Decrease in Cell Viability of Breast Cancer Cells by a Di-Hydroxylated Derivative of N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-Propylpentanamide

Background A preliminary study of the biotransformation by cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP) of N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propylpentanamide (HO-AAVPA), an HDAC inhibitor, led to the synthesis of two hydroxylated derivatives: N-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propylpentanamide (5a) and N-(2,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propylpentanamide (5b). Objective The study aims to evaluate the anti-proliferative activity of these di-hydroxylated derivatives in breast cancer cell lines. Methods MTT assays were conducted in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Additionally, in silico studies were carried out to evaluate the affinity of these derivatives with the HDAC1 enzyme. Results Results showed that only 5b possess an enhanced anti-proliferative effect in breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Docking studies revealed that the presence of hydroxyl groups, as well as the position of the additional hydroxyl groups, could have an impact on HDAC1 affinity and could explain the lack of activity of compound 5a. Conclusion A priori, these results hypothesize that anti-proliferative activity of 5b could be related to HDAC1 inhibition and thus anti-proliferative activity in breast cancer cells.