Disposition of 1,4,6,8-tetramethyl-furoquinolinone in normal and ascitic tumor bearing mice.

1,4,6,8-Tetramethyl-2H-furo[2,3h]quinolin-2-one (FQ) belongs to a series of furocoumarin isosters, designed to obtain new drugs for photochemotherapy. The objective of this study was to characterize the disposition of orally administered 3H-FQ in normal and ascitic tumor bearing mice and to evaluate the influence of UVA irradiation in control mice. This compound was rapidly absorbed and its decay in serum was biphasic. Binding to serum proteins, which was maximum at 30 min (74 %), time-dependently declined. FQ was distributed to all the studied tissues, primarily to the liver and kidneys. The administered radioactivity was excreted mostly in the urine (43 %) and was associated with polar metabolites. The unchanged compound was not present to any detectable extent in the urine. Elimination in the faeces, that may include FQ not absorbed, was low (14 % of administered radioactivity), emphasizing the quantitatively efficient gastrointestinal absorption of the drug. UVA irradiation of FQ-treated mice for 2 h caused a significant increase in radioactivity measured in serum as well as in the liver. In mice bearing Ehrlich ascitic tumor, serum and tissue concentrations were lower than in control animals, possibly due to the larger volume of body fluids (10+/-4 ml of ascitic fluid) available for drug distribution.

Antitumor activity of a new platinum(II) complex with low nephrotoxicity and genotoxicity.

Cisplatin is an important antineoplastic agent, but dose-limiting nephrotoxicity and the occurrence of cellular resistance prevent its potential efficacy. Moreover, cisplatin is known to be carcinogenic and genotoxic in mammalian cells and this feature is of a special interest due to the risk of inducing secondary malignancies. There is a great interest in developing new platinum agents that have broad spectrum of antitumor activity and reduced toxicity. We have recently synthesized a novel platinum(II) coordination complex containing a pyridine nucleus and a dithiocarbamate moiety as ligands, [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl], in order to obtain an agent with more favorable therapeutic indices than cisplatin. In this study, the new platinum(II) complex was tested for its cytotoxicity, by MTT assay, on various human cancer cell lines also including different cisplatin-resistant cells endowed with different mechanisms of resistance. On human peripheral blood lymphocytes we evaluated the genotoxic potential of [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl] via micronuclei and SCE detection. We also performed in vivo experiments with the purpose of investigating the antitumor and nephrotoxic effects of the new platinum(II) complex. The antitumor activity was studied in ascitic or solid Ehrlich carcinoma bearing mice while nephrotoxicity was monitored in male Wistar rats by means of histopathological findings of renal specimens and of biochemical investigation on urinary parameters (GS and NAG activities and of TUP excretion) of urine samples. The results reported here indicate that [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl] showed a remarkable in vitro antitumor activity (with IC50 values about twofold as low as those of cisplatin), moreover, it markedly circumvented the acquired cisplatin resistance in selected human cancer cells. The analysis of the cytogenetic damage in normal cells clearly attested that the new dithiocarbamate complex, tested at equitoxic concentrations, is less genotoxic than cisplatin. Chemotherapy in Ehrlich carcinoma bearing mice with [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl] was significantly better tolerated than that with cisplatin. Against the ascitic tumor, [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl], showed an activity noticeably higher than that of cisplatin in increasing the life span of treated animals (% T/C = 190 and 129, respectively). In solid-tumor-bearing mice, [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl] induced a tumor size reduction very close to that observed with the reference compound. Finally, our findings obtained from the nephrotoxicity studies demonstrated [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl] was not nephrotoxic, contrary to cisplatin which caused a notorious acute proximal tubular damage. In summary, [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl] may be considered as a new platinum(II) complex with remarkable antitumor activity and low nephrotoxicity and genotoxicity compared with cisplatin.

1,4,8-trimethylfuro[2,3-H]quinolin-2(1H)-one, a new furocoumarin bioisoster.

1,4,8-Trimethylfuro[2,3-h]quinolin-2(1H)-one (compound 5a) is the most interesting derivative among some new furoquinolinones prepared with the aim of moderating the strong toxic effects of 1,4,6,8-tetramethyl derivative (FQ), a powerful potential drug for photomedicine. Compound 5a showed a photobiological activity lower than FQ, but considerable higher than 8-MOP, the furocoumarin used in clinical photomedicine; contrary to classic furocoumarins, 5a induced a strong inhibition of protein synthesis in mammalian cells. Genotoxicity and skin erythema induction, the main side effects of both FQ and 8-MOP photosensitization, are virtually absent with 5a. This behavior seems to be connected to its particular reaction mechanism: differently from furocoumarin derivatives, 5a induced low levels of DNA-protein and no inter-strands cross-links, but formed covalent RNA-protein linkages, lesions not observed with known furocoumarins. Moreover, compound 5a generated reactive oxygen species to a considerable extent. For these features, compound 5a appears to be a new photosensitizing agent whose special activity deserves to be deeply investigated.

4-Hydroxymethyl- and 4-methoxymethylfuro[2,3-h]quinolin-2(1H)-ones: synthesis and biological properties.

4-Hydroxymethyl-1,6,8-trimethylfuro[2,3-h]quinolin-2(1H)-one (HOFQ) was prepared by a new profitable way, which allowed to synthesize also 4-methoxymethyl-1,6,8-trimethylfuro[2,3-h]quinolin-2(1H)-one (MOFQ), and 4-hydroxymethyl-6,8-dimethylfuro[2,3-h]quinolin-2(1H)-one (HOHFQ). Some biological activities of the three compounds were studied in comparison with 8-MOP. In the dark, they inhibited topoisomerase II, leading to a moderate antiproliferative activity in mammalian cells. The antiproliferative activity was also tested upon UVA irradiation in mammalian cells: all compounds showed higher activity than 8-MOP, without mutagenicity and skin phototoxicity, with the best results for HOFQ. Photobinding to DNA was investigated, demonstrating a different sequence specificity for these furoquinolinones in comparison with furocoumarins. For all these features, HOFQ and the other analogues appeared very promising photochemotherapeutic agents, whose mechanism of action will be further investigated.

Cytotoxicity and DNA damage induced by a new platinum(II) complex with pyridine and dithiocarbamate.

A new platinum(II) complex containing a pyridine nucleus and a dithiocarbamate moiety as ligands ([Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl]) was evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity in the cisplatin-sensitive human ovarian 2008 and in the isogenic-resistant C13* cell lines. In both cell types, a tumor cell growth inhibition greater than cisplatin and a complete lack of cross-resistance in C13* cells were found. Despite its molecular size, [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl] accumulation was much higher than cisplatin both in parent and resistant cells. Studying the mechanism of action in cell-free media, we established that [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl] more efficiently interacts with DNA in vitro compared to cisplatin maintaining a binding preference for GG rich sequences of DNA. On the contrary, DNA platination in vivo by [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl] was found lower than cisplatin. An analysis of the type of DNA lesions induced by [Pt(ESDT)(Py)Cl] suggests that the cytotoxic efficacy and the ability to overcome cisplatin resistance seem to be related to a different mechanism of interaction with DNA and/or with other key cellular components.

DNA damage and biological effects induced by photosensitization with new N(1)-unsubstituted furo[2,3-h]quinolin-2(1H)-ones.

New furoquinolinones unsubstituted at the N(1) position were prepared and their photobiological activities were studied in comparison with 4,6,8,9-tetramethylfuro[2,3-h]quinolin-2(1H)-one (HFQ) and 8-MOP. The anti-proliferative activity of furoquinolinones 3a-f was tested upon UVA irradiation in mammalian cells, studying DNA synthesis and clonal growth capacity, and in micro-organisms, evaluating T2 infectivity. Almost all compounds appeared to be more active than 8-MOP, and free of any mutagenic activity and skin phototoxicity. Among them, compound 3b was the most effective one. Similarly to HFQ, compound 3b appeared to be very active also in DNA damaging, forming monoadducts and DPC(L=0), but no ISC and DPC(L>0), both responsible for furocoumarin genotoxicity and phototoxicity. Moreover, Ehrlich ascites cells, photoinactivated by the new furoquinolinone 3b and injected into recipient mice, proved to be capable of inducing protection against a successive challenge performed with the same tumor cells. For all these features, 3b seemed to be a new promising potential drug for PUVA therapy and photopheresis.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of a new furo[2,3-h]quinolin-2(1H)-one.

A new furoquinolinone derivative, namely 4-hydroxymethyl-1,6,8-trimethylfuro[2,3-h]quinolin-2(1H)-one (HOFQ), was synthesized and its biological activity studied. By UVA activation, HOFQ induced strong antiproliferative effects in Ehrlich ascite cells, which lost their ability to transmit the tumor by transplantation. HOFQ exhibited poor genotoxicity and absence of skin phototoxicity. Actually, HOFQ sensitization forms DNA-protein cross-linkages but not interstrands cross-links. Therefore, HOFQ appears to be a new promising drug for PUVA photochemotherapy and photopheresis.