Structure-function relationship of new anthralin derivatives assayed for growth inhibition and cytotoxicity in human keratinocyte cultures.

HaCaT keratinocyte cultures were exposed to twelve hydrophilic anthralin derivatives 1 to 12 with substituents at C-1 and C-8 of the anthrone skeleton, of one H at C-10 and of both H's at C-10 by lacton rings. After 3 microM treatment growth was determined by cellular protein content, 3H-thymidine- and 14C-amino-acid-uptake and cytotoxicity by the release of cytoplasmic LDH into the culture medium. In comparison to acetone control (100%) anthralin suppressed mean protein content, as well as DNA- and protein-synthesis to 33, 28, and 21%, respectively, and the drug revealed an enzyme release of 660%. In relation to the parent drug we found similar cell growth inhibitory effects of compounds 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 12. Deriv. 4, 8, and 10 were, however, to some extent less cytotoxic than anthralin, whereas deriv. 6, 9, and 12 were in the same range. An extreme suppression of growth parameters which differed from the anthralin effect by a factor 0.5-0.8 was caused by deriv. 11, showing the same cytotoxicity. Deriv. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 did not demonstrate any cytotoxicity. Concerning growth parameters, deriv. 2 induced a slight stimulation, deriv. 3 and 7 were completely ineffective, deriv. 1 and 5 induced slightly to moderately inhibited proliferation but both being much less effective than anthralin. These data indicate that the "minimum structure" concept by Krebs and Schaltegger--claiming 1-hydroxy-9-anthrone as a precondition for clinical antipsoriatic potency--is not valid at least in cell-biological tests and point toward possible usefulness of some experimental model compounds as alternative antipsoriatics.