title: Synthesis of some steroidal derivatives with side chain of 20- and 22-hydrazone aromatic heterocycles and their antiproliferative acitivity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The modification of steroidal structure is commonly used to change the biological activity of steroids in medicinal chemistry. Some steroids containing heterocycles exhibit distinct cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines and have been gotten wide attention over the years by medicinal chemists for drug discovery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using pregnenolone and stigmasterol as starting materials, via different chemical reaction, two series of heterosteroids with side chain of 20- and 22-hydrazone aromatic cycles or heterocycles in their structures were synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR and HRMS. The antiproliferative activity of the compounds in vitro was evaluated against human HT-29, HeLa, Bel 7404 and SGC 7901 cancer cells by MTT assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The steroidal compounds with side chain of 20-hydrazone aromatic cycles or heterocycles exhibited distinct cytotoxicity. However, analogues with the side chain of 22-hydrazone resulted in a dramatic decrease of the cytotoxicity. The result of Annexin V assay showed that the 20-hydrazone compounds were potent apoptotic inducers against these carcinoma cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Steroidal compounds with the side-chain of 20-hydrazone aromatic heterocycles exhibit distinct antiproliferative activity in vitro. However, the compounds with the side-chain of 22-hydrazone aromatic heterocycle decreased the cytotoxicity of the compounds.
authors.forename: Chunfang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Material Science, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001, China; Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Oil and Natural Gas Resource Effective Utilization, Qizhou University, Qinzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Haixin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Qifu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Haibing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Chunhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yanmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang