Design, synthesis and antitumor activity of 3-arenobufagin esters / 药学实践杂志

Objective To search for novel potent 3-ester derivatives of arenobufagin and test their antitumor activities in vitro. Methods Target compounds were synthesized by esterification of arenobufagin with acids. CellTiter method was used to assay the in vitro antitumor activities. Results 3-Ester derivatives exhibited excellent antitumor activities against all the cancer cells. Conclusion Among the 3-ester derivatives, compound 2a had the best activities with the IC50 of 4.0−91.7 nmol/L and appeared to be a valuable candidate for further study.

Antiviral activity of shikonin ester derivative PMM-034 against enterovirus 71 in vitro

Human enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the major causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), particularly in infants and children below 4 years of age. Shikonin is a bioactive compound with anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial activities derived from the roots of the Chinese medicinal herb Lithospermum erythrorhizon. This study aimed to examine the antiviral activity of PMM-034, a shikonin ester derivative, against EV71 in rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells. Cytotoxicity of PMM-034 on RD cells was determined using WST-1 assay. Dose- and time-dependent effects of PMM-034 on EV71 replication in RD cells were determined using plaque reduction assay. mRNA expression levels of EV71/VP1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α) were determined by real-time RT-PCR, and EV71/VP1 and phospho-p65 protein expressions were determined by western blot analysis. PMM-034 exhibited only weak cytotoxicity against RD cells. However, PMM-034 exhibited significant antiviral activity against EV71 in RD cells with 50% inhibitory concentration of 2.31 μg/mL. The VP1 mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced in cells treated with PMM-034. Furthermore, relative mRNA expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α significantly decreased in the cells treated with PMM-034, while the phospho-p65 protein expression was also significantly lower in the treated cells. These results indicated that PMM-034 suppressed the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines in RD cells, exhibiting antiviral activity against EV71, as evidenced by the reduced VP1 mRNA and protein levels in PMM-034-treated cells. Thus, PMM-034 is a promising candidate for further development as an EV71 inhibitor.

Synthesis of caffeic acid ester derivatives and their bioactivities / 中草药

Objective: To design and synthetise the natural products caffeic acid ester derivatives, and to study the lipid metabolic disturbance regulation activity of the derivatives. Methods: Applying caffeic acid as material, the target compounds were prepared by two routes and evaluated for antihyperlipidemic effects in HepG2 cells. Results: Ten caffeic acid ester derivatives were synthesized, and compound C5 has not yet been reported. The structures of the target compounds were identified by spectrum. Pharmacological results showed that eight derivatives had potency of lipid-regulating in different levels. In particular, compounds C3 and C5 showed significant lipid-regulating effects compared to the lead compound caffeic acid and positive drug Simvastatin. Conclusion: Compound C5 is a new caffeic acid ester derivative. The primary structure-activity relationships are discussed in this article.