Synthesis and cytotoxicity of the boron carrier pentagamaboronon-0-ol for boron neutron capture therapy against breast cancer.

Boronic acid-containing curcumin analog, pentagamaboronon-0 (PGB-0), acts as a potential boron-carrier agent but has limited water solubility. Thus, a new compound (PGB-0-ol) with better chemical and pharmacological properties than PGB-0 has been synthesized. Molecular docking was performed using a molecular operating environment. Prediction of PGB-0-ol absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) was performed using pkCSM software. PGB-0-ol was synthesized by adding NaBH4 to PGB-0 and stirring for 1 h. The crude PGB-0-ol was purified using preparative layer chromatography. Cell viability was evaluated using the trypan blue exclusion assay. In comparison to PGB-0 based on molecular docking study, PGB-0-ol could interact in with several cancer biomarkers, such as human epidermal growth factor2 epidermal growth factor receptor, IκB kinase, folate receptor-α, and integrin αvß3. PGB-0-ol also showed an improved ADME profile because of its higher water solubility than PGB-0. PGB-0-ol was synthesized by selective ketone reduction of PGB-0 into primary alcohol by sodium borohydrate producing 30% yield. The cytotoxicity of PGB-0-ol against several breast cancer cells was lower than that of PGB-0. The novel compound PGB-0-ol was synthesized using simple steps. PGB-0-ol has low cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells and could be applied in boron neutron capture therapy as a boron carrier.

Cellular uptake evaluation of pentagamaboronon-0 (PGB-0) for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) against breast cancer cells.

Pentagamaboronon-0 (PGB-0), a curcumin analog compound, has been synthesized as a candidate of boron-carrier pharmaceutical (BCP) for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT); however, this compound is poorly soluble in water. To improve its solubility, aqueous formulations of PGB-0 with a monosaccharide, fructose or sorbitol, were successfully synthesized, namely PGB-0-F and PGB-0-So, respectively. The cytotoxicity study showed that PGB-0-F and PGB-0-So exerted low cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells. The cellular uptake study using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and DAHMI live-cell imaging indicated that these compounds were accumulated and distributed within the cytoplasm and cell nuclei. The cellular uptake mechanism was also evaluated to clarify the contribution of the glucose transporter, and the results demonstrated that these compounds entered through active transport into MCF-7 cells but through passive diffusion into MDA-MB 231 cells. In conclusion, the sugar formulations of PGB-0 only improved PGB-0 solubility but had no role in its cellular uptake.