Ester prodrugs of ampicillin tailored for intracellular accumulation

Fan-HJ; Paternotte-I; Vermander-M; Li-K; Beaujean-M; Scorneaux-B; Dumont-P; Osinski-P; Claesen-M; Tulkens-PM; Sonveaux-E

BIOORGANIC-AND-MEDICINAL-CHEMISTRY-LETTERS. DEC 16 1997; 7 (24) : 3107-3112

ABSTRACT:

Seven new ester prodrugs of ampicillin with hydrolysis half-lives ranging from 65 to 308 min were synthesized. The cellular accumulation of two of them (in J774 mouse macrophages) and their activities against intracellular Staphylococcus aureus were determined in comparison with the pivaloyloxymethylester of ampicillin (pivampicillin) and ampicillin. The esters accumulated extensively and were more active than ampicillin in this in vitro system.

(C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.