Synthesis and antiproliferative activity in vitro of new propargyl thioquinolines

The series of new 3,4-disubstituted thioquinolines which possess one or two O, S, Se-propargyl groups has been synthesized on the basis of the reaction of thioquinanthrene with alkoxides. All the compounds obtained were tested for their antiproliferative activity in vitro against the cells of three human cancer cell lines: SW707 (colon cancer), T47D (breast cancer), and HCV29T (bladder cancer). Two compounds, 4-(3-hydroxypropoxy)-3'-propargylthio-3,4'-diquinolinyl sulfide (3) and 3-methylthio-4-propargylselenoquinoline (13) exhibited significant cytostatic activity (ID50 < 4 micrograms/ml) against the cells of all the human cancer lines used and are good candidates for further anticancer activity studies in vitro using a broad panel of human and murine cell lines and for in vivo preclinical screening in different mouse transplantable tumor models.