Novel pregnenolone derivatives modulate apoptosis via Bcl-2 family genes in hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro

[Display omitted] •Seven novel heterocyclic pregnenolone derivatives were synthesized and confirmed.•All the synthesized derivatives were evaluated for anti-cancer activity against hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2).•Apoptotic activity was assessed using acridine orange/ethidium bromide double staining and DNA fragmentation assays.•Pro-apoptotic (Bax and Bak) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) genes were analyzed using quantitative real time PCR.•Compounds 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8a and 8b exhibited pro-apoptotic activity against HepG2 cell line. A series of pregnenolone derivatives were synthesized and assessed for anti-cancer activity against hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). The synthesized hetero-steroids (compounds 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8a and 8b) were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities using MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. Apoptotic activity was assessed using dual acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining method and DNA fragmentation assay. Pro-apoptotic genes (Bax and Bak) and anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) were analyzed using quantitative real time PCR. The results revealed that compounds 4 and 6 displayed cytotoxic activity (IC50s, 36.97 ± 2.18 and 18.46 ± 0.64 μM, respectively), while compounds 5 and 7 exhibited weak cytotoxic activity (IC50s, 93.87 ± 8.30 μM and 93.48 ± 4.14 μM, respectively). All synthesized heterocyclic pregnenolone derivatives induced apoptosis through DNA fragmentation. Compounds 4 and 6 increased early and late apoptotic cell percentages while compounds 3, 5, 7 and 8b increased either early or late apoptotic cell percentage. Moreover, compounds 3, 6 and 8b up-regulated the expression level of Bak gene. On the other hand, compounds 4, 5, 7 and 8a down-regulated the Bcl-2 expression level, besides, compounds 5, 7 and 8a down-regulated the Bcl-xL expression level. Compounds 5, 7, 8a and 8b increased the Bak/Bcl-xL ratio, besides, compound 8a raised the Bax/Bcl-xL ratio whereas compound 5 elevated Bax/Bcl-2 and Bak/Bcl-2 ratios. The present work introduced novel pro-apoptotic pregnenolone derivatives that acted against HepG2 cells through DNA fragmentation, apoptotic morphological changes and were able to increase the pro-apoptotic/anti-apoptotic ratios of Bcl-2 family genes. This study particularly revealed that the cytotoxic compound 4 is the most promising pro-apoptotic compound among other synthesized derivatives where it induced apoptosis (late and early) thro