Nucleolipids of Canonical Purine ß- D -Ribo-Nucleosides: Synthesis and Cytostatic/Cytotoxic Activities Toward Human and Rat Glioblastoma Cells

Abstract

We report on the synthesis of two series of canonical purine ß-d-ribonucleoside nucleolipids derived from inosine and adenosine, which have been characterized by elemental analyses, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) as well as by 1H and 13CNMR, and pH-dependent UV/Vis spectroscopy. A selection of the novel nucleolipids with different lipophilic moieties were first tested on their cytotoxic effect toward human macrophages. Compounds without a significant inhibitory effect on the viability of the macrophages were tested on their cytostatic/cytotoxic effect toward human astrocytoma/oligodendroglioma GOS-3 cells as well as against the rat malignant neuroectodermal BT4Ca cell line. In order to additionally investigate the potential molecular mechanisms involved in the cytotoxic effects of the derivatives on GOS-3 or BT4Ca cells, we evaluated the induction of apoptosis and observed the particular activity of the nucleolipid ethyl 3-{4-hydroxymethyl-2-methyl-6-[6-oxo-1-(3,7,11-trimethyl-dodeca-2,6,10-trienyl)-1,6-dihydro-purin-9-yl]-tetrahydro-furo[3,4-d][1,3]dioxol-2-yl}propionate (8 c) toward both human and rat glioblastoma cell lines invitro. Nucleolipids combat cancer: We report the synthesis of two nucleolipid derivatives from inosine and adenosine with different lipophilic moieties. These have no cytotoxic effect on human macrophages based on invitro side-effect tests but have antiproliferative properties against malignant glioblastoma cell lines.