title: Synthesis and chemical characterization of 2-methoxy-N(10)-substituted acridones needed to reverse vinblastine resistance in multidrug resistant (MDR) cancer cells.
abstract: In an attempt to find clinically useful modulators of multidrug resistance (MDR), a series of 19 N(10)-substituted-2-methoxyacridone analogues has been synthesized. 2-Methoxyacridone and its derivatives (1-19) were synthesized. Compound 1 was prepared by the Ullmann condensation of o-chlorobenzoic acid and p-anisidine followed by cyclization using polyphosphoric acid. This compound undergoes N-alkylation in the presence of phase transfer catalyst (PTC). Stirring of 2-methoxy acridone with 1-bromo-3-chloropropane or 1-bromo-4-chlorobutane in a two-phase system consisting of organic phase (tetrahydrofuran) and 6N potassium hydroxide in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bromide leads to the formation of compounds 2 and 11 in good yield. N-(omega-Chloroalkyl) analogues were found to undergo iodide catalyzed nucleophilic substitution reaction with various secondary amines. Products were characterized by UV, IR, 1H and 13C NMR, mass-spectral data and elemental analysis. The lipophilicity expressed in log(10) P and pK(a) of compounds have been determined. All compounds were examined for their ability to increase the uptake of vinblastine (VLB) in MDR KBCh(R)-8-5 cells and the results showed that the compounds 7, 10, 12, and 15-19 at 100 microM caused a 1.05- to 1.7-fold greater accumulation of vinblastine than did a similar concentration of the standard modulator, verapamil (VRP). However, the effects on VLB uptake were specific because these derivatives had little effect in the parental drug sensitive line KB-3-1. Steady state accumulation of VLB, a substrate for P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mediated efflux, was studied in the MDR cell line KBCh(R)-8-5 in the presence and absence of novel MDR modulators. Results of the efflux experiment showed that VRP and each of the modulators (1-19) significantly inhibited the efflux of VLB, suggesting that they may be competitors for P-gp. From among the compounds examined, 14 except 1, 2, 4, 8, and 11, exhibited greater efflux inhibiting activity than VRP. All the 19 compounds effectively compete with [(3)H] azidopine for binding to P-gp, pointed out this transport membrane protein as their likely site of action. Cytotoxicity has been determined and the IC(50) values lie in the range 8.00-18.50 microM for propyl and 4-15 microM for butyl derivatives against KBCh(R)-8-5 cells suggesting that the antiproliferative activity increases as chain length increases from 3 to 4 carbons at N(10)-position. Compounds at IC(10) were evaluated for their efficacy to modulate the cytotoxicity of VLB in KBCh(R)-8-5 cells and found that the modulators enhanced the cytotoxicity of VLB by 5- to 35-fold. Modulators 12, 14-16, and 19 like VRP, were able to completely reverse the 24-fold resistance of KBCh(R)-8-5 cells to VLB. Examination of the relationship between lipophilicity and antagonism of MDR showed a reasonable correlation suggesting that hydrophobicity is one of the determinants of potency for anti-MDR activity of 2-methoxyacridones.
authors: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3900 Reservoir Road, NW, 20007-219, Washington DC 20007, USA.
authors: Gowdahalli
authors: G
authors: Krishnegowda
authors: Padma
authors: P
authors: Thimmaiah
authors: Ravi
authors: R
authors: Hegde
authors: Chhabil
authors: C
authors: Dass
authors: Peter J
authors: PJ
authors: Houghton
authors: Kuntebommanahalli N
authors: KN
authors: Thimmaiah
mesh_terms: D000166:Acridines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054831:Acridones; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000166:Acridines; D054831:Acridones; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D014747:Vinblastine; C041300:acridone