Nitrofuran drugs beyond redox cycling: Evidence of Nitroreduction-independent cytotoxicity mechanism.

Nitrofurans (5-nitro-2-hydrazonylfuran as pharmacophore) are a group of widely used antimicrobial drugs but also associated to a variety of side effects. The molecular mechanisms that underlie the cytotoxic effects of nitrofuran drugs are not yet clearly understood. One-electron reduction of 5-nitro group by host enzymes and ROS production via redox cycling have been attributed as mechanisms of cell toxicity. However, the current evidence suggests that nitrofuran ROS generation by itself is uncapable to explain the whole toxic effects associated to nitrofuran consumption, proposing a nitro-reduction independent mechanism of toxicity. In the present work, a series of nitrated and non-nitrated derivatives of nitrofuran drugs were synthesized and evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxicity, ROS-producing capacity, effect on GSH-S-transferase and antibacterial activity. Our studies showed that in human cells non-nitrated derivatives were less toxic than parental drugs but, unexpectedly preserved the ability to generate intracellular ROS in similar amounts to nitrofurans despite not entering into a redox cycle mechanism. In addition, some non-nitrated derivatives although being uncapable to generate ROS exhibited the highest cell toxicity among all derivatives. Inhibition of cytosolic glutathione-S-transferase activity by some derivatives was also observed. Finally, only nitrofuran derivatives displayed antibacterial effect. Results suggest that the combined 2-hydrazonylfuran moiety, redox cycling of 5-nitrofuran, and inhibitory effects on antioxidant enzymes, would be finally responsible for the toxic effects of the studied nitrofurans on mammalian cells.

Physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, efficacy and toxicity profiling of a potential nitrofuranyl methyl piperazine derivative IIIM-MCD-211 for oral tuberculosis therapy via in-silico-in-vitro-in-vivo approach.

Recent tuberculosis (TB) drug discovery programme involve continuous pursuit for new chemical entity (NCE) which can be not only effective against both susceptible and resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) but also safe and faster acting with the target, thereby shortening the prolonged TB treatments. We have identified a potential nitrofuranyl methyl piperazine derivative, IIIM-MCD-211 as new antitubercular agent with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 0.0072 µM against H37Rv strain. Objective of the present study is to investigate physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, efficacy and toxicity profile using in-silico, in-vitro and in-vivo model in comprehensive manner to assess the likelihood of developing IIIM-MCD-211 as a clinical candidate. Results of computational prediction reveal that compound does not violate Lipinski's, Veber's and Jorgensen's rule linked with drug like properties and oral bioavailability. Experimentally, IIIM-MCD-211 exhibits excellent lipophilicity that is optimal for oral administration. IIIM-MCD-211 displays evidence of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) induction but no inhibition ability in rhodamine cell exclusion assay. IIIM-MCD-211 shows high permeability and plasma protein binding based on parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA) and rapid equilibrium dialysis (RED) assay model, respectively. IIIM-MCD-211 has adequate metabolic stability in rat liver microsomes (RLM) and favourable pharmacokinetics with admirable correlation during dose escalation study in Swiss mice. IIIM-MCD-211 has capability to appear into highly perfusable tissues. IIIM-MCD-211 is able to actively prevent progression of TB infection in chronic infection mice model. IIIM-MCD-211 shows no substantial cytotoxicity in HepG2 cell line. In acute toxicity study, significant increase of total white blood cell (WBC) count in treatment group as compared to control group is observed. Overall, amenable preclinical data make IIIM-MCD-211 ideal candidate for further development of oral anti-TB agent.

Pentacyclic nitrofurans that rapidly kill nifurtimox-resistant trypanosomes.

OBJECTIVES: In response to reports of Trypanosoma brucei resistance to the nitroaromatic drug nifurtimox, we evaluated the potential of antituberculosis nitrofuran isoxazolines as inhibitors of trypanosome growth. METHODS: The susceptibility of T. brucei brucei was assessed in vitro. The lowest effective concentration to inhibit growth (EC90) against drug-susceptible and -resistant parasites, time-kill kinetics, reversibility of inhibition and propensity for P-glycoprotein-mediated exclusion from the blood-brain barrier were determined. RESULTS: Nitrofuran isoxazolines were potent inhibitors of T. brucei brucei proliferation at nanomolar concentrations, with pentacyclic nitrofurans being 100-fold more potent than nifurtimox. Activity was sustained against nifurtimox-resistant parasites, suggesting the possibility of a unique mechanism of activation and potential for use in the treatment of drug-resistant infections. Exposure of parasites to the maximum concentrations of Compound 15 achieved in vivo with oral dosing yielded >2 logs of irreversible killing in <4 h, indicating rapid trypanocidal activity. CONCLUSIONS: Pentacyclic nitrofuran isoxazolines warrant further development for the treatment of drug-susceptible and nifurtimox-resistant trypanosome infections.

Assessment of isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside from Acacia salicina: protective effects toward oxidation damage and genotoxicity induced by aflatoxin B1 and nifuroxazide.

Antioxidant activity of isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside, isolated from the leaves of Acacia salicina, was determined by the ability of this compound to inhibit xanthine oxidase activity and to scavenge the free radical 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS(.-)) diammonium salt. Antigenotoxic activity was assessed using the SOS chromotest assay. This compound has the ability to scavenge the ABTS(.+) radical by a hydrogen donating mechanism. We also envisaged the study of the antioxidant effect of this compound by the enzymatic xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XOD) assay. Results indicated that isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside was a potent inhibitor of xanthine oxidase and superoxide anion scavengers. Moreover, this compound induced an inhibitory activity against nifuroxazide and aflatoxine B1 (AFB1) induced genotoxicity. Taken together, these observations provide evidence that isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside isolated from the leaves of A. salicina is able to protect cells against the consequences of oxidative stress.

5-Nitrofuranes and 5-nitrothiophenes with anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity and ability to accumulate squalene.

Chagas disease represents a serious public health problem in South America. The first line of treatment is Nifurtimox and Benznidazole which generate toxic effects in treated patients. We have recently shown that a number of 5-nitrofuranes possess activity against Trypanosoma cruzi through oxidative stress and inhibition of parasite ergosterol biosynthesis, specifically at the level of squalene epoxidase. Here, we identify new 5-nitrofuranes and the thia-analogues with excellent effects on the viability of T. cruzi and adequate parasite/mammal selectivity indexes. Analysis of the free sterols from parasite incubated, during 120h, with the compounds showed that some of them accumulated squalene suggesting the squalene epoxidase activity inhibition of the parasite. Nifurtimox was able to accumulate squalene only at lower incubation times. Due to this fact some derivatives were also tested as antifungal agents. Quantitative structure-activity relationship studies were also performed showing relevant features for further new derivatives design. Taken together, the results obtained in the present work point to a more general effect of 5-nitrofuranes and 5-nitrothiophenes in trypanosomatids, opening potential therapeutic possibilities of them for these infectious diseases.

Attachment of a 5-nitrofuroyl moiety to spirocyclic piperidines produces non-toxic nitrofurans that are efficacious in vitro against multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

A selectively antimycobacterial compound belonging to the nitrofuran class of antimicrobials has been developed via conjugation of the nitrofuran moiety to a series of spirocyclic piperidines through an amide linkage. It proved to have comparable activity against drug-sensitive (H37Rv) strain as well as multidrug-resistant, patient-derived strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The compound is druglike, showed no appreciable cytotoxicity toward human retinal pigment epithelial cell line ARPE-19 in concentrations up to 100 µM and displayed low toxicity when evaluated in mice.

An update on derivatisation and repurposing of clinical nitrofuran drugs.

5-nitrofurans (NFs) have been in clinical use for over 60 years. These affordable drugs are used for the treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases ranging from urinary tract infections to cancer. The anti-pathogenic effect of clinical NFs occurs following a step-wise process involving activation by azoreduction, followed by nitroreduction catalysed by azoreductases and nitroreductases (NTRs), respectively. Azoreduction yields stable metabolites that have the ability to covalently bind to cellular proteins. Nitroreduction, on the other hand, occurs by type I or II reduction of the nitro group in the presence of parasitic NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductases. Type I NTRs catalyse, under anaerobic conditions, the reduction of NFs to produce anti-pathogenic hydroxylamine. Under aerobic conditions, nitroreduction catalysed by type II NTRs produces reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), causing oxidative stress to pathogens and ultimate death. This multi-activity nature of NFs thus allows the repurposing of these drugs from agricultural chemicals and basic antibiotics to efficient therapies against human life-threatening diseases. Cases of NF resistance in pathogens are also limited likely due to this multi-activity, as well as effectivity under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. However, multi-activity of these drugs can also infer toxicity. Molecular derivatisation is an effective strategy to improve efficacy, lower toxicity, diversify activity and address pathogen resistance associated with the use of these drugs.

Hazardous ecotoxicological impact of two commonly used nitrofuran-derived antibacterial drugs: Furazolidone and nitrofurantoin.

This paper discusses the impact of two nitrofuran-derived drugs, namely furazolidone and nitrofurantoin on growth of oat and common radish as well as their impact on bacteria Allivibrio fischeri and crustaceans Heterocypris incongruens. Results indicated that both compounds were highly phytotoxic for radish (R. sativus) being simultaneously nearly not harmful for oat (A. sativa). Growing inhibition of shoots, roots, fresh matter and photosynthetic pigments is correlated with growing concentration of drugs in soil. Ecotoxicological impact of both compounds on model luminescence bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri and freshwater crustaceans Heterocypris incongruens as a representative organisms of two different level of food chain, is also reported herein, and the obtained data show significant toxicity against these two organisms. Basing on obtained results, it was concluded that both nitrofuran drugs in case of distribution through environment, by improper utilisation after use or unplanned environmental intoxication with unused drugs may cause serious environmental problems and therefore both should be handled with a reasonable care at any step of their production or utilisation.

Antioxidant activity and inhibition of aflatoxin B1-, nifuroxazide-, and sodium azide-induced mutagenicity by extracts from Rhamnus alaternus L.

The effect of extracts obtained from Rhamnus alaternus L. leaves on genotoxicity and SOS response induced by aflatoxin B(1) (10 microg/assay) as well as nifuroxazide (20 microg/assay) was investigated in a bacterial assay system, i.e., the SOS chromotest with Escherichia coli PQ37. The evaluation of the mutagenic and antimutagenic actions of the same extracts against the sodium azide (1.5 microg/plate)-induced mutagenicity was assayed using the Salmonella typhimurium assay system. The R. alaternus tested extracts exhibited no genotoxicity either with or without the external S9 activation mixture. However, all the extracts, particularly aqueous extract (A) and its chloroformic fraction (A(2)) significantly decreased the genotoxicity induced by aflatoxin B(1) and nifuroxazide. Moreover, the different extracts showed no mutagenicity when tested with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA1535 and TA1538 either with or without the S9 mix. Aqueous extract as well as its A(2) fraction exhibited the highest level of protection towards the direct mutagen, sodium azide-induced response in TA1535 strain with mutagenicity inhibition percentages of 83.6% and 91.4%, respectively, at a dose of 250 microg/plate. The results obtained by the Ames test assay confirm those of SOS chromotest. These same active extracts exhibited high xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibiting with respective IC(50) values of 208 and 137 microg/ml, and superoxide anion-scavenging effects (IC(50) values of 132 and 117 microg/ml) when tested in the XOD enzymatic assay system. Our findings emphasize the potential of R. alaternus to prevent mutations and also its antioxidant effect.

Antigenotoxic activities of crude extracts from Acacia salicina leaves.

For centuries, plants have been used in traditional medicines and there has been recent interest in the chemopreventive properties of compounds derived from plants. In the present study, we investigated the effects of extracts of Acacia salicina leaves on the genotoxicity of benzo[a]pyrene (B(a)P) and nifuroxazide in the SOS Chromotest. Aqueous, total oligomers flavonoids (TOF)-enriched, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts were prepared from powdered Acacia leaves, and characterized qualitatively for the presence of tannins, flavonoids, and sterols. All the extracts significantly decreased the genotoxicity induced by 1 microg B(a)P (+S9) and 10 microg nifuroxazide (-S9). The TOF-enriched and methanol extracts decreased the SOS response induced by B(a)P to a greater extent, whereas the TOF-enriched and the ethyl acetate extracts exhibited increased activity against the SOS response produced by nifuroxazide. In addition, the aqueous, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts showed increased activity in scavenging the 1,1-diphenyl- 2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, while 100-300 microg/ml of all the test extracts were active in inhibiting O2-production in a xanthine/xanthine oxidase system. In contrast, only the petroleum ether extract was effective at inhibiting nitroblue tetrazolium reduction by the superoxide radical in a nonenzymatic O2- -generating system. The present study indicates that extracts of A. salicina leaves are a significant source of compounds with antigenotoxic and antioxidant activity (most likely phenolic compounds and sterols), and thus may be useful for chemoprevention.

Carcinogenicity of the antischistosomal nitrofuran trans-5-amino-3-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl]-1,2,4-oxadiazole.

The antischistosomal and antitrypanosomal drug trans-5-amino-3-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl]-1,2,4-oxadiazole [(SQ18506) CAS: 28754-68-9; (E)-amino-3-(2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-vinyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole] was carcinogenic for both male and female CD-1 mice when it was administered either in the diet or by gastric intubation. Dose-dependent increases in tumors of the forestomach and lymphatic tissues were observed in all groups receiving SQ18506 including mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. The predominant tumor observed was squamous cell carcinoma of the forestomach. The presence or absence of schistosome infection did not appear to alter the incidence or distribution of tumors at comparable doses of SQ18506. The incidence of bladder tumors was positively correlated with the dose in gastric intubation studies and inversely correlated with the dose in dietary studies. The carcinogen N-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]formamide (CAS: 24554-26-5) was fed to male and female CD-1 mice in the diet as a positive control. The predominant tumor observed in these groups was transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. These data indicate that SQ18506 is unsuitable for use in the treatment of parasitic diseases.

Production of adenocarcinomas of the small intestines of Wistar rats fed panfuran-S containing 3-di(hydroxymethyl)amino-6-(5-nitro-2-furylethenyl)-1,2,4-triazine.

Panfuran-S in the diet produced a high incidence of invasive and metastatic adenocarcinomas of the duodenum and the jejunum in outbred Wistar rats. Depressed growth and incidence of cancer production were dose-dependent. Adenocarcinomas of the duodenum were present in 2 of 18 (11%) rats that received 1,750 ppm 3-di(hydroxymethyl)amino-6-(5-nitro-2-furylethenyl)-1,2,4-triazine (DHNT) in the diet and in 11 of 19 (58%) rats that received 3,500 ppm DHNT. Adenocarcinomas of the jejunum were present in 10 of 18 (56%) and 16 of 19 (84%) rats that received 1,750 and 3,500 ppm DHNT, respectively, for 35-37 weeks. The only other tumors observed were squamous cell papillomas of the forestomach. Histologically, most of the adenocarcinomas appeared tubular or papillary and were similar to adenocarcinomas in the small intestine of man and also to human intestinal-type adenocarcinoma of the stomach. This system provided a useful experimental model for the study of the pathogenesis of carcinoma of the small intestine.

Comparative carcinogenicity of 5-nitrothiophenes and 5-nitrofurans in rats.

We investigated the carcinogenicity of five 5-nitrothiophenes with heterocyclic substituents at the 2-position of the thiophene ring by feeding the chemicals to Sprague-Dawley rats and comparing the type and incidence of lesions with those appearing after exposure to two 5-nitrofurans. Benign and malignant mammary tumors and intestinal tract sarcomas were the most frequent lesions induced by 5-nitrothiophenes. 4-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino-2-(5-nitro-2-thienyl)quinazoline caused a 100% incidence of mammary adenocarcinomas in 28 female rats at risk; it induced 3 benign and 5 malignant mammary tumors and 13 small intestine sarcomas in 20 male rats. A high incidence of similar lesions was observed in male and female rats fed the corresponding 5-nitrofuran analogue, 4-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino-2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)quinazoline. In marked contrast, 4 of 28 female rats receiving 4-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino-2-(2-thienyl)quinazoline, which lacks the nitro group at the 5-position on the thiophene ring, had solitary benign mammary tumors (P greater than 0.2). Additional 5-nitrothiophenes demonstrating significant oncogenic activity for female rats were 4-morpholino-2-(5-nitro-2-thienyl)quinazoline, 4-(2-hydroxyethylamino)-2-(5-nitro-2-thienyl)quinazoline 4-(2,3-dihydroxypropylamino)-2-(5-nitro-2-thienyl)quinazoline, and 1,2-dihydro-2-(5-nitro-2-thienyl)quinazolin-4(3H)-one. Another nitrofuran, 4,6-dimethyl-2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-pyrimidine, provided the following types of neoplasms in 30 female rats at risk: squamous cell carcinomas of the forestomach (30), sarcomas of the intestine (21), adenocarcinomas of the kidney (2).

Effects of multiple putative anticarcinogens on the carcinogenicity of trans-5-amino-3-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl]-1,2,4-oxadiazole.

In an attempt to dissociate the chemotherapeutic from the carcinogenic properties of the antischistosomal and antitrypanosomal nitrovinylfuran trans-5-amino-3-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl]1,2,4-oxadiazole [(SQ18506) CAS: 28754-68-9; (E)-5-amino-3-(2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole], potential inhibitors of carcinogenesis were administered to female outbred CD-1 mice before and during exposure to SQ18506. The compounds tested were ascorbic acid, etretinate, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), cysteamine hydrochloride, cysteine hydrochloride, dimercaprol, disulfiram, 1,4-dithiothreitol, reduced glutathione, and spermidine phosphate. The primary types of tumors observed were squamous cell carcinomas of the stomach and thymic and nonthymic lymphomas. BHA reduced the incidence of malignant tumors to control levels, whereas cysteine hydrochloride, spermidine phosphate, and disulfiram reduced the incidence of chemically induced tumors by 42, 34, and 32%, respectively. Although cysteamine hydrochloride and disulfiram had no or only a modest effect on the overall incidence of tumors, the data suggested possible tissue-specific anticarcinogenic properties for these agents. Of the 8 antioxidants tested, only 1 had marked anticarcinogenic properties against SQ18506. These data indicate that antioxidant properties alone cannot account for the anticarcinogenic activity of the compounds tested. Coadministration of the anticarcinogen BHA with SQ18506 also blocked the chemotherapeutic effects of this agent on female CD-1 mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni.

Correlation between the carcinogenicities of nitrofuran derivatives and their destructive actions on sebaceous glands of mouse skin.

The effects of six nitrofuran derivatives (including a formerly used food preservative) on mouse skin sebaceous glands were investigated. A close correlation was found between the carcinogenicities and destructive activities of nitrofuran derivatives on the sebaceous glands. 5-Nitro-2-furaldehyde semicarbazone and 4-methyl-1-[(5-nitrofurfurylidene)amino]-2-imidazolidinone, which are carcinogenic, caused marked destruction of the glands at a dose of 1-5 mg/mouse. 2-(5-Nitro-2-furfurylidene)-aminoethanol almost completely destroyed the glands at a dose of 5 mg/mouse; its carcinogenicity has not yet been investigated. 1-[(5-Nitrofurfurylidene)amino]-carcinogenic, did not affect the glands, even at a dose of 5 mg/mouse. 2-(2-Furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)acrylamide, which is a potent mutagen but not carcinogenic, had no effect on the glands at a dose of 5 mg/mouse. Under similar conditions, the potent carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz(alpha)athracene almost completely destroyed the sebaceous glands at a dose of 0.05 mg/mouse, but dimethyl sulfoxide (used as solvent for the test compounds) had no effect.

Carcinogenicity of 5-nitrofurans and related compounds with amino-heterocyclic substituents.

Carcinogenicity of eight 5-nitrofurans with heterocyclic substituents at the 2-position of the furan ring was investigated by feeding the chemicals to Sprague-Dawley female rats. N-[5-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]acetamide induced in 30 rats the highest incidence of tumors with the greatest number of tissues involved: forestomach squamous cell tumors (22), kidney pelvis transitional cell carcinomas (15), pulmonary alveolar cell carcinomas (16), hemangioendothelialsarcomas (20) of the intestine, mesentery, liver, lung, and pancreas, and a few tumors of other tissues. 2-Amino-5-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazole, 2-amino-5-(5-nitro-2furyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole, and trans-2-[dimethylamino)methylimino]-5-[2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)vinyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole produced high incidences of mammary tumors. The other four 5-nitrofurans tested: N-[4-(5-NITRO-2-FURYL)-2-THIAZOLYL]ACETAMIDE;2,3,4-TRIFLUORO-N-[4-(5-NITRO-2-furyl)-2-thiazoly]acetamide;5-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-ol; and N-( [3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl]methyl)acetamide were associated with tumor incidences of 40-60%. Two other chemicals were also tested: 2-Amino-5-nitrothiazole caused a low incidence of breast and kidney pelvis tumors, and 2-amino-4-(p-nitrophenyl)thiazole induced a high incidence of breast and salivary gland adenocarcinomas and lymphomas.

Enhancement of toxicity from N-(2-chloroethyl)-N'-cyclohexyl-N-nitrosourea in V79 spheroids by a nitrofuran.

Hypoxic cell radiosensitizers enhance the cytotoxicity of several common chemotherapeutic agents in vitro and in vivo. Although this process has generally been called sensitization, few studies have documented true potentiation. We have used Chinese hamster V79 spheroids to study chemosensitization and fluorescence-activated cell sorting to specifically evaluate the roles of sensitizer binding and hypoxia in the effect. By using the median effect analysis to quantify the interactions of the agents, we conclude that marked potentiation can indeed be achieved. Somewhat greater potentiation was observed at increased depths within the spheroids, but the relative change was less than predicted on the basis of the decreasing oxygen tension. Further, increased toxicity did not necessarily lead to increased chemopotentiation, nor was potentiation directly related to the metabolism/binding of the nitrofuran. Thus, chemopotentiation is clearly a complicated process, highly dependent upon the sensitizer to antitumor drug ratio and the exposure conditions.

Mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, distribution, and nitroreduction of 4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)thiazole in the rat.

Albino noninbred weanling female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a powdered basic grain diet (Group 1) or a basic diet supplemented with 1540 ppm of 4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)thiazole (NFT) (Group 2). Group 2 rats consumed an estimated mean NFT cumulative dose of 42 mmol/rat, exhibited significant growth retardation and hepatomegaly, and displayed 46 neoplasms (24 multiple mammary fibroadenomas, 19 forestomach squamous cell carcinomas, and 3 other malignant tumors) in 31 of 35 rats histologically evaluated. Six of 36 control rats had solitary, benign mammary fibroadenomas. After p.o. administration of NFT, extraction of urine with chloroform:diethyl ether followed by gas chromatography provided a major peak with a retention time of about 4 min. Catalytic hydrogenation of NFT with palladium on activated carbon afforded a product with the same retention time. The isolated urinary metabolite of NFT exhibited mass spectral fragmentation patterns and gas and high-pressure liquid chromatographic retention times similar to those of the chemical reduction product. These data demonstrate the identical chemical characteristics of the in vivo urinary metabolite of NFT and the compound obtained by chemical reduction of NFT. Spectroscopic analyses established the structural identity of this reduced product as 1-(4-thiazolyl)-3-cyano-1-propanone. Forty-eight hr after the intragastric administration of [14C]NFT, 32% of radioactivity was recovered in urine, 57% was recovered in gastrointestinal contents and feces, and 5.5% was recovered in expired 14CO2. About 2% of the urinary radioactivity was extracted in chloroform:diethyl ether, suggesting that 1-(4-thiazolyl)-3-cyano-1-propanone is quantitatively a minor urinary metabolite of NFT. 1-(4-Thiazolyl)-3-cyano-1-propanone was 1.1 x 10(4)-fold less active than was NFT in the Ames mutagenicity assay with Salmonella typhimurium TA 100.

Small-Molecule NSC59984 Restores p53 Pathway Signaling and Antitumor Effects against Colorectal Cancer via p73 Activation and Degradation of Mutant p53.

The tumor-suppressor p53 prevents cancer development via initiating cell-cycle arrest, cell death, repair, or antiangiogenesis processes. Over 50% of human cancers harbor cancer-causing mutant p53. p53 mutations not only abrogate its tumor-suppressor function, but also endow mutant p53 with a gain of function (GOF), creating a proto-oncogene that contributes to tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and chemo- or radiotherapy resistance. Thus, targeting mutant p53 to restore a wild-type p53 signaling pathway provides an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. We demonstrate that small-molecule NSC59984 not only restores wild-type p53 signaling, but also depletes mutant p53 GOF. NSC59984 induces mutant p53 protein degradation via MDM2 and the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. NSC59984 restores wild-type p53 signaling via p73 activation, specifically in mutant p53-expressing colorectal cancer cells. At therapeutic doses, NSC59984 induces p73-dependent cell death in cancer cells with minimal genotoxicity and without evident toxicity toward normal cells. NSC59984 synergizes with CPT11 to induce cell death in mutant p53-expressing colorectal cancer cells and inhibits mutant p53-associated colon tumor xenograft growth in a p73-dependent manner in vivo. We hypothesize that specific targeting of mutant p53 may be essential for anticancer strategies that involve the stimulation of p73 in order to efficiently restore tumor suppression. Taken together, our data identify NSC59984 as a promising lead compound for anticancer therapy that acts by targeting GOF-mutant p53 and stimulates p73 to restore the p53 pathway signaling.

Mechanism of oncogenicity for bioreductive drugs.

The oncogenic transforming potential of a series of bifunctional bioreductive drugs were examined under either aerated or hypoxic conditions to assess the contribution of side chains or nitroreduced products toward their carcinogenic mechanisms. Both the cytotoxicity and transforming effects of these drugs increased as a function of dose under hypoxia. In air and at doses that resulted in comparable cell killing, RSU-1069 and RB-88716 were substantially more oncogenic than RSU-1164 or SR-4233. In nitrogen, the oncogenicity of SR-4233 as a function of survival increased, whereas the transforming effect for the aziridine-containing drugs, RSU-1969 and RB-88716, decreased. These data suggest that, among the drugs examined, the transforming moiety in air is largely a function of the alkylating aziridine group. In hypoxia, the reduction of the nitro-moiety to the corresponding active metabolites may be responsible for much of the transformation observed.