作者:Manee Patanapongpibul、Changde Zhang、Guanglin Chen、Shanchun Guo、Qiang Zhang、Shilong Zheng、Guangdi Wang、Qiao-Hong Chen
DOI:10.1016/j.bmc.2018.08.018
日期:2018.9
Our earlier studies indicate that (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(1-alkyl-1H-imidazol-2-yepenta-1,4-diene-3-ones and (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(1-alkyl-1H-benzo Mimidazol-2-yepenta-1,4-diene-3-ones exhibit up to 121-fold greater antiproliferative potency than curcumin in human prostate cancer cell models, but only 2-10 fold increase in mouse plasma concentrations. The present study aims to further optimize them as anti-prostate cancer agents with both good potency and bioavailability. (1E,4E)-1,5-Bis(1H-imidazol-2-yepenta-1,4-diene-3-one, the potential metabolic product of (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(1-alkyl-1H-imidazol-2-yepenta-1,4-diene-3-ones, was synthesized and evaluated for its anti-proliferative activity. The promising potency of 1,5-bis(1-alkyl-1H-imidazol-2-yepenta-1,4-diene-3-ones was completely abolished by removing the 1-alkyl group, suggesting the critical role of an appropriate group on the N1 position. We then envisioned that N-aryl substitution to exclude the C-H bond on the carbon adjacent to the N1 position (a-H) may increase the metabolic stability. Consequently, seven (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(1-aryl-1H-imidazol-2-yepenta-1,4-dien-3-ones and three (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(1-aryl-1H-benzo [d] imidazol-2-yOpenta-1,4-dien-3-ones, as well as three (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(1-aryl-1H-pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyridine-2-yepenta-1,4-dien-3-ones, were synthesized through a three-step transformation, including N-arylation via Ullmann condensation, formylation, and Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction. Six optimal (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(1-aryl-1H-imidazol-2-yOpenta-1,4-dien-3-ones exhibit 24- to 375-fold improved potency as compared with curcumin. Replacement of the imidazole with bulkier benzoimidazole and 4-azaindole results in a substantial decrease in the potency. (1E,4E)-1,5-Bis(1-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1H-imidazol-2-yOpenta-1,4-dien-3-one (17d) was established as an optimal compound with both superior potency and good bioavailability that is sufficient to provide the therapeutic efficacy necessary to suppress in vivo tumor growth.