TY - JOUR T1 - Synthesis and Structure–Activity Relationships of Tetrahydro-β-carboline Derivatives as Anticancer and Cancer-chemopreventive Agents JF - Anticancer Research JO - Anticancer Res SP - 4425 LP - 4433 DO - 10.21873/anticanres.12744 VL - 38 IS - 8 AU - MINGMING ZHANG AU - EUN-JUNG PARK AU - TAMARA P. KONDRATYUK AU - JOHN M. PEZZUTO AU - DIANQING SUN Y1 - 2018/08/01 UR - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/38/8/4425.abstract N2 - Background/Aim: There is an unmet clinical need to develop new anticancer and chemopreventive agents. The aim of the present study was to identify β-carboline derivatives with cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potential. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight tetrahydro-β-carboline derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer and chemopreventive activities, through induction of quinone reductase 1 (QR1), aromatase inhibition, as well as inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production. Results: 2-((1-Bromonaphthalen-2-yl)methyl)-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole demonstrated the most potent activity in the QR1 induction assay with an induction ratio value of 3.2 (CD=1.3 μM). The R-isomer of the amide derivative (2-((1-bromonaphthalen-2-yl)methyl)-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-pyrido[3,4-b]indol-3-yl)(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)methanone was the most potent inhibitor of NO production with a 50% inhibitory concentration, IC50=6.54 μM and had a low cytotoxic effect (IC50=17.98 μM) on RAW 264.7 cells. Subsequent computational docking study revealed that this compound binds to the active site of inducible nitric oxide synthase with favorable interactions. Conclusion: our results provided promising β-carboline leads for further optimization and development with therapeutic potential as new chemopreventive and chemotherapy agents. ER -