Design, synthesis and evaluation of anticancer activity of new pyrazoline derivatives by down-regulation of VEGF: Molecular docking and apoptosis inducing activity.

Two series of pyrazoline compounds were designed and synthesized as antiproliferative agents by VEGFR pathway inhibition. All synthesized compounds were screened by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, USA for anticancer activity against 60 human cancer cell lines. Compound 3f exhibited the highest anticancer activity on the ovarian cell line (OVCAR-4) with IC = 0.29 μM and on the breast cell line (MDA-MB-468) with IC = 0.35 μM. It also exhibited the highest selectivity index (SI = 74). Compound 3f caused cell cycle arrest in OVCAR-4 cell line at the S phase which consequently inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Moreover, 3f showed potent down-regulation of VEGF and p-VEGFR-2. Docking studies showed that compound 3f interacts in a similar pattern to axitinib on the VEGFR-2 receptor. The same compound was also able to fit into the gorge of STAT3 binding site, the transcription factor for VEGF, which explains the VEGF down-regulation.