Design and Synthesis of NO-releasing Betulinic Acid Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents

Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2017;17(2):241-249. doi: 10.2174/1871520616666160926115747.

Abstract

A total of 16 targeted NO-releasing betulinic acid (BA) derivatives were designed and synthesized as potential anticancer agents. Most IC<sub>50</sub> values were under 1.0 μM in vitro test against HepG2 and B16. The result suggested that derivatives of BA with α,β-unsaturated ketone skeleton possessed significant cytotoxic activities than the others, among which derivatives with three carbons in diol linker (15b and 15c) exhibited the highest anti-cancer activity. NO-releasing amount detection of partial target compounds suggested that NO-releasing amount of this series of BA derivatives positively correlates with their cytotoxic activities. The anti-angiogenic activity of partial target compounds on zebrafish embryos in our experiment did not show any effects on the SIVs, however, they exhibited different influence on ISVs, with only 15a and 15d better than the negative control.

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Betulinic Acid
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Design
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Humans
  • Nitric Oxide Donors / chemical synthesis
  • Nitric Oxide Donors / chemistry*
  • Nitric Oxide Donors / pharmacology*
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  • Triterpenes / chemical synthesis
  • Triterpenes / chemistry*
  • Triterpenes / pharmacology*
  • Zebrafish

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Nitric Oxide Donors
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  • Triterpenes
  • Betulinic Acid