Synthesis, structural studies, and cytostatic evaluation of 5,6-di-O-modified L-ascorbic acid derivatives

The 5,6-di-O-tosylated derivative of l-ascorbic acid was synthesized by selective protection and deprotection of 2,3- and 5,6-dihydroxy functional groups involving 5,6-ditosylation in the final step, while the novel 6-acetoxy, 6-hydroxy, and 6-chloro derivatives of 4,5-didehydro-l-ascorbic acid were obtained by reaction of ditosylated compound with nucleophilic reagents. The analysis of 3JH-4-H-5 homonuclear coupling constants shows that all l-ascorbic acid derivatives except for epoxy and 4,5-didehydro compounds exist in high population as gauche conformers across C-4-C-5 bonds, while 3JC-3-H-5 heteronuclear coupling constants in 4,5-didehydro derivatives indicate cis geometry along C-4-C-5 double bond. The X-ray crystal structure analysis of 2,3-di-O-benzyl-5,6-epoxy- and 5,6-isopropylidene-l-ascorbic acid shows that the oxygen atoms attached at positions 2 and 3 of the lactone ring are disposed in a synperiplanar fashion. Besides that, the dioxolane ring adopts half-chair conformation. The molecules of epoxy derivative are joined into infinite chains by one weak hydrogen bond of C-H...O type. Two O-H...O, and C-H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules of 5,6-di-O-isopropylidene compound into two-dimensional network. 6-Chloro derivative of 2,3-di-O-benzyl-l-ascorbic acid showed the best cytostatic effects against all tested malignant tumor cells (IC50: approximately 18 microM).     

Synthesis and mechanism of action of novel pyrimidinyl pyrazole derivatives possessing antiproliferative activity

Pyrimidinyl pyrazole derivatives 1-4, prepared as a new scaffold of an anti-tumor agent, showed antiproliferative activity against human lung cancer cell lines and inhibited tubulin polymerization. Furthermore, it was found that compound 2 bound at the colchicine site on tubulin, but the tubulin binding pattern was different from that of colchicine. Here, we describe the synthesis of the derivatives and the differences of the action mechanism on tubulin polymerization inhibition between compound 2 and colchicine.     

Synthesis of twisted intercalating nucleic acids possessing acridine derivatives. Thermal stability studies

Twisted intercalating nucleic acids (TINA) possessing acridine derivatives have been synthesized via the postsynthetic modifications of oligonucleotides possessing insertions of (R)-1-O-(4-iodobenzyl)glycerol (8) or (R)-1-O-(4-ethynylbenzyl)glycerol (9) at the 5'-end or in the middle as a bulge. In the first postsynthetic step, oligonucleotides 8 and 9 on the CPG support were treated with a Sonogashira coupling reaction mixture containing 9-chloro-2-ethynylacridine or 9-chloro-2-iodoacridine, respectively. After the postsynthetic step, treatment of the oligonucleotides with 32% aq ammonia or 50% ethanolic solution of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine led to the substitution of chloride on acridine concurrent with deprotection of the bases and cleavage of the oligonucleotides from CPG. Molecular modeling of the parallel triplex with a bulged insertion of the monomer (R)-3-O-[4-(9-aminoacridin-2-ylethynyl)benzyl]glycerol in the triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO) showed that the acridine moiety was stacking between the bases of the duplex, while phenyl was placed between the bases of the TFO. Thermal denaturation studies and fluorescence properties of TINA-acridine oligonucleotide duplexes and triplexes are discussed.     

Synthesis of Staphylococcus aureus lipoteichoic acid derivatives for determining the minimal structural requirements for cytokine induction

For the investigation of the minimal structural requirements for cytokine induction, Staphylococcus aureus lipoteichoic acid derivatives with two, three, four, and five glycerophosphate backbone moieties, carrying each a d-alanyl residue, were needed. Based on two different glycerophosphate building blocks and 6b-O-phosphitylated gentiobiosyl diacylglycerol the desired target molecules (compounds 1-4) could be readily obtained and provided for biological studies.     

Synthesis and antioxidant activity of novel Mannich base of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives possessing 1,4-benzodioxan

A new series of Mannich base of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives possessing 1,4-benzodioxan (6a–6ae) were synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, ESI-MS and elemental analysis. The structure of 6b was further confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. All these novel compounds were screened for their in vitro antioxidant activity employing 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) cationic radical (ABTS⁺) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) scavenging assays. Due to the combination of 1,4-benzodioxan, 1,3,4-oxadiazoles and substituted phenyl ring, most of them exhibited nice antioxidant activities. In all of these three assays mentioned above, compounds 6f and 6e showed significant radical scavenging ability comparable to the commonly used antioxidants, BHT and Trolox. Seven compounds with representative substituents or activities were selected for further assays in chemical simulation biological systems—inhibition of microsomal lipid peroxidation (LPO) and protection against 2,2′-azobis (2-amidinopropane hydrochloride) (AAPH) induced DNA strand breakage, in which, 6f and 6e were demonstrated to be of the most potent antioxidant activities.     

The cyclooxygenase isoforms: structural insights into the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins

Despite the marked differences in their physiological roles, the structures and catalytic functions of the cyclooxygenase isozymes COX-1 and -2 are virtually identical. Nevertheless, a handful of amino acid substitutions give rise to subtle differences in ligand binding between the two isoforms. These 'small' alterations of isozyme structure are sufficient to allow the design of new, isoform-selective drugs.     

Synthesis of four structural elements of xylose-containing carbohydrate chains from N-glycoproteins

The synthesis of the oligosaccharides beta-D-Xylp-(1----2)-beta-D-Manp-OMe (12), beta-D-Xylp-(1----2)-[alpha-D-Manp-(1----6)]-beta-D-Manp+ ++-OMe (17), beta-D-Xylp-(1----2)-[alpha-D-Manp-(1----3)]-beta-D-Manp+ ++-OMe (21), and beta-D-Xylp-(1----2)-[alpha-D-Manp-(1----3)] [alpha-D-Manp-(1----6)]-beta-D-Manp-OMe (25) is described. Methyl 3-O-benzyl-4,6-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-mannopyranoside (6) was prepared from the corresponding glucoepimer (4) by oxidation, followed by stereoselective reduction. Condensation of 6 with 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-alpha-D-xylopyranosyl bromide in the presence of mercuric cyanide gave a 1:9 mixture of methyl 3-O-benzyl-4,6-O-isopropylidene-2-O-(2,3,4- tri-O-acetyl-alpha- (7a) and -beta-D-xylopyranosyl)-beta-D-mannopyranoside (7), and then 7 was converted into the acetylated disaccharide-glycoside 11. Regioselective mannosylation, with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl bromide, at position 6 of deisopropylidenated 7 (8), using mercuric bromide as a promoter, afforded the trisaccharide-glycoside derivative 13, which was transformed into the acetylated trisaccharide-glycoside 16. The disaccharide derivative 10, obtained from 8, and the trisaccharide derivative 15, obtained from 13, were glycosylated at position 3 with O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl)trichloroacetimidate (19), using trimethylsilyl triflate as a promoter, giving rise to acetylated tri- (20) and tetra-saccharide (24) derivatives, respectively. O-Deacetylation of 11, 16, 20, and 24 gave 12, 17, 21, and 25, respectively.     

Synthesis and structural analysis of 6-deoxy-6-hydroxyphosphinyl-D-fructopyranose derivatives

3,4-Di-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-6-diethoxyphosphinyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-fructofuranose (13) was prepared from the known 1,2-O-isopropylidene-6-O-tosyl-beta-D-fructofuranose in five steps. Reduction of 13 with sodium dihydrobis(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminate, followed by the action of hydrochloric acid and then hydrogen peroxide, afforded the 6-deoxy-6-hydroxyphosphinyl-D-fructopyranose derivative. This was converted into the 1,2,3,4,5-penta-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-6-methoxyphosphinyl-D-fructopyranoses, whose structure and conformation were established by 1H NMR spectroscopy.     

Synthesis and proteasome inhibition of lithocholic acid derivatives

A new class of proteasome inhibitors was synthesized using lithocholic acid as a scaffold. Modification at the C-3 position of lithocholic acid with a series of acid acyl groups yielded compounds with a range of potency on proteasome inhibition. Among them, the phenylene diacetic acid hemiester derivative (13) displayed the most potent proteasome inhibition with IC₅₀ = 1.9 μM. Enzyme kinetic analysis indicates that these lithocholic acid derivatives are noncompetitive inhibitors of the proteasome.     

Synthesis and anti-HIV activity of oleanolic acid derivatives

Thirteen oleanolic acid derivatives were prepared and evaluated for anti-HIV activity in H9 lymphocytes. Saturating the C₁₂–C₁₃ double bond and converting the C₁₇-carboxyl group to an aminomethyl group led to compounds 13– 15 and 19– 20, respectively, which showed improved anti-HIV activity. Compound 15 was the most potent derivative with EC₅₀=0.0039 μg/mL and TI=3570.     

Synthesis and investigation of novel 6-(1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-4-aminoquinazolin derivatives possessing hydroxamic acid moiety for cancer therapy

By merging the critical pharmacophore of EGFR/HER2 and HDAC inhibitors into one compound, a novel series of EGFR, HER-2, and HDAC multitarget inhibitors were synthesized. Compounds 9a–l contained 4-anilinoquinazolines with C-6 triazole-linked long alkyl chains of hydroxamic acid and displayed excellent inhibition against these enzymes (compound 9d exhibited the best inhibitory potency on wild-type EGFR, HDAC1, and HDAC6 with IC₅₀ values 0.12 nM, 0.72 nM and 3.2 nM individually). Furthermore, compounds 9b and 9d potently inhibited proliferation of five human cancer cell lines (with IC₅₀ values between 0.49 and 8.76 μM). Further mechanistic study revealed that compound 9d also regulated the phosphorylation of EGFR and HER2 and histone H3 hyperacetylation on the cellular level and induced remarkable apoptosis in BT-474 cells. Therefore, our study suggested that a system network-based multi-target drug design strategy might provided an alternate drug design method, by taking into account the synergy effect of EGFR, HER-2 and HDAC.     

Synthesis and proteasome inhibition of glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives

This study discovered that glycyrrhetinic acid inhibited the human 20S proteasome at 22.3microM. Esterification of the C-3 hydroxyl group on glycyrrhetinic acid with various carboxylic acid reagents yielded a series of analogs with marked improved potency. Among the derivatives, glycyrrhetinic acid 3-O-isophthalate (17) was the most potent compound with IC(50) of 0.22microM, which was approximately 100-fold more potent than glycyrrhetinic acid.     

Synthesis and antitumour activity of glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives

Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is one of many interesting triterpenoic acids showing anticancerogenic potential. GA is known to trigger apoptosis in tumour cell lines, although GA has a low cytotoxicity. In our study we were able to prepare derivatives of GA that show lowered the IC(50) values as determined by a sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay using 15 different human tumour cell lines. Thus, combining an ester group combined with the presence of an amino acid moiety led to a ca. 60-fold improved antitumor activity. Experiments on mouse embryonic fibroblasts (NiH3T3) revealed that these compounds showed a better selectivity for tumour cells compared to the parent compound GA. An apoptotic effect of some of these compounds was determined using an acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) test and DNA laddering experiments.     

Synthesis and cholinesterase inhibition of cativic acid derivatives

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with memory impairment and cognitive deficit. Most of the drugs currently available for the treatment of AD are acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. In a preliminary study, significant AChE inhibition was observed for the ethanolic extract of Grindelia ventanensis (IC₅₀ = 0.79 mg/mL). This result prompted us to isolate the active constituent, a normal labdane diterpenoid identified as 17-hydroxycativic acid (1), through a bioassay guided fractionation. Taking into account that 1 showed moderate inhibition of AChE (IC₅₀ = 21.1 μM), selectivity over butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) (IC₅₀ = 171.1 μM) and that it was easily obtained from the plant extract in a very good yield (0.15% w/w), we decided to prepare semisynthetic derivatives of this natural diterpenoid through simple structural modifications. A set of twenty new cativic acid derivatives (3–6) was prepared from 1 through transformations on the carboxylic group at C-15, introducing a C2–C6 linker and a tertiary amine group. They were tested for their inhibitory activity against AChE and BChE and some structure–activity relationships were outlined. The most active derivative was compound 3c, with an IC₅₀ value of 3.2 μM for AChE. Enzyme kinetic studies and docking modeling revealed that this inhibitor targeted both the catalytic active site and the peripheral anionic site of this enzyme. Furthermore, 3c showed significant inhibition of AChE activity in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, and was non-cytotoxic.     

Synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of oleanolic acid derivatives

Twelve derivatives of oleanolic acid (1) have been synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activities against the growth of prostate PC3, breast MCF-7, lung A549, and gastric BGC-823 cancer cells by MTT assays. Within these series of derivatives, compound 17 exhibited the most potent cytotoxicity against PC3 cell line (IC₅₀ = 0.39 μM) and compound 28 displayed the best activity against A549 cell line (IC₅₀ = 0.22 μM). SAR analysis indicates that H-donor substitution at C-3 position of oleanolic acid may be advantageous for improvement of cytotoxicity against PC3, A549 and MCF-7 cell lines.     

Synthesis and cytotoxic activities of usnic acid derivatives

Nine usnic acid-amine conjugates were evaluated on murine and human cancer cell lines. The polyamine derivatives showed significant cytotoxicity in L1210 cells. Their activities appeared to be independent of the polyamine transport system (PTS). Indeed, their activities were similar in chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and in the PTS deficient CHO-MG cells. In addition, alpha-difluoromethylornithine, an ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor known to indirectly enhance the activity of the PTS and consequently increase the cytotoxicity of cytotoxic drugs entering cells via the PTS, had no effect on the activity of the polyamine derivatives. The more active derivative (1,8-diaminooctane derivative) displayed similar activities on all cancer cell lines studied and induced apoptosis.     

Synthesis of 5'-deoxy-5'-nucleosideacetic acid derivatives

The synthesis of several new 5'-deoxy-5'-nucleosideacetic acid derivatives by the reactions of alkoxycarbonylmethylene triphenylphosphoranes with nucleoside 5'-aldehydes is described.     

Synthesis of diastereomeric bis-unsaturated prostaglandins

With the report given herein all diastereomers of PGF₂, PGE₂, and PGD₂ which bear the naturally recognized 15-S hydroxylated center, whether in the natural or $\text{ent}$-prostanoic acid skeleton, have been prepared by a route involving initial introduction of the carboxyl (α) chain (1). A major advantage of the initial α-ylation⁺ route is the facile reduction of the 13,14-en-15-one system with methanolic NaBH₄ which proceeds without competing 1,4-reduction. The products are thus free of 13,14-dihydro-PG₂ contaminants (2). The initial pharmaco logical evaluation of these diastereomers will be submitted for publication in this journal (3).     

Synthesis and structural characterization of 3-O-ethylene glycol functionalized cellulose derivatives

The synthesis of 3-O-ethylene glycol cellulosics via 2,6-di-O-thexyldimethylsilyl cellulose was studied. Reaction yield and degree of substitution were dependent on reaction conditions and size of the ethylene glycol group. The presence of tetra-n-butylammonium iodide in catalytic amounts and prolonged reaction times significantly increased the degree of substitution of the ethylene glycol substituents. However, the longer reaction times lead to significant degradation of the cellulosic polymer chain. The structure of the 3-O-ethylene glycol 2,6-di-O-thexyldimethylsilyl cellulose intermediates and the 3-O-ethylene glycol 2,6-di-O-acetyl celluloses were confirmed by means of one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The degree of 3-O-ethylene glycol substitution was confirmed by quantitative ¹³C NMR ratified by T1 experiments.