title: Novel heteroarotinoids: synthesis and biological activity.
abstract: In this study, 13 heteroarotinoids were synthesized. The key step in each preparation was the condensation of the appropriate chroman-, thiochroman-, or benzothienyl-substituted phosphorus ylide, obtained from the independent synthesis of the corresponding phosphonium salts, with selected polyene-substituted aldehyde esters. Nine of these heterocycles contained a thiochroman group, two had a chroman group, and two others had a benzothienyl system. Screening of the compounds was with one of two assays. One assay measured the ability of a retinoid to inhibit the phorbol ester induced increase of mouse epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity. The other assay measured retinoid-induced differentiation of the human myoloid leukemia cell line HL-60. In the ODC assay, all thirteen compounds were screened. The most active heteroarotinoids were ester 10 [methyl (E)-4-[2-(2,2,4,4-tetramethylthiochroman-6-yl)-1- propenyl]benzoate] and acid 11 [(E)-4-[2-(2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-3,4- dihydro-2H-1- benzothiopyran-6-yl)-1-propenyl]benzoic acid]. Both of these retinoids had ID50 values (dose required for half-maximal inhibition of phorbol ester induced ODC activity) of about 0.3 nmol. In comparison, the ID50 value for trans-retinoic acid (1) was 0.12 nmol while the ID50 values for acids 7 and 9, namely (2Z,4E,6E)-3,7-dimethyl-7-(4,4-dimethyl-thiochroman -6-yl)-2,4,6-heptatrienoic acid and (2E,4E,6E)-3,7-dimethyl-7-(2,2,4,4-tetramethylthiochroman -6-yl)-2,4,6- heptatrienoic acid, respectively, were about 3.5 nmol. Heteroarotinoids 8 and 12-17 had ID50 values of 35 nmol or greater. With a thiochroman unit, the most active acids in decreasing order of activity in the ODC assay were 7 greater than 9 greater than 8. Thus, simple replacement of the terminal propenyl system [C(16,17,18)] in 7 with a cyclopropyl group produced acid 8 [(2E,4E,6E)-7-methyl-7-(4,4-dimethylthiochroman-6-yl)- 2,3-methylene-4,6-heptadienoic acid with markedly reduced activity. With a benzoic acid group as part of the structure attached to the thiochroman unit, the ODC activity was enhanced as shown in 10 and 11. The combination of the 2,2,4,4-tetramethylthiochroman group and the benzoic acid (or ester) terminal group seemed to enhance the biological action which resembles that found with (E)-4-[2-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)- 1-propenyl]benzoic acid (TTNPB, 6b), a well-known model system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater 74078.
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Spruce
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gale
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Berlin
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Breitman
authors.forename: X H
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van der Helm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D012176:Retinoids / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D012176:Retinoids; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate