Development of Novel Erythromycin Derivatives with Inhibitory Activity against Proliferation of Tumor Cells

In our continuing structure-activity relationship study of a new class of erythromycin A (EM-A) derivatives with antiproliferative activity, a new series of de(N-methyl) EM-A dimers jointed by a four-atom linker, -CH2CH = CHCH2-, were prepared and their antiproliferative activity against three human tumor cell lines was evaluated by MTT assay. The most active EM-A dimer, compound 1b, that carrying C6 methoxyl groups was further investigated and showed potent antiproliferative activity in six other human tumor cell lines. Flow cytometry analysis of 1b treated HeLa and MCF-7 cells indicated that the four-atom EM-A dimers induced the SubG1 phase cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis, in time- and dose-dependent manners. Further experiments including morphologic observation, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, mitochondrial potential alternation and western blot analysis revealed that the antiproliferative mechanism may involve the induction of apoptosis in activating the mitochondrial pathway, and regulation of apoptotic proteins.