Design and synthesis of novel (S)-Naproxen hydrazide-hydrazones as potent VEGFR-2 inhibitors and their evaluation in vitro/in vivo breast cancer models

Novel 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives of naproxen targeting EGFR: Synthesis, molecular docking studies, and cytotoxic evaluation

The close association between inflammation and cancer inspired the synthesis of a series of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (compounds H4-A-F) of 6-methoxynaphtalene. The chemical structures of the new compounds were validated utilizing Fourier-transform infrared, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques and CHN analysis. Computer-aided drug design methods were used to predict the compounds biological target, ADMET properties, toxicity, and to evaluate the molecular similarities between the design compounds and erlotinib, a standard epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor. The antiproliferative effects of the new compounds were evaluated by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis detection by microscopy, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and immunoblotting, and EGFR enzyme inhibition assay. In silico analysis of the new oxadiazole derivatives indicated that these compounds target EGFR, and that compounds H4-A, H4-B, H4-C, and H4-E show similar molecular properties to erlotinib. Additionally, the results indicated that none of the synthesized compounds are carcinogenic, and that compounds H4-A, H4-C, and H4-F are nontoxic. Compound H4-A showed the best-fit score against EGFR pharmacophore model, however, the in vitro studies indicated that compound H4-C was the most cytotoxic. Compound H4-C caused cytotoxicity in HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells by inducing both apoptosis and necrosis. Furthermore, compounds H4-D, H4-C, and H4-B had potent inhibitory effect on EGFR tyrosine kinase that was comparable to erlotinib. The findings of this inquiry offer a basis for further investigation into the differences between the synthesized compounds and erlotinib. However, additional testing will be needed to assess all of these differences and to identify the most promising compound for further research.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of naphthalene imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine hybrid derivatives as VEGFR selective inhibitors

The vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is regarded as an emerging target for abnormal angiogenesis diseases. In this study, novel naphthalene imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine hybrids as VEGFR selective inhibitors were designed and synthesized using a scaffold hopping strategy based on ponatinib, a multitarget kinase inhibitor. Among the evaluated compounds, derivative 9k (WS-011) demonstrated the most potent inhibitory potency against VEGFR-2 (IC50 = 8.4 nM) and displayed superior VEGFR selectivity over a panel of 70 kinases compared with ponatinib. Furthermore, 9k possessed good cytotoxic effects on various cancer cell lines, especially the colon cancer HT-29 cells, with an acceptable oral bioavailability. Moreover, 9k significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) cells and induced apoptosis through the upregulation of apoptotic proteins in HT-29 cells. 9k also effectively suppressed the activation of VEGFR-2 signaling pathways, which in turn inhibited the growth of HT-29 cells and the tube formation of HUVECs in vitro. All of the findings revealed that 9k could be considered a promising antiangiogenesis lead that merits further investigation.

Contribution of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to breast cancer treatment: In vitro and in vivo studies

Chronic inflammation plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis. High levels of serum prostaglandin E2 and tissue overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) have been described in breast, urinary, colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers as being involved in tumor initiation, promotion, progression, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are prescribed for several medical conditions to not only decrease pain and fever but also reduce inflammation by inhibiting COX and its product synthesis. To date, significant efforts have been made to better understand and clarify the interplay between cancer development, inflammation, and NSAIDs with a view toward addressing their potential for cancer management. This review provides readers with an overview of the potential use of NSAIDs and selective COX-2 inhibitors for breast cancer treatment, highlighting pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo studies employed to evaluate the efficacy of NSAIDs and their use in combination with other antineoplastic drugs.

Biooriented Synthesis of Ibuprofen-Clubbed Novel Bis-Schiff Base Derivatives as Potential Hits for Malignant Glioma: In Vitro Anticancer Activity and In Silico Approach

This research work is based on the synthesis of bis-Schiff base derivatives of the commercially available ibuprofen drug in outstanding yields through multistep reactions. Structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by the help of modern spectroscopic techniques including high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their anticancer activity using a normal human embryonic kidney HEK293 cell and U87-malignant glioma (ATCC-HTB-14) as a cancer cell line. All of the synthesized compounds among the series exhibited excellent to less antiproliferative activity having IC50 values ranging from 5.75 ± 0.43 to 150.45 ± 0.20 μM. Among them, compound 5e (IC50 = 5.75 ± 0.43 μM) was found as the most potent antiprolifarative agent, while 5f, 5b, 5a, 5n, 5r, 5s, 5g, 5q, 5i, and 5j exhibited good activity with IC50 values from 24.17 ± 0.46 to 43.71 ± 0.07 μM. These findings suggest that these cells (HEK293) are less cytotoxic to the activities of compounds and increase the cancer cell death in brain, while the lower cytotoxicity of the potent compounds in noncancerous cells suggests that these derivatives will provide promising treatment for patients suffering from brain cancer. The results of the docking study exposed a promising affinity of the active compounds toward casein kinase-2 enzyme, which shows green signal for cancer treatment.

Design, Synthesis, and In Vitro and In Vivo Bioactivity Studies of Hydrazide-Hydrazones of 2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid

In this research, twenty-four hydrazide-hydrazones of 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid were designed, synthesized, and subjected to in vitro and in vivo bioactivity studies. The chemical structure of the obtained compounds was confirmed by spectral methods. Antimicrobial activity screening was performed against a panel of microorganisms for all synthesized hydrazide-hydrazones. The performed assays revealed the interesting antibacterial activity of a few substances against Gram-positive bacterial strains including MRSA-Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300 (compound 18: 2,4-dihydroxy-N-[(2-hydroxy-3,5-diiodophenyl)methylidene]benzohydrazide-Minimal Inhibitory Concentration, MIC = 3.91 µg/mL). In addition, we performed the in vitro screening of antiproliferative activity and also assessed the acute toxicity of six hydrazide-hydrazones. The following human cancer cell lines were used: 769-P, HepG2, H1563, and LN-229, and the viability of the cells was assessed using the MTT method. The HEK-293 cell line was used as a reference line. The toxicity was tested in vivo on Danio rerio embryos using the Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity (FET) test procedure according to OECD No. 236. The inhibitory concentration values obtained in the in vitro test showed that N-[(4-nitrophenyl)methylidene]-2,4-dihydroxybenzhydrazide (21) inhibited cancer cell proliferation the most, with an extremely low IC50 (Inhibitory Concentration) value, estimated at 0.77 µM for LN-229. In addition, each of the compounds tested was selective against cancer cell lines. The compounds with a nitrophenyl substituent were the most promising in terms of inhibition cancer cell proliferation. The toxicity against zebrafish embryos and larvae was also very low or moderate.

Synthesis, antimicrobial properties and in silico studies of aryloxyacetic acid derivatives with hydrazone or thiazolidine-4-one scaffold

In this work, twenty hydrazide-hydrazone and 4-thiazolidinone derivatives were synthesized starting from m-cresol. Antimicrobial evaluation was carried out by microdilution method against Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus as Gram-positive bacteria and Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as Gram-negative bacteria, and three pathogenic fungi Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida krusei. Some compounds possessed considerable antimicrobial properties against the tested microorganisms, particularly against E. coli. 4-Thiazolidinones containing 3-methoxyphenyl and 3,5-dichlorophenyl moieties (4h and 4i) were found to be the most active derivatives with MICs of 2 μg/mL against E. coli. N'-[(3,5-dichlorophenyl)methylidene]-2-(3-methylphenoxy)acetohydrazide (3i) also displayed antifungal activity against Candida krusei that was comparable to fluconazole. Calculated drug-likeness and ADMET parameters of the most active compounds confirmed their potential as antimicrobial drug candidates. Molecular docking investigations were carried out in the thiamine diphosphate-binding site of pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex E1 component (PDHc-E1) to clarify the potential antibacterial mechanism against E. coli. The results showed the potential and importance of developing new hydrazones and 4-thiazolidinones that would be effective against microbial strains.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Metacetamol Derivatives with Hydrazone Moiety as Anticancer and Antimicrobial Agents

By exploiting the wide biological potential of the hydrazone scaffold, a series of hydrazone derivatives were synthesized, starting from N-(3-hydroxyphenyl)acetamide (metacetamol). The structures of the compounds were determined using IR, 1 H and 13 C-NMR, and mass spectroscopic methods. The obtained molecules (3 a-j) were evaluated for their anticancer potential against MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines. According to the CCK-8 assay, all tested compounds showed moderate to potent anticancer activity. Among them, N-(3-(2-(2-(4-nitrobenzylidene)hydrazinyl)-2-oxoethoxy)phenyl)acetamide (3 e) was found to be the most effective derivative with an IC50 value of 9.89 μM against MDA-MB-231 cell lines. This compound was further tested for its potential effects on the apoptotic pathway. Molecular docking studies was also carried out for 3 e in the colchicine binding pocket of tubulin. Additionally, compound 3 e also demonstrated effective antifungal activity, particularly against Candida krusei (MIC=8 μg/ml), indicating that nitro group at the 4th  position of the phenyl ring was the most preferable substituent for both cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity. Our preliminary findings suggest that compound 3 e could be exploited as a leading structure for further anticancer and antifungal drug development.

Design, Synthesis, and Anticancer Evaluation of Novel Tetracaine Hydrazide-Hydrazones

Tetracaine is an ester derivative used as a local anesthetic molecule. In this study, a series of novel Tetracaine derivatives bearing hydrazide-hydrazone moiety were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for anticancer activity. The structures of these compounds were characterized by spectral (¹H NMR,¹³C NMR, FT-IR, and HRMS analyses) methods. All synthesized compounds were screened for anticancer activity against two different human cancer cell lines (Colo-205 and HepG2). Among the synthesized molecules, compounds 2f and 2m showed the most potent anticancer activity against the Colo-205 cell line (IC₅₀ = 50.0 and 20.5 μM, respectively). Compounds 2k, 2p, and 2s demonstrated the best anticancer activity against the HepG2 cell line (IC₅₀ = 30.5, 35.9, and 20.8 μM, respectively). mRNA transcription levels of Bax and caspase-3 genes were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of both Colo-205 and HepG2 cell lines. Doxorubicin was used as a positive sensitivity reference standard. qRT-PCR analysis showed that there was a time-dependent rise in the expression levels of Bax and Caspase 3 on apoptosis. Inhibition of apoptotic proteins PI3K, Akt, PTEN, pPTEN, FoXO1, FoXO3a, TXNIP, and p27 was investigated in Colo-205 and HepG2 cells treated with compounds 2f, 2m, 2k, 2p, and 2s by using Western blotting.

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, DNA Binding, and Molecular Docking of Hybrid 4,6-Dihydrazone Pyrimidine Derivatives as Antitumor Agents

In the present paper, on the basis of molecular hybridization, a series of 4,6-dihydrazone pyrimidine derivatives containing the pyridine moiety were synthesized, structurally characterized, and evaluated in vitro for their antitumor activity. According to the results, all the tested compounds demonstrated broad-spectrum antitumor activity against selected tumor cell lines (MCF-7, BGC-823, A549, and BEL-7402) and no obvious toxicity toward normal cells HL-7702. In particular, compounds 10a and 10f were found to be the most promising antitumor agents among the tested compounds against BGC-823 cells (IC₅₀ = 9.00 μM and 7.89 μM) and BEL-7402 cells (IC₅₀ = 6.70 μM and 7.66 μM), respectively. Compounds 10a and 10f exhibited higher potency against BGC-823 and BEL-7402 than the positive control 5-FU (IC₅₀ = 15.18 μM and 15.81 μM). Further mechanism investigations demonstrated that compounds 10a and 10f could significantly increase the level of cellular ROS and induce early apoptosis of BGC-823 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the DNA binding results from UV/Vis, CD spectroscopy, and molecular docking studies indicated that 10a and 10f bind with DNA via groove binding and partial intercalation. These results demonstrated that 10a and 10f may serve as novel lead compounds for the discovery of more dihydrazone pyrimidine derivatives with improved antitumor potency and selectivity.

Design, Synthesis, and In Vitro Antiproliferative Screening of New Hydrazone Derivatives Containing cis-(4-Chlorostyryl) Amide Moiety

Hydrazones are regarded as a distinctive category of organic compounds because of their tremendous characteristics and potential uses in analytical, chemical, and medicinal chemistry. In the present study, a new series of Hydrazone Derivatives bearing cis-(4-chlorostyryl) amide moiety were designed and synthesized. In vitro cytotoxicity screening showed that compounds 3i, 3l, 3m, and 3n revealed potent anticancer activity against MCF-7 cancer cell line with IC50 values between 2.19–4.37 μM compared with Staurosporin as a reference compound. The antiproliferative activity of these compounds appears to be correlated well with their ability to inhibit the VEGFR-2 kinase enzyme. Activation of the damage response pathway leads to cellular cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Fluorochrome Annexin V/PI staining indicated that cell death proceeds through the apoptotic pathway mechanism. The mechanistic pathway was confirmed by a significant increase in the level of active caspase 9 compared with control untreated MCF-7 cells.

Design, Synthesis, Molecular Modeling, and Anticancer Evaluation of New VEGFR-2 Inhibitors Based on the Indolin-2-One Scaffold

A new series of indoline-2-one derivatives was designed and synthesized based on the essential pharmacophoric features of VEGFR-2 inhibitors. Anti-proliferative activities were assessed for all derivatives against breast (MCF-7) and liver (HepG2) cancer cell lines, using sunitinib as a reference agent. The most potent anti-proliferative derivatives were evaluated for their VEGFR-2 inhibition activity. The effects of the most potent inhibitor, 17a, on cell cycle, apoptosis, and expression of apoptotic markers (caspase-3&-9, BAX, and Bcl-2) were studied. Molecular modeling studies, such as docking simulations, physicochemical properties prediction, and pharmacokinetic profiling were performed. The results revealed that derivatives 5b, 10e, 10g, 15a, and 17a exhibited potent anticancer activities with IC50 values from 0.74-4.62 µM against MCF-7 cell line (sunitinib IC50 = 4.77 µM) and from 1.13-8.81 µM against HepG2 cell line (sunitinib IC50 = 2.23 µM). Furthermore, these compounds displayed potent VEGFR-2 inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 0.160, 0.358, 0.087, 0.180, and 0.078 µM, respectively (sunitinib IC50 = 0.139 µM). Cell cycle analysis demonstrated the ability of 17a to induce a cell cycle arrest of the HepG2 cells at the S phase and increase the total apoptosis by 3.5-fold. Moreover, 17a upregulated the expression levels of apoptotic markers caspase-3 and -9 by 6.9-fold and 3.7-fold, respectively. In addition, 17a increased the expression level of BAX by 2.7-fold while decreasing the expression level of Bcl-2 by 1.9-fold. The molecular docking simulations displayed enhanced binding interactions and similar placement as sunitinib inside the active pocket of VEGFR-2. The molecular modeling calculations showed that all the test compounds were in accordance with Lipinski and Veber rules for oral bioavailability and had promising drug-likeness behavior.

The N-Substituted-4-Methylbenzenesulphonyl Hydrazone Inhibits Angiogenesis in Zebrafish Tg(fli1: EGFP) Model

One of the most important therapies of malignant neoplasms, which are the second cause of death worldwide, is focused on the inhibition of pathological angiogenesis within the tumor. Therefore, the searching for the efficacious and relatively inexpensive small-molecule inhibitors of this process is essential. In this research, the anti-angiogenic potential of N-substituted-4-methylbenzenesulphonyl hydrazone, possessing antiproliferative activity against cancer cells, was tested. For this purpose, an intersegmental vessel (ISV) angiogenesis assay was performed using 6 hpf (hours post fertilization), 12 hpf and 24 hpf embryos of zebrafish transgenic strain, Tg(fli1: EGFP). They were incubated with different concentrations of tested molecule and after 24 h the development of intersegmental vessels of the trunk was analysed. In turn, the acute toxicity study in the zebrafish model was mainly conducted on strain AB, using the OECD-approved and recommended fish embryo acute toxicity test (FET) procedure. The results showed the moderate toxicity of N-[(3-chloro-4-methoxyphenyl)methylidene]-4-methylbenzenesulphonohydrazide in above-mentioned model with the LC₅₀ value calculated at 23.04 mg/L. Moreover, newly synthesized molecule demonstrated the anti-angiogenic potential proved in Tg(fli1: EGFP) zebrafish model, which may be promising for the therapy of neoplastic tumors as well as other diseases related to pathological angiogenesis, such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Insight into the Crystal Structures and Potential of Two Newly Synthesized Naproxen-Based Hydrazide Derivatives as Potent COX-2 Inhibitors

Although nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are medicines that are widely used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and bring down high temperature, literature confirmed that they still have harmful side effects. Most of their side effects are in the digestive system due to the carboxylic group. As naproxen is one of the NSAIDs, in this work, we try to mask the carboxylic group in naproxen with a relatively safe functional group. So, herein, we report the synthesis of new naproxen-based hydrazones derivatives, namely, (E)-N'-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethylidene)-2-(6-methoxynaphthalen-2-yl)propane hydrazide (4a) and (E)-N'-(4-hydroxybenzylidene)-2-(6-methoxynaphthalen-2-yl)propane hydrazide ethanol solvate (4b). The compounds were confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. Hirshfeld surface analyses and energy frameworks of 4a and 4b have been carried out and blind molecular docking studies of them to the COX-2 enzyme were undertaken to obtain binding affinities for judging whether the compounds could act as anti-inflammatory agents. The compounds interact with the key residues: Arg120, Val349, Leu352, Tyr355, Val523, Ala527, Ser530, and Leu531 of the active enzyme pocket. Molecular dynamics studies predicted that the complexes of 4a and 4b with COX-2 are structurally stable and no major conformational changes were observed. Confirmation of the docking and simulation data was achieved by a binding free energies analysis that indicated the dominance of van der Waals energy. The compounds are drug-like molecules as they obey all prominent drug-like rules and have acceptable pharmacokinetic profiles. To investigate the relationship between their intrinsic electronic properties and their possible similarities to actual drugs, the gas-phase DFT optimizations and NBO analyses were also performed in this study.

Evaluation of antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of phenolic N-acylhydrazones: structure-activity relationship

Cancer is still a relentless public health issue. Particularly, colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent cancer in men and the second in women. Moreover, cancer development and growth are associated with various cell disorders, such as oxidative stress and inflammation. The quest for efficient therapeutics is a challenging task, especially when it comes to achieving both cytotoxicity and selectivity. Herein, five series of phenolic N-acylhydrazones were synthesized and evaluated for their antioxidant potency, as well as their influence on HCT-116 and MRC-5 cells viability. Among 40 examined analogues, 20 of them expressed antioxidant activity against the DPPH radical. Furthermore, density functional theory was employed to estimate the antioxidant potency of the selected analogues from the thermodynamical aspect, as well as the preferable free-radical scavenging pathway. Cytotoxicity assay exposed enhanced selectivity of a number of analogues toward cancer cells. The structure-activity analysis revealed the impact of the type and position of the functional groups on both cell viability and selectivity toward cancer cells.

Design, synthesis, and in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity studies of new (S)-Naproxen thiosemicarbazide/1,2,4-triazole derivatives

This study includes the synthesis of new Naproxen derivatives and in vitro–in vivo molecular mechanistic studies.

Naproxen Based 1,3,4-Oxadiazole Derivatives as EGFR Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, Anticancer, and Computational Studies

A library of novel naproxen based 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (8-16 and 19-26) has been synthesized and screened for cytotoxicity as EGFR inhibitors. Among the synthesized hybrids, compound2-(4-((5-((S)-1-(2-methoxynaphthalen-6-yl)ethyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-ylthio)methyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)phenol(15) was the most potent compound against MCF-7 and HepG2cancer cells with IC50 of 2.13 and 1.63 µg/mL, respectively, and was equipotent to doxorubicin (IC50 1.62 µg/mL) towards HepG2. Furthermore, compound 15 inhibited EGFR kinase with IC50 0.41 μM compared to standard drug Erlotinib (IC50 0.30 μM). The active compound induces a high percentage of necrosis towards MCF-7, HePG2 and HCT 116 cells. The docking studies, DFT and MEP also supported the biological data. These results demonstrated that these synthesized naproxen hybrids have EGFR inhibition effects and can be used as leads for cancer therapy.