Apoptosis induced by synthetic compounds containing a 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl fragment against lymphoid immature neoplasms.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is an aggressive hematological malignancy originating from the malignant transformation of progenitor T cells at different stages of development. The treatment causes severe adverse effects and is associated with relapses and high morbidity and mortality rates. The present study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of 28 new compounds containing 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl analogues on hematological neoplastic cells lines. Cytotoxicity screening by the MTT method revealed that compound 1d was the most promising. Cell viability of neoplastic cells decreased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, with compound 1d not causing hemolysis or reducing peripheral blood mononuclear cells viability, suggesting a selective cytotoxicity. We also suggested that compound 1d induced apoptotic-like cell death with mitochondrial involvement in Jurkat cells.

Effects of 1,3,5-triphenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole derivatives on cell-cycle and apoptosis in human acute leukemia cell lines.

Pyrazoline is an important 5-membered nitrogen heterocycle that has been extensively researched. Ten derivatives were synthesized and tested for antileukemic effects on 2 human acute leukemia cell lines, K562 and Jurkat. The most cytotoxic of these derivatives, compound 21, was chosen for investigation of cytotoxicity mechanisms. The results obtained with selectivity calculations revealed that compound 21 is more selective for acute leukemia (K562 and Jurkat cell lines) than for other tumor cell lines. Moreover, compound 21 was not cytotoxic to normal cell lines, indicating a potential use in clinical tests. Compound 21 caused a significant cell cycle arrest in the S-phase in Jurkat cells and increased the proportion of cells in the sub G0/G1 phase in both cell lines. Cells treated with compound 21 demonstrated morphological changes characteristic of apoptosis in the EB/AO assay, confirmed by externalization of phosphatidylserine by the annexin V - fluorescein isothiocyanate method and by DNA fragmentation. An investigation of cytotoxicity mechanisms suggests the involvement of an intrinsic apoptosis pathway due to mitochondrial damage and an increase in the ratio of mitochondrial Bax/Bcl2. Pyrazoline 21 obeyed Lipinski's "rule of five" for drug-likeness. Based on these preliminary results, the antileukemic activity of compound 21 makes it a potential anticancer agent.

Characterization of 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene and its effects on cell viability in human cancer cell lines.

We synthesized 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene (HHTP), characterized it by electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry, and electron paramagnetic resonance techniques, and evaluated its cytotoxicity to human cancer cell lines. The results revealed that HHTP has accessible higher-oxidation states, especially the tris-semiquinone monoradical. This species is stable and is formed after being stored for months. HHTP exhibited cytotoxic effects on 5 human cancer cell lines, including glioma and lung cancer cells. The cytotoxic effect was evaluated based on the decrease in cell viability, increases in the percentage of cells with fragmented DNA, and elevated numbers of annexin V-PI-positive cells after HHTP treatment.