title: Synthesis and antitumor activity of benzils related to combretastatin A-4.
abstract: A series of benzil derivatives related to combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) have been synthesized by oxidation of diarylalkynes promoted by PdI(2) in DMSO. Using this new protocol, 14 benzils were prepared in good to excellent yields and their biological activity has been delineated. Several benzils exhibited excellent antiproliferative activity: for example, 4j and 4k bearing the greatest resemblance to CA-4 and AVE-8062, respectively, were found to inhibit cell growth at the nanomolar level (20-50nM) on four human tumor cell lines. Flow cytometric analysis indicates that these compounds act as antimitotics and arrest the cell cycle in G(2)/M phase. A cell-based assay indicated that compounds 4j and 4k displayed a similar inhibition of tubulin assembly with an IC(50) value similar to CA-4. These results clearly demonstrated that the Z-double bond of CA-4 can be replaced by a 1,2-diketone unit without significant loss of cytotoxicity and inhibition of tubulin assembly potency.
authors.affiliation: Univ Paris-Sud, CNRS, BioCIS-UMR 8076, Laboratoire de Chimie Thérapeutique, Faculté de Pharmacie, rue J.B. Clément, F-92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mousset
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Provot
authors.forename: Abdallah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamze
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bignon
authors.forename: Jian-Miao
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Sylviane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thoret
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: Jean-Daniel
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Brion
authors.forename: Mouâd
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alami
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D010658:Phenylglyoxal / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D050257:Tubulin Modulators / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D013267:Stilbenes; D050257:Tubulin Modulators; C058728:fosbretabulin; D010658:Phenylglyoxal; C006697:benzil