Identification of (1S,4S)-2,5-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-dithiocarbamate-nitrostyrene hybrid as potent antiproliferative and apoptotic inducing agent against cervical cancer cell lines

The present study seeks to describe the design and synthesis of six new Michael adducts of (1S,4S)-2,5-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-dithiocarbamate with nitrostyrenes and their in vitro antiproliferative activity against human cervical cancer cell lines [HeLa (HPV 18 positive), CaSki (HPV 16 positive) and ViBo (HPV negative) cervical cancer cell lines]. Virtual screening of the physicochemical properties of all compounds have also been presented. All the compounds exploited significant antiproliferative activity on the three cervical cancer cell lines. Compound 8a was found to be most potent, displaying in vitro antiproliferative activity against HeLa, CaSki and ViBo cervical cancer cell lines superior to Cisplatin and Paclitaxel with IC50 values 0.99 ± 0.007, 2.36 ± 0.016 and 0.73 ± 0.002 μM respectively. In addition, compound 8a did not trigger the necrosis cell death to the test cancer cell lines. Further mechanistic study revealed that compound 8a could inhibit the cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis through caspase-3 activation. Moreover, cell cycle analysis indicated that compound 8a could arrest the cell cycle at the G1 phase for HeLa and CaSki cancer cells. At the predetermined IC50 values on cancer cells, compound 8a did not induce any necrotic (cytotoxic) death to the normal human lymphocytes. In the present design, (1S,4S)-2,5-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane system was found to be superior than the piperazine counterpart 11. [Display omitted] •New Michael adducts of (1S,4S)-2,5-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-dithiocarbamate with nitrostyrenes were designed empirically and synthesized.•Compound 8a was found to be the most promising in vitro antiproliferative agent against cervical cancer cell lines HeLa (HPV 18 positive), CaSki (HPV 16 positive) and ViBo (HPV negative).•In respect to IC50 values on cancer cells, compound 8a was found to be superior than Cisplatin and Paclitaxel.•Compound 8a induced apoptosis on all cancer cells through caspase-3 activation without triggering necrosis cell death and arrested the cell cycle at G1 phase for HeLa and CaSki cells.•Compound 8a did not exert any (necrotic) cytotoxic effect on human lymphocytes.