pyridoacridine and amphimedine

This review consolidates biological activity data reported for pyridoacridine 1 molecules in the literature from 1983-2003 into several tables with brief discussions of assays used and results obtained. This review summarizes recent progress in structure activity relationships for analogues of amphimedine 2 and ascididemin 3 classes of pyridoacridines and correlates reported molecular mechanisms of action with biological activities.

Topics: Acridines; Alkaloids; Antifungal Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Antiparasitic Agents; Antiviral Agents; DNA; Phenanthrolines; Quinolines

Efficient bioinspired syntheses of the biologically active pyridoacridine marine alkaloids demethyldeoxyamphimedine, deoxyamphimedine, and amphimedine are reported. Reaction of styelsamine D, prepared via an optimized route starting from Boc-dopamine, with paraformaldehyde afforded demethyldeoxyamphimedine and deoxyamphimedine. Oxidation of the latter using either K3[Fe(CN)6] or DMSO/conc. HCl gave amphimedine in 8 steps from tryptamine with an overall yield of 14%. The versatility of the method was demonstrated by the synthesis of non-natural ethyl and benzyl congeners of deoxyamphimedine and amphimedine.

Topics: Acridines; Alkaloids; Biological Products; Molecular Structure; Phenanthrolines

A four-step total synthesis of the marine pyridoacridine alkaloid demethyldeoxyamphimedine (5) is presented. With an overall yield of 6.4%, this pentacyclic compound has been synthesized by utilizing only two commercial building blocks, ethyl nicotinate and 2-iodoaniline. The final cyclization step was achieved via a directed remote ring metalation with Knochel-Hauser base (TMPMgCl·LiCl) followed by intramolecular trapping of an ester group.

Topics: Acridines; Alkaloids; Aniline Compounds; Cyclization; Lithium; Magnesium; Molecular Structure; Nicotinic Acids; Phenanthrolines; Polycyclic Compounds; Stereoisomerism

4-Substituted-7H-pyrido-[4,3,2-de][1,8] or [1,9]-phenanthroline-7-ones and 9-methyl-1,4-diazanaphtacene-3,10-dione, analogues of the marine pyridoacridine amphimedine were synthesised from isoquinoline-5,8-dione. The first compounds were obtained starting from a Diels-Alder reaction whereas the synthesis of the last compound was initiated by a reaction of condensation with 2-aminoacetophenone. The different tetra- and pentacyclic compounds were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxic activities against six distinct human cancer cell lines. All the compounds exhibit cytotoxic activity with IC(50) values (i.e., the drug concentration inhibiting the mean growth value of the six cell lines by 50%)<10(-7)M for two of them.

Topics: Acridines; Animals; Aza Compounds; Cell Division; Humans; Isoquinolines; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Phenanthrolines; Porifera; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tumor Cells, Cultured