Abstract

Naphthoquinones interact with biological systems by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage cancer cells. The cytotoxicity and the antitumor activity of 3-acyl-2-phenylamino-1,4-naphthoquinones (DPB1-DPB9) were evaluated in the MCF7 human breast cancer cell line and in male Ehrlich tumor-bearing Balb/c mice. DPB4 was the most cytotoxic derivative against MCF7 cells (EC50 15 mu M) and DPB6 was the least cytotoxic one (EC50 56 mu M). The 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives were able to cause DNA damage and promote DNA fragmentation as shown by the plasmid DNA cleavage assay (FII form). In addition, 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives possibly interacted with DNA as intercalating agents, which was demonstrated by the changes caused in the fluorescence of the DNA-ethidium bromide complexes. Cell death of MCF7 cells induced by 3-acyl-2-phenylamino-1,4-naphthoquinones was mostly due to apoptosis. The DNA fragmentation and subsequent apoptosis may be correlated to the redox potential of the 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives that, once present in the cell nucleus, led to the increased generation of ROS. Finally, certain 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives and particularly DPB4 significantly inhibited the growth of Ehrlich ascites tumors in mice (73%).