RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: ß-carboline alkaloids exert a distinguished ability to impair cell growth and induce cell death in a variety of cancers and the evaluation of such new therapeutic candidates may denote new possibilities for leukemia treatment. In this present study, we screened 12 ß-carboline derivatives containing different substituents at 1- and 3-positions of ß-carboline nucleus for their antineoplastic activities in a panel of leukemia cell lines. METHODS: The cytotoxic effects of the ß-carboline derivatives were evaluated in different leukemia cell lines as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, autophagy, and important signaling pathways. RESULTS: Treatment with the ß-carboline derivatives resulted in a potent antineoplastic activity leading to a reduced cell viability that was associated with increased cell death in a concentration-dependent manner. Interestingly, the treatment of primary mononuclear cells isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy donors with the ß-carboline derivatives showed a minor change in cell survival. The antineoplastic activity occurs by blocking ROS production causing consequent interruption of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK signaling and modulating autophagy processes. Notably, in vivo, AML burden was diminished in peripheral blood and bone marrow of a xenograft mouse model. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that ß-carboline derivatives have an on-target malignant cell-killing activity and may be promising candidates for treating leukemia cells by disrupting crucial events that promote leukemia expansion and chemotherapy resistance.
RESUMEN
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women worldwide. Considering the limitations of the current treatments available, we analyzed the in vitro cytotoxic potential of ((4-Fluoro-phenyl)-{2-[(1-phenyl-9H-ß-carboline-3-carbonyl)-amino]-ethylamino}-methyl)-phosphonic acid dibutyl ester (BCP-1) in breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and in a non-tumor breast cell line (MCF-10A). BCP-1 has an α-aminophosphonate unit linked to the ß-carboline nucleus, and the literature indicates that compounds of these classes have high biological potential. In the present study, the mechanism of action of BCP-1 was investigated through methods of spectrofluorimetry, flow cytometry, and protein expression analysis. It was found that BCP-1 inhibited the proliferation of both cancer cell lines. Furthermore, it induced oxidative stress and cell cycle arrest in G2/M. Upregulation of apoptosis-related proteins such as Bax, cytochrome C, and caspases, as well as a decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, indicated potential induction of apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 cells. While in MCF-7 cells, BCP-1 activated the autophagic death pathway, which was demonstrated by an increase in autophagic vacuoles and acidic organelles, in addition to increased expression of LC3I/LC3II and reduced SQSTM1/p62 expression. Further, BCP-1 demonstrated antimetastatic potential by reducing MMP-9 expression and cell migration in both breast cancer cell lines. In conclusion, BCP-1 is a promising candidate for breast cancer chemotherapy.
