Targeting VEGFR‐2 by new quinoxaline derivatives: Design, synthesis, antiproliferative assay, apoptosis induction, and in silico studies
Nawaf A. Alsaif, Hazem A. Mahdy, Mohammed M. Alanazi, Ahmad J. Obaidullah, Hamad M. Alkahtani, Abdullah M. Al‐Hossaini, Abdulrahman A. Al‐Mehizi, Alaa Elwan, Mohammed S. Taghour
Abstract
Abstract Twelve new triazolo[4,3‐ a ]quinoxaline‐based compounds are reported as anticancer agents with potential effects against vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐2 (VEGFR‐2), using sorafenib as a reference molecule. With sorafenib as the positive control, the antiproliferative effects of the synthesized compounds against MCF‐7 and HepG2 cells, as well as their VEGFR‐2‐inhibitory activities, were assessed. The most powerful VEGFR‐2 inhibitor was compound 14a , which had an IC 50 value of 3.2 nM, which is very close to that of sorafenib (IC 50 = 3.12 nM). Furthermore, compounds 14c and 15d showed potential inhibitory activity against VEGFR‐2, with IC 50 values of 4.8 and 5.4 nM, respectively. Compound 14a caused apoptosis in HepG2 cells and stopped the cell cycle at the G2/M phase. In HepG2 cells, it also increased the levels of the proteases caspase‐3 and caspase‐9, as well as the Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio. In silico ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) and toxicity experiments revealed that the synthesized agents had acceptable drug‐likeness.