Steroidal cardiac Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitors exhibit strong anti-cancer potential in vitro and in prostate and lung cancer xenografts in vivo

Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2014 Jun;14(5):762-70. doi: 10.2174/18715206113136660338.

Abstract

Sodium potassium pump (Na(+)/K(+)ATPase) is a validated pharmacological target for the treatment of congestive heart failure. Recent data with inotropic drugs such as digoxin & digitoxin (digitalis) suggest a potent anti-cancer action of these drugs and promote Na(+)/K(+)ATPase as a novel therapeutic target in cancer. However, digitalis have narrow therapeutic indices, are pro-arrhythmic and are considered non-developable drugs by the pharmaceutical industry. On the contrary, a series of recently-developed steroidal inhibitors showed better pharmacological properties and clinical activities in cardiac patients. Their anti-cancer activity however, remained unknown. In this study, we synthesized seventeen steroidal cardiac inhibitors and explored for the first time their anti-cancer activity in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate potent anti-cancer actions of steroidal cardiac inhibitors in multiple cell lines from different tumor panels including multi-drug resistant cells. Furthermore, the most potent compound identified in our studies, the 3-[(R)-3- pyrrolidinyl]oxime derivative 3, showed outstanding potencies (as measured by GI50, TGI and LC50 values) in most cells in vitro, was selectively cytotoxic in cancer versus normal cells showing a therapeutic index of 31.7 and exhibited significant tumor growth inhibition in prostate and lung xenografts in vivo. Collectively, our results suggest that previously described cardiac Na(+)/K(+)ATPase inhibitors have potent anti-cancer actions and may thus constitute strong re-purposing candidates for further cancer drug development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Androstenes / pharmacology*
  • Androstenes / therapeutic use
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Mice, SCID
  • Myocardium / enzymology*
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Oximes / chemistry
  • Oximes / pharmacology*
  • Oximes / therapeutic use
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Pyrrolidines / chemistry
  • Pyrrolidines / pharmacology*
  • Pyrrolidines / therapeutic use
  • Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / metabolism
  • Steroids / chemistry
  • Steroids / pharmacology*
  • Steroids / therapeutic use

Substances

  • 3-(pyrrolidin-3-yloxyimino)-6-methyleneandrostane-17-one
  • Androstenes
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Oximes
  • Pyrrolidines
  • Steroids
  • Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase