Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel asymmetric naphthalene diimide derivatives as anticancer agents depending on ROS generation

摘要

Naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide (NDI) is widely used as a photoelectric material in the field of medicine. A series of asymmetric naphthalene diimide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer properties by various experimental assays. As the representative compound, >3c exerted significantly greater inhibitory effects on hepatoma cells SMMC-7721 and Hep G2 with an IC50 value of 1.48 ± 0.43 μM and 1.70 ± 0.53 μM, respectively, than normal hepatocytes QSG-7701 with an IC50 value of 7.11 ± 0.08 μM. Treatment with compound >3c (3 μM) for 48 h resulted in apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells and Hep G2 cells with 52.1% and 67.8% apoptotic cells, respectively. Compound >3c induced autophagy and suppressed the migration of hepatoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner, resulting from the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Based on its biological ability, compound >3c was considered as a potent anticancer agent.