second part of this thesis was focused on development of novel prodrug moieties with higher selectivity index (i.e. toxicity/potency ratio - SI) based on so-called ProTide prodrugs where phenol (present in ProTides) was replaced by tyrosine derivatives. Tenofovir was...

<p>Multidrug resistance is a major issue in treatment and eradication of diseases. There are many mechanisms by which pathogens develop multi drug resistance. Here we focus on the ability of pathogens to evade drug treatment by establishing multi drug resistant reservoirs. In the case of HIV, the virus is able to evade drug treatment and forms both latent and active replicating reservoirs throughout the body. In the case of many bacterial pathogens, multidrug resistance reservoirs are established within mammalian cells, such as macrophages. Many classes of antibiotics are unable to penetrate mammalian cells, making intracellular bacteria difficult to clear</p><p>Previously our research group has developed a Trojan horse strategy to deliver antivirals to HIV cellular reservoirs. Ester based prodrug dimers of abacavir, a reverse transcriptase inhibitor, acted to both inhibit efflux transporters at the BBB and revert to the monomeric therapy in the reducing environments of the cell. Herein we present a new group of sterically hindered carbonate based disulfide linkers that shows improved payload delivery of abacavir and maintain the stability of prodrug molecules towards hydrolysis. We employed these linker molecules to synthesize prodrug dimers of the HIV latency reversal agent prostratin with the hope of targeting latent HIV reservoirs. Payload release studies as well as latency reversal experiments with a latently infected T-helper cell model confirmed that the prostratin carbonate homodimers (<b>ProS₂Me₂</b> and <b>ProS₂Me₄</b>) were able to revert to monomeric prostratin and reverse HIV latency. We next sought to synthesize a prostrain-protease inhibitor heterodimer. While our initial study of a prostratin-lopinavir heterodimer employing this linker strategy (<b>ProLpvS₂Me₂</b>) did not show significant HIV latency reversal activity, we hope to expand our heterodimer studies to achieve dual therapeutic molecules that can both reverse HIV latency and deliver antivirals to HIV reservoirs.</p><p>In order to combat intracellular bacteria our group has focused on development of a novel class of cell penetrating peptides with intrinsic broad spectrum antimicrobial activity that are based on a repeating amino acid triad which forms a cationic amphiphilic polyproline helix (CAPH) scaffold. The first member of this class, <b>P14LRR</b>, exhibited clearance of intracellular bacteria and concentration dependent co-localization within mammalian cells. In efforts to optimize antimicrobial activity we have expanded the CAPHs library by adjusting the chain length between the proline backbone and the guanadinium groups of the cationic amino acids. The first peptide from this expanded library, <b>P14GAP</b> showed much greater cell penetration and antimicrobial activity against a wide range of pathogenic bacteria. However, <b>P14GAP</b> also showed greater toxicity towards mammalian cells, increased hemolysis, and greater membrane binding with mammalian cells as compared to <b>P14LRR</b>. Here we describe the design and synthesis of <b>P14GAP-C1</b>, which contains a methylene between the proline backbone and the guanadinium group. This new analogue decreased the hemolysis activity as compared to <b>P14GAP</b>, although similar membrane binding with mammalian cells was observed. This improvement in hemolysis activity and a slight improvement in cell viability may allow us to use higher concentrations of peptide to treat multidrug resistant bacterial infections.</p><p> </p>