Mitigating the resistance of MCF-7 cancer cells to Doxorubicin under hypoxic conditions with novel coumarin based carbonic anhydrase IX and XII inhibitors

Abstract

In the present study, the design and synthesis of novel coumarin derivatives 8a-h, 11a-d and 16a-c as potential selective inhibitors for the tumor associated human carbonic anhydrase isoforms (hCA IX and XII) was reported. All the newly synthesized derivatives showed potent to mild activity against the targeted CA IX (K_I = 0.08–9.57 µM), with selectivity indices over CA I (SI = 2.0–21.9) and over CA II (SI = 1.1–15.7). They showed similar activities against CA XII (K_I = 0.06–9.48 µM) with selectivity indices over CA I (SI = 1.4–21.2) and CA II (SI = 0.9–15.5). Compound 16b featuring sulfonamide function possessed promising inhibitory activities against the targeted isoforms CA IX and XII with K_I values of 0.08 and 0.06 µM, respectively. Interestingly, it was found that using compound 16b at a nontoxic concentration as an adjuvant with Doxorubicin against MCF-7 cells enhanced the cytotoxicity under hypoxia by almost 3.5 folds; IC₅₀ decreased from 25.74 to 7.43 µM. Therefore, compound 16b restored the cytotoxicity of Doxorubicin against MCF-7 cells under hypoxia, almost as normoxia. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis of a combination treatment of compound 16b and Doxorubicin to the MCF7 cell line revealed an increase in cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and a more efficient apoptotic effect than Doxorubicin alone. Furthermore, compound 16b showed no cytotoxicity against normal breast MCF-10A cell line (IC₅₀ = 296.25 µM).