Steroid-nucleosides possible novel agents for cancer chemotherapy

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel C6-cyclo secondary amine substituted purine steroid-nucleosides analogues

Novel C6-cyclo secondary amine substituted purine steroid-nucleoside analogues (2-9) were efficiently synthesized through displacement of the C6 chloro on the purine ring of series 1 with versatile cyclic secondary amines, including pyrrolidines, piperidine, morpholine, and piperazines. All the newly-synthesized compounds were evaluated for their anticancer activity in vitro against Hela, PC-3 and MCF-7 cell lines. Among them, compounds 5c and 6b exhibited significant cytotoxicity on PC-3 cell lines.

Synthesis and anticancer activity of novel C6-piperazine substituted purine steroid-nucleosides analogues

Novel C6-piperazine substituted purine nucleoside analogues (2-9) bearing a modified pyranose-like D ring of the 4-azasteroid moiety were efficiently synthesized through nucleophilic substitution at C6 position of the steroid-nucleoside precursors (1) with versatile piperazines. All newly-synthesized compounds were evaluated for their anticancer activity in vitro against Hela, PC-3 and MCF-7 cell lines. Among them, compounds 8b and 9b exhibited significant cytotoxicity on PC-3 cell lines.

Synthesis and biological activities of nucleoside-estradiol conjugates

Nucleosides were coupled to estradiol via a 17alpha-ethynyl spacer group using Pd(II) as a catalyst. The conjugates were evaluated in vitro for estrogen receptor (ER) binding affinity and cytotoxicity against cell lines with and without ER. The highest receptor binding affinities (RBA approximately 3) were observed with conjugates coupled via a relative long spacer group, while none of the conjugates exhibited cytotoxicity against either cell lines.

Retinoic acid conjugates as potential antitumor agents: synthesis and biological activity of conjugates with Ara-A, Ara-C, 3(2H)-furanone, and aniline mustard moieties

In a dual targeting approach, to explore the ability of tretinoin (all-trans-retinoic acid) to behave as a covalent carrier for cytotoxic entities, conjugates of retinoic acid with a few representative molecules, being important examples of antitumor pharmacophores (i.e., nucleoside analogues and alkylating agents), have been synthesized and tested for their cytostatic and differentiating activity. All compounds were stable to in vitro hydrolysis in human plasma and more lipophilic than the parent compounds, thus consenting enhanced uptake into the cells. Among the nucleoside analogues the Ara-C derivatives 3 and 6 and the Ara-A derivative 7 proved the most cytostatic (IC50 < 0.32 microgram/mL) resulting from 25- to > 144-fold more active (Ara-A derivatives) or at least as equally active (Ara-C derivatives) as compared to the parent nucleosides. Compound 3, endowed with a highly lipophilic silyl moiety at the 3' and 5' positions, showed the highest differentiating activity (54% and 44% differentiated HL-60 cells at 0.2 and 0.05 microgram/mL respectively). With regard to the retinoic acid conjugates of alkylating agents, compound 10 was the most cytostatic agent (IC50 < 0.32 microgram/mL) and the most potent differentiating agent (33-34% at 0.32 and 0.08 microgram/mL). These structures may also be regarded as analogs of either retinoic acid or the cytotoxic compound.

Nucleosteroids: reaction of activated purine bases with steroidal reactive centers

The reaction of 16 alpha,17 alpha-epoxy-3 beta-hydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one with 6-methyl thiopurine activated with sodium hydride leads to the coupling of the purine base with the carbonyl group at C-20 to give a steroidal nucleoside analog, which is termed "nucleosteroid." In the presence of an excess of purine, a parallel reaction occurs in which the oxirane ring is opened, presumably by nucleophilic attack of an intermediate C-20 oxyanion, and yields as the main product of reaction an oligomeric mixture of nucleosteroid units linked together by ether linkages. Analogous reactions conducted with 3 beta-hydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one and with 3 beta,17 alpha-dihydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one gave minor amounts or only traces of the corresponding coupling adduct, and oligomerization did not occur. This behavior is interpreted in terms of the conformational differences showed by the different steroids to the attack by the purine.

The structures of two potential antitumor steroid--base adducts

Steroids have been coupled to pyrimidines to give potentially target-specific anti-tumor agents. We report here on the molecular structures of two such adducts. 21-(1H-uracil-1-yl)-pregn-4-ene-3,20-dione and 21-(1H-thymin-1-yl)-pregn-4-ene-17 alpha-ol-3,20-dione. The structures of these have been determined by X-ray crystallographic techniques. The uracil substituent of the former compound is observed to be oriented below the alpha-face in the plane of the steroid skeleton. In contrast, upon introduction of a 17 alpha-hydroxyl group, as in the latter compound, the base substituent is found to be in a perpendicular orientation bent towards the beta-face of the steroid skeleton. In the uracil derivative the bases stack between steroid portions of other molecules. In the thymine adduct this does not occur. Only steroid--steroid stacking is observed. The molecule conformations are correlated with the differences in receptor affinity for these two steroid adducts.