Folate Antagonists. 18. Synthesis and Antimalarial Effects of N6-(Arylmethyl)-N6-methyl-2,4,6-pteridinetriamines and Related N6,N6-Disubstituted 2,4,6-Pteridinetriamines

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jm00134a003

N⁶-(Arylmethyl)-N⁶-methyl-2,4,6-pteridinetriamines (1-5) and related N⁶-substituted 2,4,6-pteridinetriamines (16-20) were obtained by the condensation of 6-chloro-2,4-pteridinediamine with methylarylmethanamine and other selected secondary amines.The requisite N-methylarylmethanamines (21-32) were prepared by the hydrogenation over Pt/C of the corresponding arylcarboxaldehyde in the presence of methanamine.Several of the N⁶-(arylmethyl)-N⁶-methyl-2,4,6-pteridinetriamines exhibited exceptional suppressive antimalarial activity against a drug-sensitive line of Plasmodium berghei in mice.N⁶-Methyl-N⁶-(1-naphthalenylmethyl)-2,4,6-pteridinetriamine (9), the most active of those compounds, was also shown to be curative at 3.16 mg/kg in a single oral dose against P. cynomolgi in the rhesus monkey.This compound was also shown to be effective against a chloroquine-resistant line of P. berghei in the mouse but showed cross-resistance to a pyrimethamine-resistant strain.Most of the 2,4,6-pteridinetriamines showed strong antibacterial action against Streptococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus.