Synthesis and biological activity of 1-methyl-tryptophan-tirapazamine hybrids as hypoxia-targeting indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase inhibitors

Bioorg Med Chem. 2008 Sep 15;16(18):8661-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2008.07.087. Epub 2008 Aug 5.

Abstract

We have designed and synthesized new hypoxic-neoplastic cells-targeted indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) inhibitors. 1-Methyl-tryptophan (1MT)-tirapazamine (TPZ, 3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1,4-dioxide) hybrid inhibitors including 1 (TX-2236), 2 (TX-2235), 3 (TX-2228), and 4 (TX-2234) were prepared. All of these compounds were uncompetitive IDO inhibitors. TPZ-monoxide hybrids 1 and 3 showed higher IDO inhibitory activities than TPZ hybrids 2 and 4. Among these hybrids, hybrid 1 was the most potent IDO inhibitor. TPZ hybrids 2 and 4 showed stronger hypoxia-selective cytotoxicity than TPZ to EMT6/KU cells. These data suggest that TPZ hybrids 2 and 4 may act through their dual biological functions: first, they function as hypoxic cytotoxins in hypoxic cells, and then are metabolized to their TPZ-monoxide (3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1-oxide) hybrids, which function as IDO inhibitors.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Hypoxia / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Mice
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tirapazamine
  • Triazines / chemical synthesis
  • Triazines / pharmacology*
  • Tryptophan / analogs & derivatives*
  • Tryptophan / chemical synthesis
  • Tryptophan / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase
  • Triazines
  • Tirapazamine
  • Tryptophan