Design and cytotoxic evaluation via apoptotic and antiproliferative activity for novel 11(4-aminophenylamino)neocryptolepine on hepatocellular and colorectal cancer cells.

The current study evaluated the cytotoxic activity of 11(4-Aminophenylamino)neocryptolepine (APAN), a novel derivative of neocryptolepine, on hepatocellular (HepG2) and colon (HCT-116) carcinoma cell lines as well as, the possible molecular mechanism through which it exerts its cytotoxic activity. The APAN was synthesized and characterized based on their spectral analyses. Scanning for anticancer target of APAN by Swiss software indicated that APAN had highest affinity for protein tyrosine kinase 6 enzyme. Furthermore, Super pred software indicated that APAN can be indicated in hepatic and colorectal cells with 92%. Molecular docking studies indicated that the binding affinity scores of APAN for protein PDB code: 6CZ4 of tyrosine kinase 6 recorded of - 6.6084 and RMSD value of 0.8891°A, while that for protein PDB: 7JL7 of caspase 3 was - 6.1712 and RMSD of 0.8490°A. Treatment of HepG2 and HCT-116 cells with APAN induced cytotoxicity with IC50 of 2.6 and 1.82 µg/mL respectively. In addition, it induced injury and serious morphological changes in cells including, disappearance of microvilli, membrane blebbing, cytoplasmic condensation, and shrunken nucleus with more condensed chromatin. Moreover, APAN significantly increased protein expression of annexin V (apoptotic marker). Furthermore, APAN significantly increased protein expression of caspase 3 and P53. However, it significantly reduced secretion of VEGF protein into the medium and decreased protein expression of PCNA and Ki67 in HepG2 and HCT-116 cells. This study indicated that APAN had cytotoxic activity against HepG2 and HCT-116 cells via increasing the expression of apoptotic proteins and reducing the expression of proliferative proteins.

Impact of Synthesized Indoloquinoline Analog to Isolates from Cryptolepis sanguinolenta on Tumor Growth Inhibition and Hepatotoxicity in Ehrlich Solid Tumor-Bearing Female Mice.

The study evaluated the antitumor efficacy of APAN, "synthesized indoloquinoline analog derived from the parent neocryptolepine isolated from the roots of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta", versus the chemotherapeutic drug etoposide (ETO) in Ehrlich solid tumor (EST)-bearing female mice as well as its protective effect against etoposide-triggered hepatic disorders. APAN showed an ameliorative activity against Ehrlich solid tumor and hepatic toxicity, and the greatest improvement was found in the combined treatment of APAN with ETO. The results indicated that EST altered the levels of tumor markers (AFP, CEA, and anti-dsDNA) and liver biomarker function (ALT, AST, ALP, ALB, and T. protein). Furthermore, EST elevated CD68 and anti-survivin proteins immuno-expressions in the solid tumor and liver tissue. Molecular docking studies were demonstrated to investigate their affinity for both TNF-α and topoisomerase II as target proteins, as etoposide is based on the inhibition of topoisomerase II, and TNF-α is quite highly expressed in the solid tumor and liver tissues of EST-bearing animals, which prompted the authors' interest to explore APAN affinity to its binding site. Treatment of mice bearing EST with APAN and ETO nearly regularized serum levels of the altered parameters and ameliorated the impact of EST on the tissue structure of the liver better than that by treatment with each of them separately.