Novel 8-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroaminopterin derivatives as dihydrofolate inhibitor: design, synthesis and antifolate activity

Eur J Med Chem. 2009 Feb;44(2):764-71. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2008.04.017. Epub 2008 May 4.

Abstract

We report, for the first time, the synthesis and biological activities of 8-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroaminopterin 9, and the 5-substituted and 5,10-disubstituted analogues 11, 13, 15, and 17. The analogues were obtained from key compound diethyl 8-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroaminopterin 8 following the catalytic reduction of the pyridine ring of diethyl 8-deaza aminopterin 5. The five novel 8-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroaminopterin derivatives were assayed in vitro for their cytotoxicity on BGC-823, HL-60, Bel-7402 and Hela tumor cell lines, and inhibition on recombinant human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), among which the most potent molecule (compound 9) was about 4- to 10-fold poorer than MTX on the four kinds of tumor cell lines, and its effect on DHFR was about 17-fold poorer than MTX. The docking studies were followed to explain the biological testing results.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aminopterin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Aminopterin / chemical synthesis
  • Aminopterin / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Computer Simulation
  • Drug Design
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Folic Acid Antagonists / chemical synthesis*
  • Folic Acid Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Protein Binding
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / drug effects
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / metabolism

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Folic Acid Antagonists
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase
  • Aminopterin