Synthesis,biological evaluation and SAR of naftopidil-based arylpiperazine derivatives

For the development of potential anti-prostate cancer agents, 24 kinds of novel naftopidil-based arylpiperazine derivatives have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods. Their antitumor activities were evaluated against several classical prostate cancer cell lines including PC-3, LNCaP, and DU145. Among all the compounds, 9, 13, 17, 21 and 27 showed strong cytotoxic activities against DU145 cells (IC₅₀?<?1?μM). Further testing confirmed that compound 17 inhibited the growth of DU145 cells by inducing cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. Besides, antagonistic activities of compounds (9, 13, 17, 21 and 27) towards a₁-ARs (α_1A, α_1B, and α_1D) were further evaluated using dual-luciferase reporter assays, and the compounds 13 and 17 exhibited better a₁-ARs subtype selectivity. The structure–activity relationship (SAR) of these developed arylpiperazine derivatives was rationally discussed. Taken together, these results suggested that further development of such compounds may be of great interest.     

Synthesis of cholestane saponins as mimics of OSW-1 and their cytotoxic activities

To fulfill the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of OSW-1, and aim at finding the simplest structural part while maintaining most of the biological activities, six cholestane saponins were synthesized by introducing OSW-1 disaccharide (2-O-4-methoxybenzoyl-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-O-acetyl-α-l-arabinopyranosyl) and its 1→4-linked analogue to the 7-hydroxy or 16-hydroxy of steroidal sapogenins. Cytotoxic activities of the products were tested. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited potent cytotoxicities against five types of human tumor cells, with minimum IC₅₀ of 2.0 and 75 nM, respectively. And due to its high activity and easy accessibility compound 1 could be a potential candidate for new anti-tumor agents.     

Synthesis, cytotoxicity, and hemolytic activity of 6'-O-substituted dioscin derivatives

Dioscin derivatives (1-12) with a variety of substitutions at the 6'-OH of the chacotriosyl residue and the 3',6'-anhydrosaponin derivatives (26, 30, and 32) were synthesized. All these derivatives showed much lower cytotoxicity than that of the parent dioscin, while their hemolytic activities were partially retained depending on the various 6'-O-substitutions.     

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of nitric oxide-releasing isosteviol derivatives

Fifteen novel hybrids containing diterpene skeleton and nitric oxide (NO) donor were prepared from isosteviol. All the compounds were tested on preliminary cytotoxicity, and the results showed that six target compounds (8c, 10b, 14a, 14c, 18c, and 18d) exhibited anti-proliferation activity on HepG2 cells, with 8c (IC₅₀ = 4.24 μM) and 18d (IC₅₀ = 2.75 μM) superior to the positive control CDDO-Me (2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-acid methyl ester, IC₅₀ = 4.99 μM); eleven target compounds (8a–c, 9a–c, 10a–b, 14a, 14c, 18d) exhibited anti-proliferation activities on B16F10 cells at different levels, among them, seven compounds were more potent than comptothecin (IC₅₀ = 2.78 μM) and CDDO-Me (IC₅₀ = 5.85 μM), particularly, 10b (IC₅₀ = 0.02 μM) presented the strongest effect, which was selected as a candidate for further study.     

Synthesis and SAR studies of bis-chromenone derivatives for anti-proliferative activity against human cancer cells

A novel family of 3-((4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methyl)-4H-chromen-4-one (bis-chromone) derivatives were designed, synthesized and studied for their anti-cancer activity using the XTT assay for the growth inhibition against various human cancer cells. Among them, 3-((5-(cyclohexylmethoxy)-4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methyl)-7-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one and 3-((5-(cyclohexylmethoxy)-4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)methyl)-7-hydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one showed micromolar level of in vitro anti-proliferative activity against human cancer cell lines. The SAR studies indicated bis-chromone as a basic scaffold to design anticancer agents. The 5-cyclohexylmethoxy on the first chromenone ring and electron donating group such as CH₃, OCH₃ or hydrogen bonding group (OH) on the other chromenone ring of bis-chromone increased the activity. However, saturation of one of chromenone to chromanone in bis-chromones decreased the activity.     

Synthesis and preliminary evaluation of curcumin analogues as cytotoxic agents

A series of curcumin analogues with different substituents at the 4-position of the phenyl group were synthesized and screened for in vitro cytotoxicity against a panel of human cancer cell lines. Several novel curcumin analogues, especially 32 and 34, exhibited selective and potent cytotoxic activity against human epidermoid carcinoma cell line A-431 and human glioblastoma cell line U-251, implying their specific potential in the chemoprevention and chemotherapy of skin cancer and glioma. The preliminary SAR information extracted from the results suggested that introduction of appropriate substituents to the 4′-positions could be a promising approach for the development of new cytotoxic curcumin analogues with special selectivity for A-431 and U-251 cell lines.     

Synthesis of beta-C-glycopyranosyl-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives and their cytotoxic activity

Beta-C-Glucosyl and beta-C-galactosyl-1,4-dimethoxynaphthalenes have been synthesized using a F3CCO2Ag/SnCl4 promoted Friedel-Crafts electrophilic substitution reaction. Both glycosyl acetates and methyl glycosides can be used as glycosyl donors. Further oxidation afforded the corresponding beta-C-glycosyl-1,4-naphthoquinones. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of these compounds was evaluated against the A375 cell line.     

Synthesis of cytotoxic novel 9,11-secosterol analogs: Structure/activity studies

In an effort to determine the pharmaceutical utility and the structural requirements for activity against tumor cell lines, 30 novel 9,11-secosterol analogues with different side chains and degrees of oxidation at C-9 were synthesized starting from hecogenin. Evaluation of the synthesized compounds for cytotoxicity against KB, HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines revealed that some important structural features are required for activity. The presence of a cholesterol-type side chain, which appears to play a major role in determining the biological activity, the existence of a ketone functional at C-9 is also crucial for anticancer activity whereas hydroxyl/ketone function at C-22 on the side chain did not increase cytotoxicity.     

Synthesis and evaluation of some steroidal oximes as cytotoxic agents: Structure/activity studies (II)

Hydroximinosteroids isolated from marine sponges display a variety of biological functions including cytotoxicity and anti-virus. In this study, we synthesized a series of hydroximinosteroid derivatives with a different functional group on the ring A or B and various side chains at position 17, and analyzed the cytotoxicity of these compounds against sk-Hep-1, H-292, PC-3 and Hey-1B cancer cells. Our results revealed that although a cholesterol-type side chain at position 17 is required for the biological activity of the compounds as we previously confirmed, elimination of the 4,5-double bond augmented the cytotoxic activity for the steroidal oximes. In addition, the presence of a hydroxy on 3- or 6-position of the steroidal nucleus resulted in a remarkable increase of cytotoxic activity. Our findings present more evidence showing the relationship between the chemical structure and biological function.     

Synthesis and evaluation of some steroidal oximes as cytotoxic agents: structure/activity studies (I)

The side chain of a compound plays an important role in its biological function. In our studies, we have found that hydroximinosteroid derivatives with different side chains and position of hydroximino on ring A and B displayed remarkable distinct cytotoxicities against a diversity of cancer cell types. Presence of an oxime group on ring B and a hydroxy on ring A or B resulted in a higher cytotoxicity than other structural motifs. In addition, a cholesterol-type side chain at position 17 was required for the biological activity. Our findings provide new evidence showing the relationship between the chemical structure and biological function. The information obtained from the studies may be useful for the design of novel chemotherapeutic drugs.     

Synthesis, X-ray structures, electrochemical properties and cytotoxic effects of Co(II) complexes

1-Benzothiazol-2-yl-3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole (1a) and 1-benzothiazol-2-yl-5-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester (1b) were reacted with the hexahydrates of cobalt(II) chloride, cobalt(II) nitrate and cobalt(II) perchlorate to give the corresponding complexes 2a-4a and 2b-5b, respectively. Obtained compounds differ in coordination spheres of central atoms. The complex 2a includes a fivefold coordinated cobalt(II) ion, whereas 3a shows a distorted octahedral configuration around the cobalt(II) ion. All complexes were characterised by FTIR spectroscopy, MS and elemental analysis. The X-ray structures of 2a, 3a and 5b complexes were also solved. The cytotoxic properties of the ligand 1a and both series of Co(II) complexes were examined on human leukemia NALM-6 and HL-60 cells and melanoma WM-115 cells. The ligands, were found to have very low cytotoxicity. Complex 3b exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity with IC₅₀ values in the range of 6.9-17.1 μM for three examined cell lines.     

Synthesis,anticancer activity and cytotoxicity of galactosylated epothilone B

Epothilones are the 16-membered macrolide compounds, exhibit microtubule-promoting activity, have the same anti-tumor mechanism as paclitaxel, and are expected to be the ideal substitutes for paclitaxel. However, natural epothilone compounds have been found to have disadvantages such as high toxicity in vivo, poor selectivity to tumor cells, and susceptibility to drug resistance. Herein, epothilone B was synthesized by fermentation, and it was galactosylated by chemical method. The toxicity in vitro of epothilone B and its galactosylated derivative was investigated by the MTT method. The anticancer activity evaluation in vitro was performed using a method similar to the antibody-directed enzyme-prodrug therapy (ADEPT) method. It indicated that the ratio of cytotoxicity between the free epothilone B and the galactosylated epothilone B was about 150. This would lay the foundation for the targeted treatment of cancer with epothilone glycosides.     

Design,synthesis and cytotoxic activity of novel sulfonylurea derivatives of podophyllotoxin

Three series of novel sulfonylurea podophyllotoxin derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity against four tumor cell lines (A-549, DU-145, KB and KBvin). Compounds 14c (IC₅₀: 1.41–1.76 μM) and 14e (IC₅₀: 1.72–2.01 μM) showed superior cytotoxic activity compared with etoposide (IC₅₀: 2.03 to >20 μM), a clinically available anticancer drug. Significantly, most of the compounds exhibited comparable cytotoxicity against the drug-resistant tumor cell line KBvin, while etoposide lost activity completely. Preliminary structure–activity relationship (SAR) correlations indicated that the 4′-O-methyl functionality in podophyllotoxin analogues may be essential to maintain cytotoxic activity, while an arylsulfonylurea side chain at podophyllotoxin’s 4β position can significantly improve cytotoxic activity.     

Synthesis and antitumor activity of biotinylated camptothecin derivatives as potent cytotoxic agents

A series of biotinylated camptothecin derivatives were designed and synthesized. The key to the synthesis was achieved by employing an esterification reaction and click chemistry. All of the new derivatives were tested for cytotoxicity against five human tumor cell lines, including HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW480 with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.13 to 21.53?μM. Most of the derivatives exhibited potent cytotoxicity, especially compound 17 (IC₅₀?=?0.13–3.31?μM) and compound 18 (IC₅₀?=?0.23–1.48?μM), which exhibited the highest potencies. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) of the biotinylated camptothecin derivatives were discussed for exploring novel anticancer agents.     

Synthesis and SAR study of diphenylbutylpiperidines as cell autophagy inducers

A novel series of diphenylbutylpiperidines as autophagy inducers was described and extensive SAR studies resulted in derivatives (15d-e, 15i-j) with 10-fold greater activity than the lead compounds 1 and 2. Meanwhile, a new synthetic route to diphenylbutyl bromide (6) from bromobenzene and γ-butyrolactone was also reported here.     

Design,semisynthesis and potent cytotoxic activity of novel 10-fluorocamptothecin derivatives

Fluorination is a well-known strategy for improving the bioavailability of bioactive molecules in the lead optimization phase of drug discovery projects. In an attempt to improve the antitumor activity of camptothecins (CPTs), novel 10-fluoro-CPT derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines (A-549, MDA-MB-231, KB, KB-VIN and MCF-7). All of the derivatives showed more potent in vitro cytotoxic activity than the clinical CPT-derived drug irinotecan against the tumor cell lines tested, and most of them showed comparable or superior potency to topotecan. Remarkably, compounds 16b (IC₅₀, 67.0 nM) and 19b (IC₅₀, 99.2 nM) displayed the highest cytotoxicity against the multidrug-resistant (MDR) KB-VIN cell line and merit further development as preclinical drug candidates for treating cancer, including MDR phenotype. Our study suggested that incorporation of a fluorine atom into position 10 of CPT is an effective method for discovering new potent CPT derivatives.     

Small GTPases SAR1A and SAR1B regulate the trafficking of the cardiac sodium channel Nav1.5

Background

The cardiac sodium channel Na_v1.5 is essential for the physiological function of the heart and causes cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death when mutated. Many disease-causing mutations in Na_v1.5 cause defects in protein trafficking, a cellular process critical to the targeting of Na_v1.5 to cell surface. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the trafficking of Na_v1.5, in particular, the exit from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for cell surface trafficking, remain poorly understood.

Synthesis of novel ribavirin hydrazone derivatives and anti-proliferative activity against A549 lung cancer cells

A series of novel ribavirin hydrazone derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of ribavirin hydrazone with benzaldehyde or acetophenone derivatives. The structures of the compounds were determined by IR, ¹H NMR, and HRESIMS. Preliminary biological evaluation showed that one compound (7h) inhibits the growth of A549 cells at 20 μM.     

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of substituted luotonin A derivatives

Luotonin A is a cytotoxic alkaloid that has been shown to inhibit topoisomerase I via stabilization of the binary complex topoisomerase-DNA in the same fashion as camptothecin. The synthesis and the cytotoxic activity on the lung carcinoma cell line H460 of a series of derivatives of Luotonin A is reported. The compounds inhibit topoisomerase I but show weak cytotoxic activity, thus confirming the peculiarity of ring E of camptothecin for antitumor activity.     

Novel semisynthetic derivatives of betulin and betulinic acid with cytotoxic activity

A series of new imidazole carboxylic esters (carbamates) and N-acylimidazole derivatives of betulin and betulinic acid (14–29) have been synthesized. The new compounds were screened for in vitro cytotoxicity activity against human cancer cell lines HepG2, Jurkat and HeLa. A number of compounds have shown IC₅₀ values lower than 2 μM against the cancer cell lines tested and the vast majority has shown a better cytotoxicity profile than betulinic acid, including the betulin derivatives. N-Acylimidazole derivatives 26 and 27 (IC₅₀ 0.8 and 1.7 μM in HepG2 cells) and the C-3 carbamate derivative 16 (IC₅₀ 2.0 μM in HepG2 cells) were the most promising compounds. Based on the observed cytotoxicity, structure–activity relationships have been established.