Synthesis and biological evaluation of selenogefitinib for reducing bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract

Selenium has demonstrated effectiveness in the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation in vitro and in vivo, both of which are key indicators of the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Gefitinib, an FDA-approved EGFR inhibitor, effectively reverses the deterioration of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Based on this, we proposed introducing a selenium atom into the structure of gefitinib, resulting in the generation of selenogefitinib. Compared to gefitinib, selenogefitinib was significantly less hepatotoxic and cytotoxic in cells. The results of the H&E staining of lung tissue validated that Selenogefitinib effectively protected the structure of the alveolar tissue and mitigated the infiltration of inflammatory cells in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis models. The reduction in the deposition of collagen fibers in lung tissue determined by Masson staining and hydroxyproline (HYP) content also corroborated the efficacy of selenogefitinib in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. Furthermore, Selenogefitinib decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory markers IL-4, IL-6, and TNF-α more significantly than gefitinib, which indicated that it exhibited a higher anti-inflammatory activity. In addition, the presence of selenium manifested a greater reduction in oxidative stress based on the decrease in the levels of MDA in mice blood. These results suggested that Selenogefitinib may be a potential candidate for the treatment of IPF.