acronine and Carcinoma--Squamous-Cell

A series of 6-methoxy-3,3,14-trimethyl-3,14-dihydro-7H-benzo[b]chromeno[6,5-g][1,8]naphthyridin-7-one (4), 13-aza derivatives of benzo[b]acronycine, the isomeric 5-methoxy-2,2,13-trimethyl-2,13-dihydro-6H-benzo[b]chromeno[7,6-g][1,8]naphthyridin-6-one (5), and related cis-diols mono- and diesters were designed and synthesized. Their in vitro and in vivo biological activities were evaluated. As previously observed in the acronycine series, esters were the most potent derivatives exhibiting submicromolar activities; among them monoesters are particularly active. Racemic diacetate 21 showed a strong activity against KB-3-1 cell lines and was selected for in vivo evaluation and proved to be active, inhibiting tumor growth by more than 80%. After separation of the two enantiomers, compounds 21a and 21b were also evaluated against C38 colon adenocarcinoma; their activities were found to be significantly different.

Topics: Acronine; Adenocarcinoma; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Proliferation; Colonic Neoplasms; Drug Design; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Models, Molecular; Molecular Structure; Naphthyridines; Stereoisomerism; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

S23906-1, a new DNA alkylating agent that reacts with the exocyclic 2-NH2 group of guanine residues yielding monofunctional adducts, is currently under clinical evaluation in phase I trials. To investigate the mechanism of action of S23906-1, we compared parental KB-3-1 cells and KB/S23-500 cells that are 15-fold resistant to S23906-1. Cell death induced by 1 micromol/L S23906-1 in KB-3-1 cells was associated with their irreversible arrest in the G2-M phases of the cell cycle followed by apoptosis, whereas a proportion of the resistant KB/S23-500 cells were able to exit from the G2 arrest and divide, leading to a significantly lower rate of apoptosis. The attenuated apoptotic response was associated with decreased Chk2 protein phosphorylation, indicating that the DNA damage signaling pathways are more potently activated in the sensitive cells. However, similar rates of adduct formation and repair were measured in both cell lines. Exposure to S23906-1 induced a higher formation of DNA breaks, measured by the comet assay, in sensitive cells. In agreement, a histone H2AX phosphorylation assay revealed that S23906-1 induced double-strand breaks (DSB) in a dose- and time-dependent manner and that these were more persistent in the parental cells. These DSBs were found mainly in S-phase cells and inhibited by aphidicolin, suggesting that they are DNA replication-mediated DSBs. These results suggest that secondary DNA lesions play an important role in the cytotoxicity of this compound and make histone H2AX phosphorylation an attractive marker for monitoring the efficacy of S23906-1.

Topics: Acronine; Alkylation; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Cycle; Checkpoint Kinase 2; DNA Damage; DNA, Neoplasm; Histones; Humans; KB Cells; Phosphorylation; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases