title: Medicinal chemistry of probimane and MST-16: comparison of anticancer effects between bisdioxopiperazines.
abstract: Bisdioxopiperazines, including ICRF-154 and razoxane (ICRF-159, Raz), are a family of anticancer agents developed in the UK, specifically targeting neoplastic metastases. Two other bisdioxopiperazine derivatives, probimane (Pro) and MST-16, were synthesized at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. In order to determine the similarities and differences between these agents in medical chemistry, we evaluated the anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects of Pro and MST-16 in vitro and in vivo against a number of human tumor cell lines and one of murine origin (Lewis lung carcinoma, LLC), and one human tumor xenograft (LAX-83) in nude mice. Our results show that Pro was cytotoxic to human tumor cell lines in vitro (IC50 < 50 microM for 48 h), approximately 3 to 20-fold more than MST-16. Pro and MST-16 manifested more prolonged cytotoxicity than some other first-line anticancer drugs including 5-fluorouacil, vincristine and doxorubicin, and maintain their cytotoxic effects for 4 days in vitro. In animal experiments, Pro and Raz were active against primary tumor growth (35-50 %) and significantly inhibited pulmonary metastasis of LLC (inhibition > 90 %) at dosage below LD(5). Both Raz and Pro were effective in administration schedules of 1, 5 and 9 days. Both Raz (25-32 %) and Pro (55-60 %) caused statistically significant inhibition of the growth of LAX 83 (a human lung adeno-carcinoma xenograft) in nude mice. In this model, Pro was more effective against LAX83 than Raz at equitoxic dosages. These findings suggest that Pro is active against more categories of tumors both in vivo and in vitro, which in some circumstances may make it superior to the currently-used anticancer bisdioxopiperazines, including razoxane and MST-16.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China. ludayong@sh163.net
authors.forename: Da-Yong
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Cheng-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018827:Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / Q000188:drug therapy; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010879:Piperazines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011929:Razoxane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013997:Time Factors; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010879:Piperazines; C055262:probimane; D011929:Razoxane; C057773:sobuzoxane