Preparation and cytotoxicity toward cancer cells of mono(arylimino) derivatives of beta-lapachone

J Med Chem. 2001 Jul 19;44(15):2486-9. doi: 10.1021/jm010050u.

Abstract

A regio- and stereospecific synthesis of monoarylimino o-quinones derived from beta-lapachone (1) was achieved by treatment of the quinone with a slight excess of an arylamine in the presence of an excess of triethylamine/titanium tetrachloride 4:1. Imine formation occurred exclusively at position 6, giving the Z diastereomer, as determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. In vitro tests for cytotoxicity in 55 human cancer cell cultures showed a substantial loss in activity for the p-nitrophenylimine (5), whereas the phenylimine (2), p-methylphenylimine (3), and p-methoxyphenylimine (4) retained (or bettered) most of the cytotoxicity and selectivity of the parent quinone. Preliminary in vivo testing in hollow fiber assays against a standard panel of 12 human tumor cell lines showed that although beta-lapachone failed, compounds 2 and 3 had good scores with net cell kills.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Humans
  • Imines / chemical synthesis*
  • Imines / chemistry
  • Imines / pharmacology
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Naphthalenes / chemical synthesis*
  • Naphthalenes / chemistry
  • Naphthalenes / pharmacology
  • Naphthoquinones / chemistry*
  • Pyrans / chemical synthesis*
  • Pyrans / chemistry
  • Pyrans / pharmacology
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • 2,2-dimethyl-6-(4-methylphenylimino)-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2H-naphtho(1,2-b)oxin-5-one
  • 2,2-dimethyl-6-phenylimino-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2H-naphtho(1,2-b)oxin-5-one
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Imines
  • Naphthalenes
  • Naphthoquinones
  • Pyrans
  • beta-lapachone