[Antiviral activity of anomeric 5-substituted 2'-deoxyuridines].

The inhibiting effect for herpes and vaccinia viruses of 2'-deoxyuridine derivatives containing the substitute in the position of 5-pyrimidine ring was studied. Anomeric 5-isopropyl-2'-deoxyuridines were shown to produce a marked inhibiting effect in chick embryo fibroblasts infected with herpes virus and to have no effect on vaccinia virus replication, that is, to be specific antiherpetic agents. The alpha-anomer of 5-isopropyl-2'-deoxyuridine showed antiherpetic activity in vitro comparable with that of beta-anomer. Fifty per cent toxic doses and chemotherapeutic indices of the drugs under study were determined in comparison with those of 5-iod-2'-deoxyuridine.