The aim of this study was to expand our knowledge about anticancer activity of some polyamine derivatives with quinoline or chromane as terminal moieties. Tested compounds were evaluated in vitro towards metastatic human prostate adenocarcinoma (PC3), human carcinoma (DU145) and mammary gland adenocarcinoma (MCF7) cell lines. Cell viability was estimated on the basis of mitochondrial metabolic activity using water-soluble tetrazolium WST1 to establish effective concentrations of the tested compounds under experimental conditions. Cytotoxic potential of polyamine derivatives was determined by the measurement of lactate dehydrogenase activity released from damaged cells, changes in mitochondrial membrane potential, the cell cycle distribution analysis and apoptosis assay. It was revealed that the tested polyamine derivatives differed markedly in their antiproliferative activity. Bischromane derivative 5a exhibited a rather cytostatic than cytotoxic effect on the tested cells, whereas quinoline derivative 3a caused changes in cell membrane integrity, inhibited cell cycle progression, as well as induced apoptosis of prostate and breast cancer cells which suggest its potential application in cancer therapy.
Keywords: apoptosis; breast cancer; cell cycle; mitochondrial potential; polyamine derivatives; prostate cancer.