Synthesis and anti-cancer activity of 2,6-disubstituted N-methylpiperidine derivatives and their N-oxides

Bioreducible anti-tumour agents are prodrugs which are intended to be inactive in normal cells, but are able to undergo metabolic reduction in cancer cells to produce toxic species that can damage biomolecules. A series of N-oxides of heterocyclic aliphatic amines were designed and prepared as mentioned below as bioreducible drugs based on the reported anti-cancer activity of 2,6-bis(halomethyl)piperidines. In order to study structure-activity relationships in these conformationally restricted nitrogen mustards, samples of cis- and trans-2,6-dihydroxymethyl-N-methylpiperidine were prepared and converted into a number of carbamate or halogen derivatives. The free bases were designed to be bifunctional alkylating agents via aziridinium ion formation. The corresponding N-oxides were also prepared for comparison in cytotoxicity tests. In total, 21 new compounds were synthesized plus cis-N-methyl-2,6-bis(chloromethyl)-piperidine (prepared previously but lacking spectroscopic data) and tested against two human colon carcinoma cell lines, HT 29 (high DT-diaphorase) and BE (no DT-diaphorase), under oxic and hypoxic conditions. The majority of the free bases were equally toxic against both cell lines. The most toxic compounds were cis- and trans-N-methyl-2,6-bis(bromomethyl)piperidine with oxic IC50 values between 6 and 11 microM against both cell lines. The N-oxides were relatively non-toxic under both oxic and hypoxic conditions apart from the N-oxide of trans-N-methyl-2,6-bis(bromomethyl)-piperidine. Their low toxicity suggested that the N-oxides are not reduced under hypoxic conditions. We conclude that: (i) 2,6-disubstituted N-methylpiperidine derivatives are chemically versatile cytotoxic entities that are suitable for prodrugging to enhance their therapeutic selectivity; and (ii) N-oxide prodrugs of these compounds are deactivated chemically and display reduced cytotoxicity compared to the parent amines but are apparently not reduced under hypoxic conditions. At least in the colorectal cell lines tested the latter issue would need to be addressed by modifying the redox properties in future work to progress this approach.