CHROMATOGRAPHIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME DIDEOXYRIBONUCLEOSIDES

Selectivity and retention surfaces were developed for the rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of dideoxyribonucleosides which are promising antiretroviral agents. In this study, the dideoxyribonucleosides 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine, 2',3'-dideoxyinosine, 2',3'-dideoxycytidine and 3'-deoxythymidine were used as model compounds and 2'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) and AZT-5'-phosphate (AZT-5'-P) as experimental test compounds. The interdependence of the experimental variables, column temperature, mobile phase pH and percentage of methanol, and the effects of these variables on the reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) behavior of the dideoxy compounds were investigated. The conditions for optimal resolution of these compounds, as determined from the surfaces, were mobile phases of pH 5.0 and either 14% methanol at 40-degrees-C or 15% methanol at 30-degrees-C. These surfaces served as guidelines in determining conditions for preparative and analytical scale RPLC separations of AZT from AZT-5'-P.