In vitro effects of a new fused azaisocytosine-like congener on relative cell proliferation, necrosis and cell cycle in cancer and normal cell cultures

Studies on the Thermal Decomposition Course of Nitrogen-Rich Heterocyclic Esters as Potential Drug Candidates and Evaluation of Their Thermal Stability and Properties

Drug candidates must undergo thermal evaluation as early as possible in the preclinical phase of drug development because undesirable changes in their structure and physicochemical properties may result in decreased pharmacological activity or enhanced toxicity. Hence, the detailed evaluation of nitrogen-rich heterocyclic esters as potential drug candidates, i.e., imidazolidinoannelated triazinylformic acid ethyl esters 1-3 (where R1 = 4-CH3 or 4-OCH3 or 4-Cl, and R2 = -COOC2H5) and imidazolidinoannelated triazinylacetic acid methyl esters 4-6 (where R1 = 4-CH3 or 4-OCH3 or 4-Cl, and R2 = -CH2COOCH3)-in terms of their melting points, melting enthalpy values, thermal stabilities, pyrolysis, and oxidative decomposition course-has been carried out, using the simultaneous thermal analysis methods (TG/DTG/DSC) coupled with spectroscopic techniques (FTIR and QMS). It was found that the melting process (documented as one sharp peak related to the solid-liquid phase transition) of the investigated esters proceeded without their thermal decomposition. It was confirmed that the melting points of the tested compounds increased in relation to R1 and R2 as follows: 2 (R1 = 4-OCH3; R2 = -COOC2H5) < 6 (R1 = 4-Cl; R2 = -CH2COOCH3) < 5 (R1 = 4-OCH3; R2 = -CH2COOCH3) < 3 (R1 = 4-Cl; R2 = -COOC2H5) < 1 (R1 = 4-CH3; R2 = -COOC2H5) < 4 (R1 = 4-CH3; R2 = -CH2COOCH3). All polynitrogenated heterocyclic esters proved to be thermally stable up to 250 °C in inert and oxidising conditions, although 1-3 were characterised by higher thermal stability compared to 4-6. The results confirmed that both the pyrolysis and the oxidative decomposition of heterocyclic ethyl formates/methyl acetates with para-substitutions at the phenyl moiety proceed according to the radical mechanism. In inert conditions, the pyrolysis process of the studied molecules occurred with the homolytic breaking of the C-C, C-N, and C-O bonds. This led to the emission of alcohol (ethanol in the case of 1-3 or methanol in the case of 4-6), NH3, HCN, HNCO, aldehydes, CO2, CH4, HCl, aromatics, and H2O. In turn, in the presence of air, cleavage of the C-C, C-N, and C-O bonds connected with some oxidation and combustion processes took place. This led to the emission of the corresponding alcohol depending on the analysed class of heterocyclic esters, NH3, HCN, HNCO, aldehydes, N2, NO/NO2, CO, CO2, HCl, aromatics, and H2O. Additionally, after some biological tests, it was proven that all nitrogen-rich heterocyclic esters-as potential drug candidates-are safe for erythrocytes, and some of them are able to protect red blood cells from oxidative stress-induced damage.

A Screen-Printed Sensor Coupled with Flow System for Quantitative Determination of a Novel Promising Anticancer Agent Candidate

A carbon nanofibers modified screen-printed carbon sensor (SPCE/CNFs) was applied for the determination of a novel promising anticancer agent candidate (ethyl 8-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-oxo-4,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[2,1-c][1,2,4]triazine-3-carboxylate, EIMTC) using square-wave voltammetry (SWV). It is the first method for the quantitative determination of EIMTC. The modified screen-printed sensor exhibited excellent electrochemical activity in reducing EIMTC. The peak current of EIMTC was found to be linear in two concentration ranges of 2.0 × 10⁻⁹ – 2.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ and 2.0 × 10⁻⁸ – 2.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹, with a detection limit of 5.0 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol L⁻¹. The connection of flow-cell for the SPCE/CNFs with SWV detection allowed for the successful determination of EIMTC in human serum samples. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) acted as a comparative method in the serum samples analysis.

Two novel classes of fused azaisocytosine-containing congeners as promising drug candidates: Design, synthesis as well as in vitro, ex vivo and in silico studies

Searching for new less toxic anticancer drug candidates is a big challenge from a medical point of view. The present investigation was aimed at describing two independent synthetic approaches based on isosteric replacements, spectroscopic characteristics, in vitro anticancer and ex vivo antihaemolytic activities of novel molecules (9-22) and correlations between their standardised lipophilicity indices, computed log P_average values and pharmacokinetic descriptors. Two novel protocols for annelation of the triazinone template on hydrazinylideneimidazolidines (1-8) (showing a high reactivity towards electrophilic reagents, such as ethyl trifluoropyruvate and ethyl 3-methyl-2-oxobutyrate) were developed for the first time, giving rise to two original classes of highly conjugated azaisocytosine-containing molecules (9-16 and 17-22). Both syntheses proceeded under basic conditions to yield the most probable intermediates (e.g. hemiaminals and imines), which in refluxing two-component solvent mixtures or a suitable solvent cyclised through closing the triazinone ring on functionalised imidazolidines in both cases. All fused azaisocytosine-containing congeners were investigated with the purpose of preselecting possible drug candidates with a better selectivity that could be suitable for further more detailed drug development studies. The majority of test molecules revealed strong antiproliferative effects in most tumour cell cultures and they were more cytotoxic against tumour cells than anticancer drug - pemetrexed. These cytotoxicities may be associated with the activation of initiator and executioner caspases (confirmed for compound 12) which are inducers of apoptosis. Simultaneously, three bioisosteres bearing the trifluoromethyl moiety at the C-3 and the ortho substitution at the phenyl ring (10, 12 and 13) proved to be the most promising in terms of selectivity as they were less or equally toxic to normal cells as pemetrexed. It was shown that isosteric replacement of the ethyl group in antitumour active congeners by the trifluoromethyl or isopropyl group was favourable for the selectivity of the designed drug-like molecules. Almost all new compounds revealed the protective effects in an ex vivo model of oxidatively stressed rat erythrocytes (better or comparable than that of ascorbic acid/Trolox), proving that they are safe to red blood cells. The statistically significant and predictive QSAR equations were derived that describe relationships between some pharmacokinetic descriptors (such as log K_{a, HSA}, f_{u, brain}, Caco-2, log K_p) and lipophilicity parameters of test molecules. Among all molecules with anticancer profile, the possible drug candidates seem to be 10, 12, 13, 19 and 21 which are the least toxic for normal cells, deprived of haemolytic effects on oxidatively-stressed red blood cells and have the optimum pharmacokinetic descriptors in terms of their lipophilicity parameters. Because of a high development potential they should be utilised in further more extended in vivo investigations aimed at developing novel less toxic anticancer agents.