Design, synthesis and anti-cancer activity evaluation of podophyllotoxin-norcantharidin hybrid drugs. Issue 14 (15th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Han, Hong-Wei; Qiu, Han-Yue; Hu, Cui; Sun, Wen-Xue; Yang, Rong-Wu; Qi, Jin-Liang; Wang, Xiao-Ming; Lu, Gui-Hua; Yang, Yong-Hua
• Is Part Of: Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters. Volume 26:Issue 14(2016)
• Page Start: 3237
• Page End: 3242
• Publication Date: 2016-07-15
• Subjects: Natural product -- Podophyllotoxin -- Norcantharidin -- Anti-tubulin; Bioorganic chemistry -- Periodicals; Pharmaceutical chemistry -- Periodicals; 572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.05.063
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-894X

Abstract

Graphical abstract: It proves pro-apoptotic activities ofQ9 in MCF-7 cells and PARP is involved in the apoptosis process induced byQ9 . Abstract: In this study, we designed and synthesized eighteen podophyllotoxin-norcantharidin hybrid drugs which could exhibit more potent anti-cancer activity than the parent drugs. Through the anti-proliferation assay, the most potent anti-cancer agent was screened out, namelyQ9 (IC50 = 0.88 ± 0.18 μM against MCF-7 cell line), and it showed lower cytotoxicity against non-cancer cells, human embryonic kidney cells (293T) (IC50 = 54.38 ± 3.78 μM). Additionally, based on the flow cytometry analysis result, it can cause a remarkable cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells more significantly than podophyllotoxin or norcantharidin per se. Moreover, the expression of cell cycle relative protein CDK1 was up regulated while a protein required for mitotic initiation, Cyclin B1 was down regulated. Furthermore, according to the confocal microscopy observation results, it was shown thatQ9 was a potent tubulin polymerization inhibitor and the effect is comparable to that of colchicine. For further investigation on the aforementioned mechanisms, we performed western blot experiments, thus finding the increase of the cleavage of PARP. Consistent with these new findings, molecular docking observations suggested that compoundQ9 could be developed as a potential anticancer agent.