title: Unsymmetrical methylene derivatives of indoles as antiproliferative agents.
abstract: Indole-3-carbinol is a natural product which has been shown to reduce the incidence of spontaneous and carcinogen-induced mammary tumours in animals. Eighteen unsymmetrical methylene derivatives of indoles were prepared by reaction of Mannich bases of 7-hydroxycoumarins with substituted indoles in acetic or propionic anhydride. The synthesised molecules were tested in vitro against the MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines by MTT and cell count assays. Results from 16 tested compounds showed that 60% of them exerted some effects against the MDA-MB-231 compared to about 30% towards the MCF7. Among all, the 3-(7'-acetoxy-4-methylcoumarin-8'-yl)methyl-2-methylindole resulted the most effective in both cell lines, compared to indole-3-carbinol. In conclusion, these preliminary results report that some of these compounds might be promising potential antiproliferative agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genova, Italy. mazzei@cba.unige.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazzei
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miele
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nieddu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruzzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alama
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003374:Coumarins / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C450185:3-(7'-acetoxy-4-methylcoumarin-8'-yl)methyl-2-methylindole; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003374:Coumarins; D007211:Indoles