The effect of 3-(5-nitro-2-thienyl)-9-chloro-5-morpholin-4-yl[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-c]quinazoline on cell growth, cell cycle, induction of DNA fragmentation, and activity of caspase 3 in murine leukemia L1210 cells and fibroblast NIH-3T3 cells

Morpholine substituted quinazoline derivatives as anticancer agents against MCF-7, A549 and SHSY-5Y cancer cell lines and mechanistic studies

A series of morpholine substituted quinazoline derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for cytotoxic potential against A549, MCF-7 and SHSY-5Y cancer cell lines. These compounds were found to be non-toxic against HEK293 cells at 25 μM and hence display anticancer potential. In these series compounds, AK-3 and AK-10 displayed significant cytotoxic activity against all the three cell lines. AK-3 displayed IC50 values of 10.38 ± 0.27 μM, 6.44 ± 0.29 μM and 9.54 ± 0.15 μM against A549, MCF-7 and SHSY-5Y cancer cell lines. Similarly, AK-10 showed IC50 values of 8.55 ± 0.67 μM, 3.15 ± 0.23 μM and 3.36 ± 0.29 μM against A549, MCF-7 and SHSY-5Y, respectively. In the mechanistic studies, it was found that AK-3 and AK-10 inhibit the cell proliferation in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and the primary cause of death of the cells was found to be through apoptosis. Thus, morpholine based quinazoline derivatives have the potential to be developed as potent anticancer drug molecules.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of some novel quinazolinone derivatives as potent apoptotic inducers

Aim: Novel quinazolinone and triazinoquinazolinone derivatives were designed and synthesized as apoptotic inducers. Methodology/results: Most of the synthesized compounds showed excellent antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 and HCT-116 cell lines, respectively. Compounds 7a, 8a, 8d, 14a and 14d were superior to doxorubicin as activators of caspases 3, 8 and 9 in HCT-116 cell line. The most potent caspase inducers, 8d and 14a showed cell cycle arrest mainly in G1 and S phase, respectively and increased the levels of p53, Bax and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio compared with doxorubicin in HCT-116 cells with excellent selectivity against CCD-18Co human colon normal cell line. Conclusion: The synthesized compounds can be considered as potent apoptotic inducers interfering with extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways.

Glutamine supplementation prevents exercise-induced neutrophil apoptosis and reduces p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylation and p53 and caspase 3 expression

We have previously shown that a single session of exercise induces DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, increases expression of pro-apoptotic genes (bax and bcl-xS) and decreases expression of anti-apoptotic genes (bcl-xL) in rat neutrophils. Glutamine supplementation had a protective effect in the apoptosis induced by a single session of exercise. The mechanism involved in the effect of single session of exercise to induce apoptosis was investigated by measuring expression of p53 and caspase 3 and phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and cJun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) in neutrophils from rats supplemented or not with glutamine. Exercise was carried out on a treadmill for 1 h and the rats were killed by decapitation. Neutrophils were obtained by intraperitoneal (i.p.) lavage with PBS, 4 h after injection of oyster glycogen solution. Glutamine supplementation (1g per Kg b.w.) was given by gavage 1 h before the exercise session. Gene expression and protein phosphorylation were then analyzed by reverse transcriptase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively. A single session of exercise increased p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylation and p53 and caspase 3 expression. Glutamine supplementation partially prevented the increase in p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylation and p53 expression, and fully abolished the increase in caspase 3 expression. Thus, neutrophil apoptosis induced by a single session of exercise is accompanied by increased p53 and caspase 3 expression and p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylation. Glutamine supplementation prevents these effects of exercise and reduces apoptosis.