Protoflavone-Chalcone Hybrids Exhibit Enhanced Antitumor Action through Modulating Redox Balance, Depolarizing the Mitochondrial Membrane, and Inhibiting ATR-Dependent Signaling

Autor: Ahmed Dhahir Latif, Tamás Jernei, Ana Podolski-Renić, Ching-Ying Kuo, Máté Vágvölgyi, Gábor Girst, István Zupkó, Sedef Develi, Engin Ulukaya, Hui-Chun Wang, Milica Pešić, Antal Csámpai, Attila Hunyadi
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Antioxidants, Vol 9, Iss 6, p 519 (2020)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2076-3921
DOI: 10.3390/antiox9060519
Popis: Hybrid compounds combine fragments with complementary targets to achieve a common pharmacological goal. This approach represents an increasingly popular strategy for drug discovery. In this work, we aimed to design antitumor hybrid compounds based on an inhibitor of ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR)-dependent signaling, protoapigenone, and a pro-oxidant ferrocene or chalcone fragment. Four new triazole-coupled hybrids were prepared. The compounds were cytotoxic against human breast cancer cell lines in vitro, showing IC50 values in the sub-micromolar range. The nature of interactions between relevant fragments of the hybrids was evaluated by the Chou–Talalay method. Experimental combination treatment with the fragments showed additive effects or slight/moderate synergism, while strong synergism was observed when the fragments were virtually combined into their hybrids, suggesting a relevant pharmacological benefit of the coupling. All hybrids were strong inhibitors of the ATR-mediated activation of Chk1, and they interfered with the redox balance of the cells leading to mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Additionally, they induced late apoptosis and primary necrosis in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells, respectively. Our results demonstrate that coupling the ATR-dependent signaling inhibitor protoflavone with a pro-oxidant chalcone dramatically increases the antitumor activity compared with either fragment alone. Such compounds may offer an attractive novel strategy for the treatment of various cancers.
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