Synthesis and pharmacological activity of combretastatin analogues. Naphthylcombretastatins and related compounds

Design, synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies on erianin analogues as pyruvate carboxylase inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

A series of novel erianin analogues were designed and synthesized based on the bioisosterism principle by altering the two aromatic rings of erianin, the substituents on the rings and the linker between them. The analogues were evaluated as pyruvate carboxylase (PC) inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. It was found that compounds 35 and 36, where fluorine replaces a hydroxyl group, exhibited higher activity than erianin (IC50 value of 17.30 nM) in liver cancer cells with IC50 values of 15.15 nM and 10.05 nM, respectively. Additionally, at a concentration of 10 nM, compounds 35 and 36 inhibited PC with inhibitory rates of 39.10% and 40.15%, respectively, exhibiting nearly identical inhibitory activity to erianin (inhibitory rate of 40.07%). Additionally, a computer simulation docking study demonstrated the basis for better interactions between the receptors and ligands. The fluorine atom of 35 can not only form hydrogen bonds with Lys-1043 (NH⋯F, 2.04 Å), but also form fluorine bonds with the carbonyl groups of Lys-1043 (3.67 Å) and Glu-1046 (3.70 Å), due to the different orientations of the halogens on the B ring warhead. Conversely, the chlorine atom of 34 can only form alkyl hydrophobic interactions with the alkane chain in Lys-1043. Fluorinated compounds 35 and 36 also show better chemical stability and higher log P (clog P = 3.89 for 35 and 36) values than that of erianin (clog P = 3.07), and may be used as candidate compounds for further drug development.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel thienopyrrolizinones as antitubulin agents

Herein, we describe the structure-activity relationship study of a new 3-aryl-8H-thieno[2,3-b]pyrrolizin-8-one series of antitubulin agents. The pharmacological results from the National Cancer Institute in vitro human disease oriented tumor cell line screening allowed us to identify compound 1d (NSC 676693) as a very efficient antitumoral drug in all cancer cell lines tested. This prompted us to define the structural requirements essential for this antiproliferative activity. Among all analogues synthesized in this study, compound 1o was the most promising, being 10-fold more potent than compound 1d. Its activity over a panel of nine tumoral cell lines was in the nanomolar range for all of the histological types tested, and surprisingly, the resistant KB-A1 cell line was also sensitive to this compound. Moreover, a flow cytometric study showed that L1210 cells treated by the most potent compounds were arrested in the G(2)/M phases of the cell cycle with a significant percentage of cells having reinitiated a cycle of DNA synthesis without cell division. This interesting pharmacological profile, resulting from inhibition of tubulin polymerization, encouraged us to perform preliminary in vivo studies that led to a new prodrug chemical approach.

Design, synthesis and cytotoxic activities of naphthyl analogues of combretastatin A-4

The 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl and 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl rings of combretastatin A-4 are deemed optimal for its activity as antimitotic agent. The replacement of either one by a naphthalene ring results in compounds with a potency comparable to that of the parent compound. These results show that the naphthalene ring is a good surrogate for the 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl or the 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl rings of combretastatin A-4 and that neither of them is essential for the antitumor activity.

Leishmanicidal activity of combretastatin analogues and heteroanalogues

We have investigated the in vitro leishmanicidal activity of representative members from series II-V of combretastatin analogues and heteroanalogues. Most of them exhibited different degrees of activity against various strains of Leishmania spp. The diaryl(heteroaryl)ethane system or the more complex fused heterocyclic stilbenoids, constitute useful skeletal bases to support some kind of antiparasitic activity. Particularly, the incorporation of 2-furyl substituents led to potent antileishmanial compounds, which have been selected for in vivo testing on murine models.

Synthesis and pharmacological activity of diarylindole derivatives. Cytotoxic agents based on combretastatins

Taking into account the structure of Combretastatins, we have synthesized and assayed for cytotoxic activity of new indole derivatives. Two aryl groups are maintained in the cis orientation required for activity by means of an indole moiety built up on less active ketoderivatives used as starting materials.

Antineoplastic agents. 410. Asymmetric hydroxylation of trans-combretastatin A-4

The South African willow tree Combretum caffrum has yielded a number of potent cancer cell growth inhibitors. The present SAR studies of the antineoplastic agent combretastatin A-4 (1c) were focused mainly on the olefinic bridge to determine the effects on cancer cell growth and, potentially, to better define the combretastatin A-4 binding site on tubulin. The geometric trans-isomer 3a of combretastatin A-4 was converted to the (1S,2S)- and (1R,2R)-vicinal diols 4c and 4d, respectively, under Sharpless' asymmetric dihydroxylation conditions. Cancer cell line testing showed the (1S, 2S)-diol 4c to be more potent than its enantiomer 4d. Diol 4c weakly inhibited tubulin polymerization (IC50 = 22 microM, versus 1.2 microM for combretastatin A-4), while 4d was inactive (IC50 > 40 microM). Esterification of either stereoisomer at the diol and/or phenolic positions resulted in elimination of inhibitory activity.

Antineoplastic agents. 379. Synthesis of phenstatin phosphate

A structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of the South African willow tree (Combretum caffrum) antineoplastic constituent combretastatin A-4 (1b) directed at maintaining the (Z)-stilbene relationship of the olefin diphenyl substituents led to synthesis of a potent cancer cell growth inhibitor designated phenstatin (3b). Initially phenstatin silyl ether (3a) was unexpectedly obtained by Jacobsen oxidation of combretastatin A-4 silyl ether (1c --> 3a), and the parent phenstatin (3b) was later synthesized (6a --> 3a --> 3b) in quantity. Phenstatin was converted to the sodium phosphate prodrug (3d) by a dibenzyl phosphite phosphorylation and subsequent hydrogenolysis sequence (3b --> 3c --> 3d). Phenstatin (3b) inhibited growth of the pathogenic bacterium Neisseriagonorrhoeae and was a potent inhibitor of tubulin polymerization and the binding of colchicine to tubulin comparable to combretastatin A-4 (1b). Interestingly, the prodrugs were found to have reduced activity in these biochemical assays. While no significant tubulin activity was observed with the phosphorylated derivative of combretastatin A-4 (1d), phosphate 3d retained detectable inhibitory effects in both assays.

Simple Synthesis of 5-Substituted Resorcinols: A Revisited Family of Interesting Bioactive Molecules

The reaction of 3,5-dimethoxybenzyl trimethylsilyl ether (3) with different aldehydes (n-PrCHO, n-C(11)H(23)CHO, MeCHO, PhCHO) in the presence of lithium powder and a catalytic amount of naphthalene (4 mol %) gave, after hydrolysis, the expected alcohols 4 in moderate yields. The dehydroxylation of these compounds through the corresponding mesylates 5 or directly from benzylic derivatives by catalytic hydrogenation, afforded compounds 6, which are finally demethylated to yield 5-alkyl-3,5-dihydroxyresorcinols, such as olivetol (7a), grevillol (7b), 1,3-dihydroxy-5-propylbenzene (7c), or dihydropinosilvine (7d). Dehydration of alcohol derivatives 4 followed by demethylation led to hydroxylated stilbene-type structures, such as pinosilvine (9d), resveratrol (9e), or piceatannol (9f), which in some cases can be hydrogenated to give saturated molecules such as combretastanin B-4 tetramethyl ether (6f) or chrysotobibenzyl (6g). Finally, when the naphthalene-catalyzed lithiation of compound 3 was performed in the presence of other electrophiles [Me(3)SiCl, t-BuCHO, CH(3)(CH(2))(4)CHO, 4-Me(3)SiOC(6)H(4)CHO, (CH(2))(5)CO, PhN=C=O, PhN=CHPh], the expected reaction products 12 were isolated, after hydrolysis.

Antitumor 2,3-dihydro-2-(aryl)-4(1H)-quinazolinone derivatives. Interactions with tubulin

A series of derivatives of 2,3-dihydro-2-(aryl)-4(1H)-quinazolinone (DHQZ) with known antitumor activity was re-evaluated in the National Cancer Institute cancer cell line screen. Analysis by the COMPARE algorithm suggested that their cytotoxicity derived from interactions with tubulin. Significant inhibition of tubulin assembly and of the binding of radiolabeled colchicine to tubulin was demonstrated with several of the compounds, particularly NSC 145669, 175635, and 175636. The DHQZ derivatives are structurally analogous to a number of antimitotic agents, flavonols and derivatives of 2-styrylquinazolin-4(3H)-one and of 2-phenyl-4-quinolone. Structure-activity analogies between these agents, the combretastatins, and the colchicinoids were analyzed and summarized.