Journal Article

A QSAR, Pharmacokinetic and Toxicological Study of New Artemisinin Compounds with Anticancer Activity

Macêdo, Williams, Carvalho, José, Lobato, Cleison, Santos, César, Costa, Josivan, Brasil, Davi, Hage-Melim, Lorane, Braga, Francinaldo, Silva, Jocivânia, Vieira, Josinete, Santos, Cleydson, Bittencourt, José

2014

Overview

The Density Functional Theory (DFT) method and the 6-31G** basis set were employed to calculate the molecular properties of artemisinin and 20 derivatives with different degrees of cytotoxicity against the human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 line. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were employed to select the most important descriptors related to anticancer activity. The significant molecular descriptors related to the compounds with anticancer activity were the ALOGPS_log, Mor29m, IC5 and GAP energy. The Pearson correlation between activity and most important descriptors were used for the regression partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) models built. The regression PLS and PCR were very close, with variation between PLS and PCR of R2 = ±0.0106, R2ajust = ±0.0125, s = ±0.0234, F(4,11) = ±12.7802, Q2 = ±0.0088, SEV = ±0.0132, PRESS = ±0.4808 and SPRESS = ±0.0057. These models were used to predict the anticancer activity of eight new artemisinin compounds (test set) with unknown activity, and for these new compounds were predicted pharmacokinetic properties: human intestinal absorption (HIA), cellular permeability (PCaCO2), cell permeability Maden Darby Canine Kidney (PMDCK), skin permeability (PSkin), plasma protein binding (PPB) and penetration of the blood-brain barrier (CBrain/Blood), and toxicological: mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. The test set showed for two new artemisinin compounds satisfactory results for anticancer activity and pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties. Consequently, further studies need be done to evaluate the different proposals as well as their actions, toxicity, and potential use for treatment of cancers.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Animals / anticancer activity / Anticancer properties / Antineoplastic Agents - chemistry / Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacokinetics / Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology / Antineoplastic Agents - toxicity / Apoptosis / artemisinin / Artemisinins - chemistry / Artemisinins - pharmacokinetics / Artemisinins - pharmacology / Artemisinins - toxicity / B3LYP/6-31G / Biological activity / Cell division / Cell Line / Cell Line, Tumor / Cellular / Chemistry / Cluster Analysis / Cytotoxicity / Drugs / Electronic mail systems / Hep G2 Cells / Human / Humans / Liver cancer / Mathematical models / molecular modeling / Molecular Structure / Permeability / Pharmaceutical sciences / Pharmacokinetics / Principal components analysis / Proposals / QSAR / Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship / Regression / Tissue Distribution / Toxicity / Tumors