Synthesis of scutellarein derivatives with antiproliferative activity and selectivity through the intrinsic pathway

Abstract

To explore antitumor agents with potent efficacy and low toxicity, scutellarein derivatives with benzoic acid mustard (10a−c, 11a−c and 13a−c) were designed and synthesized. The antiproliferative activities of the target derivatives against A549, MCF-7 and Bel-7402 cancer cell lines were tested. Compound 10a showed the strongest potency with an IC50 value of 1.50 μM against MCF-7 cell line, and displayed low toxicity against human liver L-O2 normal cells (IC50 > 50 μM), showing specificity between normal and malignant cells. The mechanism studies revealed that 10a could induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, arrest MCF-7 cell cycle at the G1 phase and cause mitochondrial dysfunction in a concentration-dependant manner. Furthermore, the enhanced expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins caspase-9, caspase-3, Bax and cytochrome c, and the reduced expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 confirmed that 10a induced the intrinsic apoptosis pathway in MCF-7 cells. The potent antiproliferative activity and good selectivity guaranteed 10a a lead compound for the further development into anticancer therapeutics, especially for breast cancer.