In vivo chemotherapeutic insight of a novel isocoumarin (3-hexyl-5,7-dimethoxy-isochromen-1-one): Genotoxicity, cell death induction, leukometry and phagocytic evaluation

• Published in: Genetics and molecular biology Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. 665 - 675
• Main Authors: Araújo, Flávio Henrique Souza de, Figueiredo, Débora Rojas de, Auharek, Sarah Alves, Pesarini, João Renato, Meza, Alisson, Gomes, Roberto da Silva, Monreal, Antônio Carlos Duenhas, Antoniolli-Silva, Andréia Conceição Milan Brochado, Lima, Dênis Pires de, Kassuya, Candida Aparecida Leite, Beatriz, Adilson, Oliveira, Rodrigo Juliano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Genetica 2017; Sociedade Brasileira de Genética
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Benzoic acid; BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY; Cancer; Cell death; Chemical synthesis; Chemotherapy; Cisplatin; Cross coupling; Cyclophosphamide; Drug development; Drugs; GENETICS & HEREDITY; Genotoxicity; Immunomodulation; Iodides; isocoumarin synthesis; Mortality; Mutagenesis; Oct-1 protein; Phagocytes; Phagocytosis; Spleen; splenic phagocytosis; genotoxicity; splenic phagocytosis; isocoumarin synthesis; chemotherapy
• ISSN: 1415-4757; 1678-4685; 1415-4757; 1678-4685
• DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2016-0316

Chemotherapy is one of the major approaches for the treatment of cancer. Therefore, the development of new chemotherapy drugs is an important aspect of medicinal chemistry. Chemotherapeutic agents include isocoumarins, which are privileged structures with potential antitumoral activity. Herein, a new 3-substituted isocoumarin was synthesized from 2-iodo-3,5-dimethoxy-benzoic acid and oct-1-yne in a cross-coupling Sonogashira reaction followed by a copper iodide-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization as key step using MeOH/Et3N as the solvent system. The present study also evaluated the leukometry, phagocytic activity, genotoxic potential and cell death induction of three different doses (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg) of this newly synthesized isocoumarin, alone and in combination with the commercial chemotherapeutic agents cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg) and cisplatin (6 mg/kg) in male Swiss mice. The results suggest that the isocoumarin has genotoxicity and causes cell death. Noteworthy, this new compound can increase splenic phagocytosis and lymphocyte frequency, which are related to immunomodulatory activity. When combined with either cyclophosphamide or cisplatin, chemopreventive activity led to a reduction in the effects of both chemotherapeutic drugs. Thus, the new isocoumarin is not a candidate for chemotherapeutic adjuvant in treatments using cyclophosphamide or cisplatin. Nevertheless, the compound itself is an important prototype for the development of new antitumor drugs.