Design, synthesis and antitumor evaluation of novel pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines incorporating different amino acid conjugates as potential DHFR inhibitors

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the antitumor effect of simultaneous inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) enzyme. We designed some novel pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines bearing different amino acid conjugates as efficient antifolate agents attributable to their structural similarity with methotrexate (MTX) and MTX-related antifolates. All compounds were tested to screen their enzymatic inhibition against DHFR compared with the reference drug MTX and for their in vitro antitumor cytotoxicity against six MTX-resistant cancer cell lines. The flow cytometry indicated that the most potent compound 7f arrested MCF-7 cells in the S-phase and induced apoptosis. Western blot for visualisation proved the ability of compound 7f to induce the expression of proapoptotic caspases and Bax proteins in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line beside its ability to diminish the expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein. Molecular modelling studies concluded that compound 7f displayed better binding energy than that of the normal ligand MTX.

HIGHLIGHTS

• New pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives 7a–m which are structurally similar to the classical methotrexate (MTX) and MTX-related antifolates were synthesised as antitumor agents.

• Novel N-acyl amino acid compound 7f exhibited marked DHFR inhibition activity that are parralel to both the molecular docking results and cytotoxic activity.

• Compound 7f could induce the expression of proapoptotic caspases and Bax proteins in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line beside its ability to diminish the expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein.

• All prepared compounds obey Lipinski rule of five except compound 7f.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Pyrazolo[34-d]pyrimidine
• N-acyl amino acids
• methotrexate
• DHFR inhibition
• MCF-7 breast cancer cell line

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge DSR at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) for technical and financial support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, under grant No. [DF-453–166-1441]. The authors, therefore, gratefully acknowledge DSR technical and financial support.