American Chemical Society, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 13(48), p. 4482-4486, 2005
DOI: 10.1021/jm0495273
Full text: Unavailable
Mercaptopurine (6-MP), thioguanine (6-TG), and azathioprine (AZA) are purine antimetabolites introduced as anticancer or immunosuppressive drugs decades ago. Methylated AZA, called MAZA, is among the investigational drugs. The present study compares MAZA to the widely recognized drugs AZA, 6-MP, and 6-TG with respect to the ability of being transported across cell membranes. The obtained octanol/water phases partition coefficients and results of quantum chemical calculations predict the following sequence of hydrophobicity: MAZA > AZA > 6-TG > 6-MP.