Diarylquinoline compounds induce autophagy-associated cell death by inhibiting the Akt pathway and increasing reactive oxygen species in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Oncol Rep. 2013 Mar;29(3):983-92. doi: 10.3892/or.2012.2207. Epub 2012 Dec 24.

Abstract

Diarylquinoline compounds are newly synthesized derivatives of the new anti-tuberculosis drug, TMC207. In this study, nine diarylquinoline compounds were screened for cytotoxic activity against human tumor cells, and their mechanisms of action were investigated. Among the nine compounds, STM-57 [N-((6-bromo-2-methoxyquinolin-3-yl)(phenyl)methl)-N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(4 -methylpiperazin-1-yl)propanamide] showed potent cytotoxic activity. STM-57 induced caspase-independent cell death in the human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line, CNE-2. Further investigation showed that STM-57 induced autophagy, as determined with the increased expression of green fluorescent protein-light chain 3 (GFP-LC3) and increased LC3-II levels. STM-57 inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in CNE-2 cells. The intracellular calcium concentration and reactive oxygen species levels were increased in CNE-2 cells following treatment with STM-57, whereas the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) and ATP concentrations were decreased.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism
  • Autophagy / drug effects*
  • Beclin-1
  • Carcinoma
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Diarylquinolines / chemical synthesis
  • Diarylquinolines / pharmacology*
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / drug effects
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • BECN1 protein, human
  • Beclin-1
  • Diarylquinolines
  • MAP1LC3A protein, human
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • N-((6-bromo-2-methoxyquinolin-3-yl)(phenyl)methl)-N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)propanamide
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt