UVA-induced effects of 2,6-disubstituted 4-anilinoquinazolines on cancer cell lines

Genotoxicity assessment of four novel quinazoline-derived trypanocidal agents in the Drosophila wing somatic mutation and recombination test

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, has increased in the world due to migration, travelling and climate change; at present, the principal problem is that common trypanocidal agents have resulted in toxic or inconvenient side effects. We tested for genotoxicity in the standard (ST) and high bioactivation (HB) crosses of Drosophila wing somatic mutation and recombination test, four novel trypanocidal agents derived from 2, 4, 6-triaminquinazoline (TAQ): 2,4-diamino-6 nitro-1,3 diazonaftalene (S-1QN2-1), 2,4-diacetamino-6-amino 1,3 diazonaftalene (D-1), N6-(4,methoxybenzyl)quinazoline-2,4,6-triamine (GHPM) and N6-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)benzyl]quinazoline-2,4,6-triamine (GHPMF) at 1.9, 3.9, 7.9 and 15 µM, respectively. Also, high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was run to determine the remanence of either drug in flare, and Oregon R(R)-flare flies emerged from treated larvae. S-1QN2-1 showed genotoxicity only in the ST cross, increasing the small, large and total spot frequencies at all concentrations and twin spots only at 1.9 µM; D-1 and GHPM showed significant increments of large spots only at 15 µM in the ST cross; GHPMF was not genotoxic at any concentration or either cross. In the mwh clones accumulated distribution frequencies analysis, associated with disrupted cell division, S-1QN2-1 caused alterations in the ST cross at all concentrations but only at 15 µM in the HB cross; D-1 caused alterations at 3.9, 7.9 and 15 µM in the ST cross and at 1.9 and 15 µM in the HB cross; GHPM caused alterations at 7.9 and 15 µM in the ST cross and also at 1.9, 3.9 and 7.9 µM in the HB cross; GHPMF caused those alterations at all concentrations in the ST cross and at 1.9, 3.9 and 7.9 µM in the HB cross. The HPLC results indicated no traces of either agent in the flare and Oregon R(R)-flare flies. We conclude that S-1QN2-1 is clearly genotoxic, D-1 and GHPM have an unclear genotoxicity and GHPMF was not genotoxic; all quinazoline derivatives disrupted cell division. GHPMF is a good candidate to be tested in other genotoxicity and cytotoxic bioassays. The differences in the genotoxic activity of these trypanocidal agents are correlated with differences in their chemical structure.

Copper(II) Thiosemicarbazone Complexes and Their Proligands upon UVA Irradiation: An EPR and Spectrophotometric Steady-State Study

X- and Q-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to characterize polycrystalline Cu(II) complexes that contained sodium 5-sulfonate salicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazones possessing a hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, or phenyl substituent at the terminal nitrogen. The ability of thiosemicarbazone proligands to generate superoxide radical anions and hydroxyl radicals upon their exposure to UVA irradiation in aerated aqueous solutions was evidenced by the EPR spin trapping technique. The UVA irradiation of proligands in neutral or alkaline solutions and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) caused a significant decrease in the absorption bands of aldimine and phenolic chromophores. Mixing of proligand solutions with the equimolar amount of copper(II) ions resulted in the formation of 1:1 Cu(II)-to-ligand complex, with the EPR and UV-Vis spectra fully compatible with those obtained for the dissolved Cu(II) thiosemicarbazone complexes. The formation of the complexes fully inhibited the photoinduced generation of reactive oxygen species, and only subtle changes were found in the electronic absorption spectra of the complexes in aqueous and DMSO solutions upon UVA steady-state irradiation. The dark redox activity of copper(II) complexes and proligand/Cu(II) aqueous solutions towards hydrogen peroxide which resulted in the generation of hydroxyl radicals, was confirmed by spin trapping experiments.

Synthesis and In Vitro Cytotoxic Properties of Polycarbo-Substituted 4-(Arylamino)quinazolines

Herein, we describe the synthesis of novel unsymmetrical polycarbo-substituted 4-anilinoquinazolines derived from the 2-aryl-6-bromo-8-iodoquinazolines via one-pot three-step reaction sequences involving initial amination and subsequent double cross-coupling (bis-Suzuki, Sonogashira/Stille or Sonogashira/Suzuki-Miyaura) reactions with different cross coupling partners for the two carbon–carbon bond formation steps. The 4-anilinoquinazolines were evaluated for potential cytotoxicity against three cancer cell lines, namely, human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells, human cervical cancer (HeLa) and human lung cancer (A549) cells. The most active compounds, 2b, 2c, 3c, 4a, 4c and 5a, were found to be more selective against the MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines than the human lung carcinoma (A549) cells. We selected compounds 2c, 3c and 7a as representatives for further evaluation for potential to induce apoptosis and/or necrotic properties in the three cancer cell lines. Compound 2c induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells through cell membrane alteration. Treatment of Hela and A549 cell lines with compounds 3c and 7a, respectively, led to caspase-3 activation in both cell lines. Compound 3c, on the other hand, caused more necrosis than apoptosis induction in the membrane alteration assay.