Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Selenium-Containing 4-Anilinoquinazoline Derivatives as Novel Antimitotic Agents

J Med Chem. 2018 Mar 22;61(6):2571-2588. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00128. Epub 2018 Mar 6.

Abstract

Twenty-eight novel selenium-containing 4-anilinoquinazoline derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as antiproliferative agents. Most of them had significant in vitro activities, particularly for compounds 23a, 25a, and 25d, which also exhibited the most potent antitumor activities against cisplatin-resistant cell lines and the doxorubicin-resistant cell lines, good selectivity toward normal cells, and obvious inhibitory effect on migration of A549 cell lines. Further mechanistic studies revealed that 23a, 25a, and 25d induce G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells, which was associated with a collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential, alterations in the expression of some cell cycle-related and apoptosis-related proteins, and increasing the intracellular ROS level. Finally, compounds 23a, 25a, and 25d also effectively inhibited the tumor growth in the A549 xenograft model without obvious hints of toxicity. Taken together, these in vitro and in vivo results suggest that 23a, 25a, and 25d may be promising microtubule-stabilizing agents and can be used as a promising lead for the development of new antitumor agents.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • A549 Cells
  • Animals
  • Antimitotic Agents / chemical synthesis*
  • Antimitotic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / drug effects
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Microtubules / drug effects
  • Organoselenium Compounds / chemical synthesis*
  • Organoselenium Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Quinazolines / chemical synthesis*
  • Quinazolines / pharmacology*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antimitotic Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Organoselenium Compounds
  • Quinazolines
  • Reactive Oxygen Species