Search

Breast cancer has the highest incidence rate among all malignancies worldwide. Its high mortality is mainly related to the occurrence of multidrug resistance, which significantly limits therapeutic options. In this regard, there is an urgent need to develop compounds that would overcome this phenomenon. There are few reports in the literature that selenium compounds can modulate the activity of P-glycoprotein (MDR1). Therefore, we performed in silico studies and evaluated the effects of the novel selenoesters EDAG-1 and EDAG-8 on BCRP, MDR1, and MRP1 resistance proteins in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The cytometric analysis showed that the tested compounds (especially EDAG-8) are inhibitors of BCRP, MDR1, and MRP1 efflux pumps (more potent than the reference compounds-novobiocin, verapamil, and MK-571). An in silico study correlates with these results, suggesting that the compound with the lowest binding energy to these transporters (EDAG-8) has a more favorable spatial structure affecting its anticancer activity, making it a promising candidate in the development of a novel anticancer agent for future breast cancer therapy.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world following cardiovascular disease. Its treatment, including radiation therapy and surgical removal of the tumour, is based on pharmacotherapy, which prompts a constant search for new and more effective drugs. There are high costs associated with designing, synthesising, and marketing new substances. Drug repositioning is an attractive solution. Fluoroquinolones make up a group of synthetic antibiotics with a broad spectrum of activity in bacterial diseases. Moreover, those compounds are of particular interest to researchers as a result of reports of their antiproliferative effects on the cells of the most lethal cancers. This article presents the current progress in the development of new fluoroquinolone derivatives with potential anticancer and cytotoxic activity, as well as structure-activity relationships, along with possible directions for further development.

In the presented work, a series of 22 hybrids of 8-quinolinesulfonamide and 1,4-disubstituted triazole with antiproliferative activity were designed and synthesised. The title compounds were designed using molecular modelling techniques. For this purpose, machine-learning, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics methods were used. Calculations of the pharmacokinetic parameters (connected with absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) of the hybrids were also performed. The new compounds were synthesised via a copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC). 8- N -Methyl- N -{[1-(7-chloroquinolin-4-yl)-1 H -1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]methyl}quinolinesulfonamide was identified in in silico studies as a potential strong inhibitor of Rho-associated protein kinase and as a compound that has an appropriate pharmacokinetic profile. The results obtained from in vitro experiments confirm the cytotoxicity of derivative 9b in four selected cancer cell lines and the lack of cytotoxicity of this derivative towards normal cells. The results obtained from silico and in vitro experiments indicate that the introduction of another quinolinyl fragment into the inhibitor molecule may have a significant impact on increasing the level of cytotoxicity toward cancer cells and indicate a further direction for future research in order to find new substances suitable for clinical applications in cancer treatment.

The study aims to synthesize a novel bis(thiosemicarbazone) derivative based on platinum (thioPt) and evaluate its anticancer properties against MFC-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. A new platinum complex was synthesised by reacting K 2 PtCl 4 with 2,2'-(1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-diylidene)bis(hydrazine-1-carbothioamide) in ethanol in the presence of K 2 CO 3 . In the obtained complex, the platinum atom is coordinated by a conjugated system = N-NC-S-The structures of the new compound were characterised using NMR spectroscopy, HR MS, IR, and X-ray structural analysis. The obtained results of the cytotoxicity assay indicate that compound thioPt had potent anticancer activity (MCF-7: 61.03 ± 3.57 µM, MDA-MB-231: 60.05 ± 5.40 µM) with less toxicity against normal MCF-10A breast epithelial cells, even compared to the reference compound (cisplatin). In addition, subsequent experiments found that thioPt induces apoptosis through both an extrinsic (↑caspase 8 activity) and intrinsic (↓ΔΨ m ) pathway, which ultimately leads to an increase in active caspase 3/7 levels. The induction of autophagy and levels of proteins involved in this process (LC3A/B and Beclin-1) were examined in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells exposed to tested compounds (thio, thioPt, cisPt) at a concentration of 50 µM for 24 h. Based on these results, it can be concluded that thio and thioPt do not significantly affect the autophagy process. This demonstrates their superiority over cisplatin, which can stimulate cancer cell survival through its effect on stimulation of autophagy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Determining the relationship between the use of types of psychoactive substance and risky sexual behavior among men. The sources cited in the manuscript were selected through a search of scientific article databases in July 2023. Priority was given to publications with release dates from 2018-2023. Publications in Polish and English were included., Views: The phenomenon of chemsex, more and more often noted in the group of men who have sex with men (MSM), involving sexual activity under the influence of intoxicants, promotes risky sexual behavior. The drugs used for these practices are mainly stimulants, disinhibitors and anesthetics. Factors that increase the risk of an individual deciding to engage in chemical sex include not accepting his sexual preferences, feelings of guilt, personality traits characterizing a person prone to taking risks and with a tendency to seek sensations, as well as high scores on the scale of depressiveness. The main factor determining the emergence of the problem is the occurrence of minority stress., Conclusions: There is a relationship between the use of a certain type of psychoactive substance and engaging in risky sexual behavior. Psychoactive substances help to overcome fear and reduce the impact of minority stress on MSM. Risky behaviors undertaken during chemsex include increasing the risk of contracting diseases through the lack of appropriate safeguards, the risk of addiction, prostitution, as well as threats social relationships and mental health., Competing Interests: Absent., (Copyright © 2024 Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology.)

Cancer cells need to carefully regulate their metabolism to keep them growing and dividing under the influence of different nutrients and oxygen levels. Muscle isoform 2 of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) is a key glycolytic enzyme involved in the generation of ATP and is critical for cancer metabolism. PKM2 is expressed in many human tumors and is regulated by complex mechanisms that promote tumor growth and proliferation. Therefore, it is considered an attractive therapeutic target for modulating tumor metabolism. Various modulators regulate PKM2, shifting it between highly active and less active states. In the presented work, a series of 8-quinolinesulfonamide derivatives of PKM2 modulators were designed using molecular docking and molecular dynamics techniques. New compounds were synthesized using the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction. Compound 9a was identified in in silico studies as a potent modulator of muscle isoform 2 of pyruvate kinase. The results obtained from in vitro experiments confirmed the ability of compound 9a to reduce the intracellular pyruvate level in A549 lung cancer cells with simultaneous impact on cancer cell viability and cell-cycle phase distribution. Moreover, compound 9a exhibited more cytotoxicity on cancer cells than normal cells, pointing to high selectivity in the mode of action. These findings indicate that the introduction of another quinolinyl fragment to the modulator molecule may have a significant impact on pyruvate levels in cancer cells and provides further directions for future research to find novel analogs suitable for clinical applications in cancer treatment.

The complex pathophysiology of depression, together with the limits of currently available antidepressants, has resulted in the continuous quest for alternative therapeutic strategies. Numerous findings suggest that pharmacological blockade of α 2 -adrenoceptor might be beneficial for the treatment of depressive symptoms by increasing both norepinephrine and serotonin levels in certain brain areas. Moreover, the antidepressant properties of 5-HT 7 receptor antagonists have been widely demonstrated in a large set of animal models. Considering the potential therapeutic advantages in targeting both α 2 -adrenoceptors and 5-HT 7 receptors, we designed a small series of arylsulfonamide derivatives of (dihydrobenzofuranoxy)ethyl piperidines as dually active ligands. Following green chemistry principles, the designed compounds were synthesized entirely using a sustainable mechanochemical approach. The identified compound 8 behaved as a potent α 2A /5-HT 7 receptor antagonist and displayed moderate-to-high selectivity over α 1 -adrenoceptor subtypes and selected serotonin and dopaminergic receptors. Finally, compound 8 improved performance of mice in the forced swim test, displaying similar potency to the reference drug mirtazapine.

A key parameter in the design of new active compounds is lipophilicity, which influences the solubility and permeability through membranes. Lipophilicity affects the pharmacodynamic and toxicological profiles of compounds. These parameters can be determined experimentally or by using different calculation methods. The aim of the research was to determine the lipophilicity of betulin triazole derivatives with attached 1,4-quinone using thin layer chromatography in a reverse phase system and a computer program to calculate its theoretical model. The physiochemical and pharmacokinetic properties were also determined by computer programs. For all obtained parameters, the similarity analysis and multilinear regression were determined. The analyses showed that there is a relationship between structure and properties under study. The molecular docking study showed that betulin triazole derivatives with attached 1,4-quinone could inhibit selected SARS-CoV-2 proteins. The MLR regression showed that there is a correlation between affinity scoring values (ΔG) and the physicochemical properties of the tested compounds.

A series of 30-diethylphosphate derivatives of betulin were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines, such as amelanotic melanoma (C-32), glioblastoma (SNB-19), and two lines of breast cancer (T47D, MDA-MB-231). The molecular structure and activities of the new compounds were also compared with their 29-phosphonate analogs. Compounds 7a and 7b showed the highest activity against C-32 and SNB-19 cell lines. The IC 50 values for 7a were 2.15 and 0.91 μM, and, for 7b, they were 0.76 and 0.8 μM for the C-32 and SNB-19 lines, respectively. The most potent compounds, 7a and 7b , were tested for their effects on markers of apoptosis, such as H3, TP53, BAX, and BCL-2. For the whole series of phosphate derivatives, a lipophilicity study was performed, and the ADME parameters were calculated. The most active products were docked to the active site of the EGFR protein. The relative binding affinity of selected phosphate betulin derivatives toward EGFR was compared with standard erlotinib on the basis of ChemScore and K DEEP score. Positively, all derivatives docked inside the cavity and showed significant interactions. Moreover, a molecular dynamics study also reveals that ligands 7a , b form stable complexes and the plateau phase started after 7 ns.

In this research, betulin derivatives were bonded to the 1,4-quinone fragment by triazole linker. Furthermore, the enzymatic assay used has shown that these compounds are a good DT-diaphorase (NQO1) substrates as evidenced by increasing enzymatic conversion rates relative to that of streptonigrin. The anticancer activities of the hybrids were tested against a panel of human cell lines, like: melanoma, ovarian, breast, colon, and lung cancers. The structure-activity relationship showed that the activity depends on the type of 1,4-quinone moiety and the tumor cell lines used. It was also found that the anticancer effects were increasing against the cell line with higher NQO1 protein level, like: breast (T47D, MCF-7), colon (Caco-2), and lung (A549) cancers. The transcriptional activity of the gene encoding a proliferation marker (H3 histone), cell cycle regulators (p53 and p21) and apoptosis pathway (BCL-2 and BAX) for selected compounds were determined. The molecular docking study was carried out to examine the interaction between the hybrids and NQO1 enzyme. The computational simulation showed that the type of the 1,4-quinone moiety influences location of the compound in the active site of the enzyme. It is worth noting that the study of new hybrids of betulin as substrate for NQO1 protein may lead to new medical therapeutic applications in the future., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Lupane-type pentacyclic triterpenes such as betulin and betulinic acid play an important role in the search for new therapies that would be effective in controlling viral infections. The aim of this study was the synthesis and evaluation of in vitro anti-HIV-1 activity for phosphate derivatives of 3-carboxyacylbetulin 3 - 5 as well as an in silico study of new compounds as potential ligands of the C-terminal domain of the HIV-1 capsid-spacer peptide 1 (CA-CTD-SP1) as a molecular target of HIV-1 maturation inhibitors. In vitro studies showed that 28-diethoxyphosphoryl-3- O -(3',3'-dimethylsuccinyl)betulin (compound 3 ), the phosphate analog of bevirimat (betulinic acid derivative, HIV-1 maturation inhibitor), has IC 50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) equal to 0.02 μM. Compound 3 inhibits viral replication at a level comparable to bevirimat and is also more selective (selectivity indices = 1250 and 967, respectively). Molecular docking was used to examine the probable interaction between the phosphate derivatives of 3-carboxyacylbetulin and C-terminal domain (CTD) of the HIV-1 capsid (CA)-spacer peptide 1 (SP1) fragment of Gag protein, designated as CTD-SP1. Compared with interactions between bevirimat ( BVM ) and the protein, an increased number of strong interactions between ligand 3 and the protein, generated by the phosphate group, were observed. These compounds might have the potential to also inhibit SARS-CoV2 proteins, in as far as the intrinsically imprecise docking scores suggest.

Since the beginning of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, many groups of drugs characterized by diverse mechanisms of action have been developed, which can suppress HIV viremia. 3- O -(3',3'-Dimethylsuccinyl) betulinic acid, known as bevirimat (BVM), was the first compound in the class of HIV maturation inhibitors. In the present work, phosphate and phosphonate derivatives of 3-carboxyacylbetulinic acid were synthesized and evaluated for anti-HIV-1 activity. In vitro studies showed that 30-diethylphosphonate analog of BVM (compound 14a ) has comparable effects to BVM (half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC 50 ) equal to 0.02 μM and 0.03 μM, respectively) and is also more selective (selectivity indices: 3450 and 967, respectively). To investigate the possible mechanism of antiviral effect of 14a , molecular docking was carried out on the C-terminal domain (CTD) of HIV-1 capsid (CA)-spacer peptide 1 (SP1) fragment of Gag protein, designated as CTD-SP1, which was described as a molecular target for maturation inhibitors. Compared with interactions between BVM and the protein, an increased number of strong interactions between ligand 14a and protein, generated by the phosphonate group, was observed.

Betulin derivatives exhibit an antiproliferative activity and have been tested for many cancer cell lines. This paper describes a new series of 3-phosphate derivatives of betulin bearing different substituents at C28 position. The synthesized compounds were tested in vitro for their antiproliferative effect against human leukemia (MV-4-11 and CCRF/CEM), lung carcinoma (A549), prostate cancer (DU 145), melanoma (Hs 294T) cell lines, and murine leukemia P388. To explore the possible mechanism of anticancer activity for the most in vitro active compounds (4, 5, 7 and 8) and betulin, molecular docking was performed to the binding sites of potential anticancer targets, described for the various triterpene derivatives, including topoisomerase I and II, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFR), transcription factor NF-κB, anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ). According to the results of the docking, the best fit to the binding pocket of PPARγ was shown by compound 4., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A series of 3-substituted derivatives of betulin and betulinic aldehyde were synthesized as promising anticancer agents. The newly triterpenes were tested against five human cancer cell lines like biphenotypic B myelomonocytic leukaemia (MV-4-11), adenocarcinoma (A549), prostate (Du-145), melanoma (Hs294T), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and normal human mammary gland (MCF-10A). The compound 9 showed towards Du-145, MCF-7 and Hs294T cells significant antiproliferative activity with IC 50 ranging from 7.3 to 10.6 μM. The evaluation of ADME properties of all compounds also includes their pharmacokinetic profile. The calculated TPSA values for synthetized derivatives are in the range between 43.38 Ų and 55.77 Ų suggesting high oral bioavailability. The molecular docking calculations showed that triterpene 9 fits the active site of the serine/threonine protein kinase Akt.

A series of azinesulfonamide derivatives of long-chain arylpiperazines with variable-length alkylene spacers between sulfonamide and 4-arylpiperazine moiety is designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated. In vitro methods are used to determine their affinity for serotonin 5-HT 1A , 5-HT 6 , 5-HT 7 , and dopamine D 2 receptors. X-ray analysis, two-dimensional NMR conformational studies, and docking into the 5-HT 1A and 5-HT 7 receptor models are then conducted to investigate the conformational preferences of selected serotonin receptor ligands in different environments. The bent conformation of tetramethylene derivatives is found in a solid state, in dimethyl sulfoxide, and as a global energy minimum during conformational analysis in a simulated water environment. Furthermore, ligand geometry in top-scored complexes is also bent, with one torsion angle in the spacer (τ 2 ) in synclinal conformation. Molecular docking studies indicate the role of halogen bonding in complexes of the most potent ligands and target receptors.

In this study, a series of regioisomeric acetylenic sulfamoylquinolines are designed, synthesized, and tested in vitro for their antiproliferative activity against three human breast cacer cell lines (T47D, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231) and a human normal fibroblast (HFF-1) by 4-[3-(4-iodophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-2 H -5-tetrazolio]-1,3-benzene disulfonate (WST-1) assay. The antiproliferative activity of the tested acetylenic quinolinesulfonamides is comparable to that of cisplatin. The bioassay results demonstrate that most of the tested compounds show potent antitumor activities, and that some compounds exhibit better effects than the positive control cisplatin against various cancer cell lines. Among these compounds, 4-(3-propynylthio)-7-[ N -methyl- N -(3-propynyl)sulfamoyl]quinoline shows significant antiprolierative activity against T47D cells with IC 50 values of 0.07 µM. In addition, 2-(3-Propynylthio)-6-[ N -methyl- N -(3-propynyl)sulfa-moyl]quinoline and 2-(3-propynylseleno)-6-[ N -methyl- N -(3-propynyl)sulfamoyl]quinoline display highly effective atitumor activity against MDA-MB-231 cells, with IC 50 values of 0.09 and 0.50 µM, respectively. Furthermore, most of the tested compounds show a weak cytotoxic effect against the normal HFF-1 cell line. Additionally, in order to suggest a mechanism of action for their activity, all compounds are docked into the binding site of two human cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes. These data indicate that some of the title compounds display significant cytotoxic activity, possibly targeting the CYPs pathways.

Purpose: Determination of the mutagenic potential of new biologically active compounds is of great concern for preliminary toxicity testing and drug development. Methods: The mutagenic and antimutagenic effects of some quinoline- and isoquinolinesulfonamide analogs of aripiprazole (1-8), which display potent antidepressant, anxiolytic, and antipsychotic properties, were evaluated using the Vibrio harveyi assay and OSIRIS Property Explorer software. Additionally, the Ames test was used as the reference. Results: In silico prediction showed that compounds 5 (N-(3-(4-(2,3- dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propyl)quinoline-7-sulfonamide) and 6 (N-(4-(4-(2,3- Dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)quinoline-7-sulfonamide) trigger a mutagenic structural alert. However, this was not confirmed by in vitro assays, as none of the tested compounds displayed mutagenic activity against all tested strains of bacteria. Moreover, compounds 1-8 displayed a protective effect against the mutagenicity induced by a direct acting mutagen NQNO. The most beneficial antimutagenic properties showed compound 5 which exhibited strong antimutagenic properties in all tested V. harveyi strains. High antimutagenic potency of this compound was confirmed in the Ames TA100 assay system. Conclusion: Newly synthesized azinesulfonamide analogs of aripiprazole may be considered as genotoxically safe as they do not display mutagenic activity on the tester strains. Moreover, the tested compounds demonstrated significant antimutagenic properties that can be valuable for prevention of the NQNO genotoxicity. Additionally, it appears that the Vibrio harveyi assay can be applied for primary mutagenicity and antimutagenicity assessment of chemical substances, thus, representing a useful alternative tool for compounds safety evaluation.

A series of N1-azinylsulfonyl-3-(1,2,3,6,tetrahyrdopyridin-4-yl)-1H-indole derivatives was designed to obtain highly potent 5-HT6 receptor ligands. The study allowed for the identification of 25 (4-{[5-methoxy-3-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridin-4-yl)-1H-indol-1-yl]sulfonyl}isoquinoline), a potent and selective 5-HT6 receptor antagonist. The selected compound, was evaluated in vivo in a novel object recognition (NOR) and forced swim (FST) tests in rats, demonstrating distinct pro-cognitive and antidepressant-like properties (MED = 1 mg/kg and 0.1 mg/kg, i.p., respectively). Compound SB-742457, used as comparator, reversed memory deficits in NOR task in similar doses, while in FST it was active in 10-30-fold higher dose (3 mg/kg). In contrast to SB-742457, which was active in Vogel test (MED = 3 mg/kg), compound 25 displayed no anxiolytic activity.

In the title compound, C9H8N2O2S, the sulfamoyl -NH2 group is involved in inter-molecular hydrogen bonding with the sulfonamide O and quinoline N atoms. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked into dimers via pairs of N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming an R 2 (2)(10) motif. The dimers are further assembled into chains parallel to the b axis through N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, generating a C(4) motif. The crystal packing is additionally stabilized by inter-molecular C-H⋯O inter-actions. The crystal studied was a non-merohedral twin with a domain ratio of 0.938 (2):0.062 (2). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, at the B3LYP/6-31 G(d,p) level of theory, were used to optimize the mol-ecular structure and to determine inter-action energies for the title compound. The resulting inter-action energy is ∼4.4 kcal mol(-1) per bridge for the C(4) chain and ∼5.9 kcal mol(-1) per bridge for the R 2 (2)(10) motif.

In the title compound, C(9)H(8)N(2)O(2)S, the sulfamoyl NH(2) group is involved in intra-molecular N-H⋯N and inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonding. In the crystal, molecules are linked via pairs of N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers, which are further associated through π-π stacking inter-actions between the quinoline benzene rings [centroid-centroid distance = 3.649 (1) Å] into a one-dimensional polymeric structure extending along the a axis.