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Details

Stereochemistry ACHIRAL
Molecular Formula C11H10Cl2N4
Molecular Weight 269.13
Optical Activity NONE
Defined Stereocenters 0 / 0
E/Z Centers 0
Charge 0

SHOW SMILES / InChI
Structure of METOPRINE

SMILES

CC1=NC(N)=NC(N)=C1C2=CC(Cl)=C(Cl)C=C2

InChI

InChIKey=VQJHOPSWBGJHQS-UHFFFAOYSA-N
InChI=1S/C11H10Cl2N4/c1-5-9(10(14)17-11(15)16-5)6-2-3-7(12)8(13)4-6/h2-4H,1H3,(H4,14,15,16,17)

HIDE SMILES / InChI

Molecular Formula C11H10Cl2N4
Molecular Weight 269.13
Charge 0
Count
MOL RATIO 1 MOL RATIO (average)
Stereochemistry ACHIRAL
Additional Stereochemistry No
Defined Stereocenters 0 / 0
E/Z Centers 0
Optical Activity NONE

Description

Metoprine is a diaminopyrimidine folate antagonist with potential antineoplastic activity. Metoprine inhibits dihydrofolate reductase, resulting in decreased cellular folate metabolism and cell growth. Metoprine shows potent in vitro antitumor activity against several experimental tumors including methotrexate-resistant tumors. Metoprine inhibits the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, much less effectively than methotrexate but it also inhibits histamine-N-methyltransferase, resulting in decreased histamine catabolism. S phase cells are most sensitive, whilst cells in G2 and M are least sensitive to the lethal effects of Metoprine, and a prolonged exposure to a high Metoprine concentration produces maximum cytotoxic effects. After oral administration, Metoprine has a widespread distribution and concentration in all tissues examined with the highest tissue/plasma ratios found in brain, lung, pancreas, and skin. Phase I and early Phase II clinical trials in various centers have shown activity in hypernephroma, epidermoid carcinoma arising in bronchus or head and neck, central nervous system leukemia, malignant melanoma, and mycosis fungicides. Metoprine had been in some phase II clinical trials but further studies were discontinued due to CNS and hematological toxicity.

CNS Activity

Originator

Approval Year

Targets

Primary TargetPharmacologyConditionPotency
91.0 nM [Ki]
0.12 nM [Ki]

Conditions

ConditionModalityTargetsHighest PhaseProduct
Primary
Unknown
Primary
Unknown
Primary
Unknown
Primary
Unknown
Primary
Unknown

Cmax

ValueDoseCo-administeredAnalytePopulation
0.6 μg/mL
65 mg/m² single, oral
METOPRINE plasma
Homo sapiens

AUC

ValueDoseCo-administeredAnalytePopulation
52 μg × h/mL
65 mg/m² single, oral
METOPRINE plasma
Homo sapiens

PubMed

Patents

Sample Use Guides

In Vivo Use Guide
50–100 mg weekly orally simultaneously with leucovorin (3 i.m. or 9 mg i.v.) weekly
Route of Administration: Oral
In Vitro Use Guide
Murine lymphoblasts cell line L5178Y was used for activity evaluation. Lethal effects of a 24-hr exposure of logarithmically growing L5178Y lymphoma cell lines to increasing Metoprine concentrations was determined by colony-forming assays in soft agarose
Substance Class Chemical
Record UNII
2L9RKX796Q
Record Status Validated (UNII)
Record Version