Fangchinoline derivatives induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human leukemia cell lines via suppression of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathway.

Fangchinoline, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, is known to exert anti-cancer activity. A series of new fangchinoline derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer activity. In cell viability assay, these fangchinoline derivatives displayed higher proliferation inhibitory activity on leukemia and breast cancer cell lines than the parental compound. Among them, 3e exhibited strongest cell growth inhibitory activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner on leukemia cell line HEL through induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Treatment of HEL cells with 3e also resulted in significant suppression of the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathway as well as c-MYC downregulation, which may responsible for induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In docking analysis, high affinity interaction between 3e and Akt1 was responsible for drastic kinase inhibition by the compound. This derivative compound may be useful as a potent anti-cancer agent for treatment of leukemia. Image 1 • Twenty-five fangchinoline derivatives displayed higher anti-neoplastic activity than the parental compound on 4 cell lines. • The compound 3e induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of HEL leukemia cell line in a dose- and time-dependent manner. • Induction of apoptosis by 3e was associated with the inhibition of p-AKT, p-ERK, and activation of p-JNK, JNK. • Molecular docking study revealed high affinity interaction between 3e and Akt1, confirmed by Akt kinase inhibition assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]