Zalcitabine(Dideoxycytidine;ddC; 2', 3'-Dideoxycytidine) is a nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI); At low concentrations, It can potently inhibit HIV replication by binding to reverse transcriptase terminated synthesis of viral DNA chain.
Zalcitabine is a dideoxynucleoside antiretroviral agent that is phosphorylated to the active metabolite 2',3'-dideoxycytidine 5'-triphosphate (ddCTP) within both uninfected and HIV-infected cells. At therapeutic concentrations, ddCTP inhibits HIV replication by inhibiting the enzyme reverse transcriptase and terminating elongation of the proviral DNA chain[1]. Zalcitabine exhibits the inhibition effect on the cellular uptake of [3H]-PAH in CHO/hOAT1 cells with an IC50 value of 1.23 mM. Furthermore, the cellular uptake of zalcitabine increased threefold with the enhancement of hOATI activity in CHO/hOAT1 cells[2].