Photoinduced Isomerization and Hepatoxicities of Semaxanib, Sunitinib and Related 3-Substituted Indolin-2-ones

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/cmdc.201500475

3-Substituted indolin-2-ones are an important class of compounds that display a wide range of biological activities. Sunitinib is an orally available multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of renal cell cancer. Sunitinib and a related compound, semaxanib, exist as thermodynamically stable Z isomers, which photoisomerize to E isomers in solution. In this study, 17 3-substituted indolin-2-ones were synthesized, and the kinetics of their photoisomerization were studied by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The rate constants for photoisomerization ranged from 0.009 to 0.048 h^-1. Selected compounds were tested for cytotoxicity in the TAMH liver cell line. E/Z mixtures of four compounds were also assessed for toxicity in the TAMH and HepG2 cell lines. In some cases, the stereochemically pure drug was more toxic than the E/Z mixtures, but a general statement cannot be made. Our studies show that each stereoisomer could contribute differently to toxicity, suggesting that stereochemical purity issues that could arise from isomerization cannot be ignored.

Full text of DOI:10.1002/cmdc.201500475

DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201500475
Full Papers
Photoinduced Isomerization and Hepatoxicities of
Semaxanib, Sunitinib and Related 3-Substituted Indolin-2-
ones
Mun Hong Ngai,[a] Choon Leng So,[a] Michael B. Sullivan,[b] Han Kiat Ho,[a] and
Christina L. L. Chai*[a]
3-Substituted indolin-2-ones are an important class of com-
pounds that display a wide range of biological activities. Suniti-
nib is an orally available multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor that
has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for the treatment of renal cell cancer. Sunitinib and a re-
lated compound, semaxanib, exist as thermodynamically stable
Z isomers, which photoisomerize to E isomers in solution. In
this study, 17 3-substituted indolin-2-ones were synthesized,
and the kinetics of their photoisomerization were studied by
1H NMR spectroscopy. The rate constants for photoisomeriza-
tion ranged from 0.009 to 0.048 hÀ1. Selected compounds
were tested for cytotoxicity in the TAMH liver cell line. E/Z mix-
tures of four compounds were also assessed for toxicity in the
TAMH and HepG2 cell lines. In some cases, the stereochemical-
ly pure drug was more toxic than the E/Z mixtures, but a gener-
al statement cannot be made. Our studies show that each ste-
reoisomer could contribute differently to toxicity, suggesting
that stereochemical purity issues that could arise from isomeri-
zation cannot be ignored.
Introduction
The 3-substituted indolin-2-ones (oxindoles) are an important
class of compounds that have been well-explored for their bio-
logical activities and continue to attract much interest due to
their promise in drug development.[1] Of these oxindoles, the
3-pyrrolylmethylidene oxindoles are particularly exciting, as
they have been shown to inhibit receptor tyrosine kinases
(RTKs). The selectivities of these oxindoles against particular
RTKs are dependent on the substituents, especially at the C3
position. Semaxanib (1) is an example of this class of com-
pounds and shows potent activity against vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF).[2–4] Semaxanib proceeded to clinical
trials, but its development was halted due to toxicity issues
and negative results in phase II/III studies.[5–7] Subsequent stud-
ies focused on structural modifications of semaxanib, leading
to the discovery of sunitinib (2), a new multitargeted receptor
tyrosine kinase inhibitor.[8] Sunitinib has been approved by the
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of ad-
vanced renal cell cancer and imatinib-resistant or imatinib-in-
tolerant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).[9,10]
Both semaxanib and sunitinib have Z stereochemistry at the
double bond, and both can undergo photoisomerization to
the E isomer. The Z isomer is the thermodynamically stable
form, due to the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding
between the C2 carbonyl group of the oxindole and the NH
group of the pyrrole ring.[4] Thermal reversion of the less stable
E isomer to the Z isomer is also reported to occur. Some phar-
maceutical implications of this isomerization process, for exam-
ple, the stabilities of the administered drug, have been recog-
nized for both semaxanib and sunitinib, leading to the devel-
opment of analytical methods for detection of the iso-
mers.[11–14] However, not much has been reported with regard
to the photoisomerization process of semaxanib,[11–13] suniti-
nib,[15] and related 3-pyrrolylmethylidene oxindoles, or whether
the stereoisomers display differential biological activities. In
the latter context, we were specifically interested in determin-
ing whether the E and Z isomers display different toxicities
that may lead to undesired side effects later in the drug devel-
opment process. This is especially relevant in view of the toxic-
ity effects observed with semaxanib in clinical trials.
[a] Dr. M. H. Ngai,+ C. L. So,+ Prof. Dr. H. K. Ho, Prof. Dr. C. L. L. Chai
Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore
18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543 (Singapore)
E-mail: phacllc@nus.edu.sg
[b] Dr. M. B. Sullivan
In this study, we report the photoisomerization studies of
semaxanib and 3-substituted indolin-2-one analogues and
report the toxicities of the compounds and their isomers, first
against the TAMH cell line as a metabolically competent model
Institute of High-Performance Computing
Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore
1 Fusionopolis Way, #16-16 Connexis, Singapore 138632 (Singapore)
[+] These authors contributed equally to this work.
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to recapitulate in vivo bioactivation events, and in another
liver cell line, HepG2, to validate our findings.
Table 1. Yield and Z/E isomer ratios of 3-substituted indolin-2-ones.
Results and Discussion
Synthesis
The 3-substituted indolin-2-ones were prepared following re-
ported procedures using a Knoevenagel condensation be-
tween substituted indoline-2-ones and aldehydes in the pres-
ence of piperidine in ethanol (Scheme 1).[4] Oxindole, 5-fluoro-,
Compd
R1
R2
R3
Yield [%]
Z/E isomer ratio
1
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
CH3
CH3
H
H
H
CH3
CH3
CH3
–
H
F
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
62
58
53
74
73
71
57
34
46
15
78
53
90
58
85
90
66
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
0:100
3:97
100:0
100:0
100:0
16:84
11:89
14:86
100:0
5a
5b
5c
5d
5e
5 f
5g
5h
5i
6a
6b
6c
7a
7b
7c
8
Ac
NO2
OMe
NHAc
OH
NH2
H
F
H
H
H
H
H
Ac
CH3
Boc
Ac
CH3
Boc
–
H
H
H
–
doline-2-one ring. The same acylation and alkylation method
was applied to the synthesis of N-methylpyrrole compounds
7a–c, and a mixture of E and Z isomers were obtained, despite
starting with the pure E isomer of 5h (Scheme 3). The relative
Scheme 1. Synthesis of 3-substituted indolin-2-ones. Reagents and condi-
tions: a) piperidine, EtOH, 758C.
and 5-nitrooxindoles were commercially available. 5-Acetylox-
indole was prepared via Friedel–Crafts acetylation of oxin-
dole.[16] Oxidation of oxindole with phenyliodine(III)-bis(trifluor-
oacetate) (PIFA) gave 5-hydroxyoxindole, which was subse-
quently methylated to give 5-methoxyoxindole.[17] 5-Acetami-
doxindole was synthesized from 5-nitrooxindole in two steps,
according to a literature procedure.[18] For all of the 3-substitut-
ed indoline-2-ones with R1 =H (1, 5a–f), only the Z isomer was
obtained. This was verified with NOE experiments in which an
NOE effect was observed between the vinylic proton and the
C4 aromatic proton. Compounds with R1 =CH3 (5h–i) were iso-
lated exclusively as the E isomer (i.e., 5h) or as mixtures of
both the Z and E isomers (i.e., 5i; Table 1). The 5-amino indoli-
none 5g was synthesized by reduction of 5-nitro indolinone
5c (Scheme 2).[19]
Scheme 3. Synthesis of N1-substituted indolin-2-one derivatives 6a–c and
N1-substituted N1’-methylindolin-2-one derivatives 7a–c. Reagents and con-
ditions: a) R3 =Ac: Ac2O, Et3N, DMAP, CH2Cl2, RT; R3 =CH3: NaH, MeI, DMF
(6b) or THF (7b), RT; R3 =Boc: (Boc)2O, DMAP, CH2Cl2, RT.
N1-substituted compounds 6a–c were synthesized by acyla-
tion or alkylation of semaxanib. Acylation and alkylation of
semaxanib occurred exclusively at the nitrogen atom of the in-
ratios of the stereoisomers for 7a–c were determined by
1H NMR spectroscopy (Table 1). It was observed that the vinyl
hydrogen for the Z isomer resonated downfield to the E isomer
by ~0.2–0.3 ppm. Compound 8 was synthesized by condens-
ing indoline-2-one with pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde under stan-
dard Knoevenagel conditions.[4]
Scheme 2. Synthesis of 5-amino indolinone 5g. Reagents and conditions:
a) Pd/C (10%), H2, EtOH, RT, 16 h, 34%.
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Photoinduced isomerization studies
In order to assess the effect of substituents on the ease of the
photoisomerization process, isomerization studies were carried
1
out. The isomerization was monitored by H NMR spectrosco-
py, as this method can be carried out in real-time, is rapid and
quantitative, and can be carried out in a neutral solvent
([D6]DMSO). In a typical experiment, the indolin-2-ones in
1
[D6]DMSO were exposed to fluorescent light, and their H NMR
Figure 1. Kinetics of Z!E photoisomerization of semaxanib (1) in [D6]DMSO.
spectra were acquired at various time intervals (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2,
1
Data were determined at various time points by H NMR spectroscopy.
3, 4, 5, 6, 12, and 24 h). Table 2 shows the ratio of Z/E isomers
Table 2. Indolinone Z/E isomer ratios before (t0) and after 24 h light expo-
sure (t24), and chemical shifts (d) of the vinyl protons.
Table 3. Rate constants of Z!E isomerization in light and reversion in
dark of semaxanib and 3-substituted indolin-2-one analogues in
[D6]DMSO.
[a]
Compd
R1
R2
R3
Rate constant [hÀ1
]
Isomerization
Reversion
1
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
F
Ac
NO2
OMe
NHAc
OH
NH2
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
Ac
0.048
0.048
0.043
0.009
0.019
0.021
None
None
0.090[b]
0.041
0.002
0.003
0.018
0.006
0.061
0.001
–
5a
5b
5c
5d
5e
5 f
5g
5h
6a
Compd
R1
R2
R3
Z/E ratio
d [ppm]
t0
t24
Z isomer
E isomer
1
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
CH3
CH3
H
H
H
CH3
CH3
CH3
–
H
F
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
0:100
3:97
100:0
100:0
100:0
16:84
11:89
14:86
100:0
100:0
64:36
70:30
89:11
94:6
7.55
7.63
7.77
7.95
7.57
7.77
7.40
7.29
7.59
7.67
7.66
7.60
7.63
7.81
7.66
7.75
7.73
7.74
7.33
7.38
7.41
7.48
7.32
7.49
NA
5a
5b
5c
5d
5e
5 f
5g
5h
5i
6a
6b
6c
7a
7b
7c
2
–
Ac
NO2
OMe
NHAc
OH
NH2
H
F
H
H
H
CH3
H
None
0.033
H
69:31
88:12
100:0
100:0
18:82
28:72
74:26
83:17
72:28
23:77
20:80
25:75
65:35
55:45
[a] Concentration of the samples was 10 mm in [D6]DMSO. [b] Isomeriza-
tion from E to Z.
NA
H
H
7.42
7.50
7.51
7.41
7.46
7.65
7.51
7.58
7.40
7.51
Ac
CH3
Boc
Ac
CH3
Boc
–
1
room temperature, and H NMR spectra were recorded at dif-
ferent time intervals to study the E-to-Z isomer conversion. The
E isomer of semaxanib reverted back to the Z isomer in the
dark with a slower observed rate constant of 0.002 hÀ1.
In a similar manner, the rate constants of Z!E or E!Z pho-
toisomerization and reversion of semaxanib and related 3-sub-
stituted indolin-2-one derivatives were measured as shown in
Table 3. In general, the rate constants for isomerization ranged
from 0 (no isomerization for compounds 5 f and 5g) to
0.09 hÀ1. With the exception of 5h, the rate constants measure
Z!E photoisomerization. For those with measurable reversion,
the rate constants ranged from 0.001 to 0.061 hÀ1. Thus there
is little discernible correlation between the rate constants for
isomerization and reversion with the nature of the substitu-
ents.
H
H
H
–
8
-
–
–
of the indolin-2-one before exposure to light and the Z/E ratio
after exposure to light for 24 h. With the exception of 5-hy-
droxy compound 5 f and 5-amino compound 5g, the Z/E ratio
of all other indolinones changed upon exposure to fluorescent
light, in the range of ~6–36%.
The kinetics of the photoisomerization of selected indolin-2-
ones were investigated. Figure 1 shows the formation of the
E isomer of semaxanib in solution after exposure to light at dif-
ferent time intervals. Prior to light exposure, only (Z)-semaxa-
nib was present, and the formation of the E isomer reached
equilibrium at 36% after 24 h. The formation of the E isomer
followed first-order kinetics, and the rate constant for isomeri-
zation of (Z)-semaxanib to (E)-semaxanib was determined to
be 0.048 hÀ1 (Table 3). The E isomer of semaxanib was not
stable in solution and reverted back to the Z isomer when left
in the dark. To determine the reversion kinetics of semaxanib
in the dark, the compound was exposed to fluorescent light
for 24 h, following which, the sample was kept in the dark at
Theoretical studies
We attempted to rationalize the observed ease of photoisome-
rization by assessing the HOMO and LUMO energies of com-
pounds 5a–h and 6a. We used a similar approach to that
taken by Tomasi et al.,[20] using B3LYP/6-311+ +G(d,p)//B3LYP/
6-311G(d,p) with IEF-PCM solvation in DMSO, as implemented
in Gaussian 09.[21] A summary of the calculated UV/Vis results is
shown in Table 4.
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Table 4. Calculated electronic spectra for selected indolinones.
Table 5. HOMO and LUMO energies of selected (Z)-indolinones.
Compd
l [nm]
Oscillator
strength
Compd
l [nm]
Oscillator
strength
Compd
Z isomer
HOMO
LUMO
HOMO-1
(Z)-1
422.3
361.1
305.3
423.9
367.2
307.6
421.6
375.2
348.2
525.1
415.5
356.3
439.0
395.7
304.6
424.9
373.9
307.4
439.6
390.4
305.2
476.4
401.0
303.8
427.5
365.0
325.3
430.2
346.4
315.1
0.679
0.230
0.025
0.625
0.309
0.026
0.749
0.009
0.309
0.022
0.864
0.353
0.232
0.699
0.025
0.606
0.343
0.023
0.297
0.623
0.025
0.087
0.825
0.021
0.613
0.191
0.028
0.717
0.086
0.109
(E)-1
415.1
358.1
295.6
421.3
365.0
298.5
415.4
376.4
348.5
526.5
412.5
359.8
437.8
385.6
295.0
420.9
369.8
300.9
438.3
382.2
295.6
473.8
390.2
297.7
419.3
362.1
317.6
419.2
346.8
324.0
0.604
0.182
0.026
0.543
0.241
0.028
0.645
0.010
0.159
0.030
0.667
0.237
0.228
0.542
0.026
0.510
0.263
0.052
0.285
0.486
0.027
0.122
0.634
0.061
0.570
0.085
0.026
0.704
0.105
0.039
1
À2.27
À2.34
À2.39
À2.89
À2.25
À2.33
À2.27
À2.22
À2.22
À2.48
À5.47
À5.55
À5.57
À5.70
À5.46
À5.53
À5.45
À5.31
À5.45
À5.59
À6.33
À6.31
À6.54
À6.82
À5.86
À6.23
À5.93
À5.66
À6.27
À6.69
5a
5b
5c
5d
5e
5 f
5g
5h
6a
(Z)-5a
(Z)-5b
(Z)-5c
(Z)-5d
(Z)-5e
(Z)-5 f
(Z)-5g
(Z)-5h
(Z)-6a
(E)-5a
(E)-5b
(E)-5c
(E)-5d
(E)-5e
(E)-5 f
(E)-5g
(E)-5h
(E)-6a
dolinone. Consistent with experimental observations, calcula-
tions show that the Z isomer is the more stable isomer for
compounds 1, 5a–g, and 6a, while the E isomer is the more
stable isomer for 5h.
Cytotoxicity studies
The cytotoxicities of the compounds were first determined
using the MTT cell proliferation assay against the TAMH cell
line, selected for its ability to metabolize xenobiotics and to re-
produce the toxicity observed with classical hepatotoxicants,
such as acetaminophen.[22] The 50% inhibitory concentration
value (IC50) was estimated using GraphPad Prism 6 (Table 6).
Table 6. Cytotoxicity and Z/E isomer ratios of 3-substituted indolin-2-
ones.
An examination of the oscillator strengths (f) of each pair of
isomers in the UV region of ~400 nm shows that compounds
1, 5a–c, 5e, 5h, and 6a have high f values, in the range of
~415 nm to 430 nm, as compared with compounds 5d, 5 f,
and 5g. With the exception of 5d and 5h, these are reflective
of the ease of Z!E isomerization, such that those with large
f values for the Z isomers are easier to isomerize and vice
versa. With 5h, E!Z isomerization occurs readily, as is reflect-
ed by the high f value for the E isomer. Based solely on our re-
sults, the isomerization of 5d does not fit the trend of the
others. The UV/Vis results for 5d and 5 f are very similar, but
the rates of their photoisomerization are different.
Compd
R1
R2
R3
Z/E ratio
IC50 [mm][a]
1
H
H
CH3
CH3
H
H
H
CH3
CH3
CH3
–
H
F
H
F
H
H
H
H
H
H
–
H
H
H
H
Ac
CH3
Boc
Ac
CH3
Boc
–
100:0
100:0
0:100
3:97
100:0
100:0
100:0
16:84
11:89
14:86
100:0
100:0
6.28Æ1.24
2.17Æ0.47
5a
5h
5i
6a
6b
6c
7a
7b
7c
2
>50
>50
9.77Æ0.67
3.76Æ0.61
0.69Æ0.12
If one considers that photoisomerization is a consequence
of S0 to S1 transitions, then the calculated HOMO and LUMO
energies of the Z isomers of 1, 5a–h, and 6a may provide fur-
ther insight into their ease of isomerization. As shown in
Table 5, the FMO energies are broadly similar, and the energy
difference between the HOMO and LUMO does not explain the
observed isomerization rates.
>50
>50
11.94Æ0.08
11.28Æ0.65
21.53Æ2.40
8
–
–
–
[a] Values are the meanÆSD of three independent experiments.
From these calculations, the dihedral angle of C=CÀCÀN for
the Z isomers is roughly zero, indicating planarity, while the
same dihedral angle is ~108 out of plane for the E isomers. The
exception is 5h, where both the E and Z isomers have a dihe-
dral angle of ~308, which is the consequence of N-methylation
at the pyrrole ring, which in turn, does not allow for intramo-
lecular hydrogen bonding with the carbonyl group on the in-
When comparing the compounds with a hydrogen atom on
the N1’ of the pyrrole ring (i.e., 1, 2, 5a, 6a–c, 8), (Z)-8 was
found to be the least toxic to TAMH cells (IC50 =21.53 mm). The
IC50 value of (Z)-2 was 11.28 mm, which is higher than for indoli-
nones 1, 5a, and 6a–c. Compounds substituted at the N1 posi-
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tion of the oxindole ring, such as (Z)-6b (R3 =CH3) and (Z)-6c
(R3 =Boc), were more toxic (IC50 values of 3.76 and 0.69 mm, re-
spectively). (Z)-6a (R3 =Ac) was less toxic (IC50 =9.77 mm) than
the unsubstituted (Z)-1 (R3 =H; IC50 =6.28 mm). Fluorine substi-
tution on the oxindole core (compound 5a; R2 =F) had in-
creased toxicity relative to compound (Z)-1. In contrast, com-
pounds with substitution at the nitrogen atom of the pyrrole
ring were generally less toxic to the TAMH cell line. With the
exception of 7c (IC50 =11.94 mm), all compounds in this series
showed IC50 values greater than 50 mm.
Overall, the toxicities of the compounds varied. Boc substitu-
tion at the N1 position of the indolin-2-ones resulted in 6c
and 7c (R3 =Boc), and these were the most toxic compounds
within their series (R1 =H or Me). Moreover, it could be inferred
that methylation at the N1’ position and/or the E isomeric
forms could decrease the toxicity of the 3-[(substituted pyrrol-
2-yl)methylidenyl]indolin-2-one series.
Thus, E/Z isomerism can affect the toxicity of the compounds.
Whether the E/Z mixtures or the isomerically pure samples
were more toxic could not be generalized, as this was depen-
dent on the structures of the compounds and the differential
handling of the compounds by the host cell line (Table 7).
Conclusions
A total of 16 compounds that were structurally related to sem-
axanib (1) and sunitinib (2) were synthesized in yields of 15%
to 90%. For 5a–g, 6a–c, and 8, only the Z isomers were ob-
tained. In contrast, only the E isomer of 5h was obtained,
while 5i and 7a–c were obtained as E/Z mixtures but with the
E form predominating. Overall, a majority of the compounds
tested were able to undergo isomerization. The rate of isomeri-
zation and the amount of the less stable isomer varied. The
stabilities of the E/Z mixtures were also examined, and it was
found that without continual exposure to the light source,
some mixtures converted back to the more stable form, with
variable rates of reversion.
To determine if the E isomers were indeed less toxic, the E/Z
mixtures of 1, 2, 5a, and 8 were also tested against the TAMH
and HepG2 cell lines. (Z)-8 is the parent compound, while (Z)-
1 (semaxanib) and (Z)-2 (sunitinib) are potent anticancer
agents. (Z)-5a was also selected, because it is similar to (Z)-
1 but has an isosteric replacement (R2 =F). The stability of
100 mm drug stocks of these compounds in glass vials was in-
dependently determined. They were exposed to fluorescent
lighting, and after 24 h, the E/Z ratios were determined using
NMR spectroscopy by diluting 50 mL of the stocks solution to
500 mL in [D6]DMSO. In all of the cases above, isomerization
was observed. The observed E/Z ratios were only slightly lower
than those listed in Table 2, with the exception of 5a, for
which the percentage of (E)-5a was significantly lower
(Table 7).
All compounds were tested in the TAMH cell line. Generally,
compounds with N1’ substitutions that had the E isomers as
the predominant form were less toxic to the TAMH cell line,
while compounds that were in the Z forms decreased cell via-
bility to a greater extent. The E/Z mixtures of the four selected
compounds that were of clinical importance (1, 2, 5a, and 8)
were tested for toxicity in the TAMH and HepG2 cell lines. With
respect to TAMH cell line toxicity, the E/Z mixture of 1 was
more toxic to the cells than (Z)-1, while the reverse was true
for 2 and 8. However, it should be noted that the differences
in the IC50 values between the pure Z isomers and the E/Z mix-
tures for 5a and 2 were not large. For the HepG2 cell line,
Z isomers of 1, 5a, and 2 were more toxic than the E/Z mix-
tures. The differences in the observed trends between the two
liver cells lines are indicative of the sensitivities of the respons-
es of the cell lines to the stereoisomers. We note that HepG2 is
a liver cancer cell line, and the effects of these RTK inhibitors
on HepG2 cannot be dissociated from the toxicity.
For 1 and 5a, the E/Z mixtures were more toxic than (Z)-
1 and (Z)-5a, while the reverse was true for 2 and 8 in the
TAMH cell line. The differences between the IC50 values be-
tween the pure Z isomers and the E/Z mixtures were not large
for 5a and 2 (2.17 mm vs. 1.59 mm and 11.28 mm vs. 16.66 mm,
respectively). The IC50 value was 6.28 mm for (Z)-1 but was
2.99 mm for the E/Z mixture, which contained 31% E isomer
and 69% Z isomer. For (Z)-8, the IC50 value was 21.53 mm, while
its E/Z mixture was less toxic to the TAMH cell line (IC50 >
50 mm). For HepG2 cell line, Z isomers of 1, 5a, and 2 were
more toxic than their respective E/Z mixtures, while the E/Z
mixture of 8 was not significantly more toxic than (Z)-8 (2.38
and 2.17 mm, respectively). It was observed that the E/Z mix-
ture of 8 was the most toxic compound in the HepG2 cell line.
The significance of our study should be realized. Such find-
ings could prompt the appropriate handling of clinically avail-
able drugs (e.g., sunitinib) and demonstrate that protection of
the drugs from light could be vital. For future lead compounds
that contain exocyclic double bonds, it may be advantageous
to separately investigate the contributions of their more stable
isomers, less stable isomers, and/or their E/Z mixtures to activi-
ties and toxicities. Removing such unsaturation and/or design-
Table 7. Z/E isomer ratios of the indolinones and their corresponding IC50 values against TAMH and HepG2 cell lines.
Compd
Z/E ratio
IC50 [mm][a]
Z/E ratio
IC50 [mm][a]
TAMH
HepG2
TAMH
HepG2
1
2
5a
8
100:0
100:0
100:0
100:0
6.28Æ1.24
11.28Æ0.65
2.17Æ0.47
21.53Æ2.40
8.17Æ0.39
5.85Æ1.20
12.11Æ0.26
2.38Æ1.67
69:31
69:31
83:17
56:44
2.99Æ0.36
16.66Æ1.52
1.59Æ0.29
37.55Æ10.03
10.36Æ4.43
21.57Æ2.74
2.17Æ1.13
>50
[a] Values are the meanÆSD of three independent experiments.
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matography (CH2Cl2) afforded (Z)-5a as an orange solid in 58%
yield (60.9 mg): mp: 275–2778C (lit.[24] 271–2738C); 1H NMR
(400 MHz, CDCl3): d=13.14 (brs, 1H), 7.65 (brs, 1H), 7.33 (s, 1H),
7.17 (m, 1H), 6.81 (m, 2H), 6.00 (s, 1H), 2.38 (s, 3H), 2.33 ppm (s,
3H); 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): d=169.9, 168.9, 160.2, 157.9,
137.9, 133.7, 132.7, 128.1, 128.0, 127.2, 124.4, 113.1, 111.8, 111.6,
109.6, 109.5, 104.7, 104.4, 14.0, 11.7 ppm (number of carbon signals
was greater than expected due to F coupling); HRMS (ESI-TOF): (m/
z) calcd for C15H13FN2O [M+H]+ 257.1090, found 257.1090.
ing stereochemically stable compounds may be feasible, pro-
vided that the activities are not compromised. This would
avoid the issue of E/Z isomerization.
Experimental Section
General methods: (Z)-2 (Sunitinib malate) was used as purchased
from LC laboratories. All other reagents and solvents were pur-
chased from Sigma–Aldrich or Alfa Aesar and were used without
further purification unless otherwise specified. Reactions involving
air- or moisture-sensitive reagents were performed with dried
glassware under a nitrogen atmosphere. Thin layer chromatogra-
phy (TLC) was performed on Merck precoated silica gel plates. Vis-
ualization was accomplished with UV light or by staining with
KMnO4 solution. Compounds were purified by flash chromatogra-
phy on columns using Merck silica gel 60 (230–400 mesh) unless
otherwise specified. The purity of the compounds were deter-
mined using analytical HPLC with a Phenomenex Kinetex 2.6 mm
C18 100 Š (150”4.60 mm) column at 254 nm. All compounds were
>95% pure. Mass spectra were recorded on an Applied Biosys-
tems MDS SCIEX API 2000 mass spectrometer. High-resolution
mass spectra (HRMS) were recorded on an Agilent mass spectrom-
eter using electrospray ionization–time of flight (ESI-TOF). Analyti-
cal LC–MS was performed on a Phenomenex Luna 3 mm C18 100 Š
(50”3.0 mm) column. Melting points (mp) were recorded on a Gal-
lenkamp melting point apparatus and are uncorrected. NMR spec-
tra were recorded at 400 MHz for 1H and at 100 MHz for 13C on
a Bruker spectrometer with CDCl3 or [D6]DMSO as solvent. The
chemical shifts are given in ppm, using the proton solvent residue
signal (CDCl3: d=7.26; [D6]DMSO: d=2.50) as a reference in the
1H NMR spectrum. The deuterium coupled signal of the solvent
was used as reference in 13C NMR (CDCl3: d=77.0; [D6]DMSO: d=
39.5). The following abbreviations were used to describe the sig-
nals: s=singlets, d=doublet, t=triplet, m=multiplet, br=broad
signal.
(Z)-5-Acetyl-3-((3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)indolin-2-
one (5b): Following the general procedure, a solution of 5-acetyl-
2-oxindole (100 mg, 0.57 mmol) and 3,5-dimethyl-2-carboxalde-
hyde (4a; 84 mg, 0.68 mmol), and piperidine (3 drops) in EtOH
(7 mL) was stirred at 758C for 4 h to give 5-acetyl derivative 5b as
a brown solid (84.8 mg, 53%): mp: 297–2988C (decomposed);
1H NMR (400 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=13.33 (s, 1H), 11.14 (brs, 1H),
8.35 (d, J=1.6 Hz, 1H), 7.75–7.77 (m, 2H), 6.96 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H),
6.05 (d, J=2 Hz, 1H), 2.59 (s, 3H), 2.36 (s, 3H), 2.34 ppm (s, 3H);
13C NMR (100 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=196.9, 169.8, 141.8, 136.7, 133.0,
130.5, 126.9, 126.6, 125.9, 124.7, 118.5, 113.0, 111.3, 108.8, 26.6,
13.5, 11.4 ppm; HRMS (ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for C17H16N2O2 [M+H]+
281.1290, found 281.1287.
(Z)-3-((3,5-Dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)-5-nitroindolin-2-
one (5c): Following the general procedure, a solution of 5-nitro-2-
oxindole (96 mg, 0.54 mmol) and 3,5-dimethyl-2-carboxaldehyde
(4a; 80 mg, 0.65 mmol), and piperidine (3 drops) in EtOH (8 mL)
was stirred at 758C for 4 h. The resulting precipitate was filtered
and washed with cold EtOH to give 5-nitro 5c as a brown solid
(114.2 mg, 75%): mp: >3008C (lit.[25] >2808C); 1H NMR (400 MHz,
[D6]DMSO): d=13.35 (s, 1H), 11.43 (s, 1H), 8.78 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H),
8.03 (dd, J=8.4, 2.4 Hz, 1H), 7.95 (s, 1H), 7.04 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H),
6.10 (d, J=2.0 Hz, 1H), 2.38 (s, 3H), 2.36 ppm (s, 3H); 13C NMR
(100 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=169.8, 142.9, 142.0, 138.3, 134.9, 127.2,
126.8, 126.4, 121.5, 113.8, 113.6, 109.8, 108.9, 13.6, 11.4 ppm; HRMS
(ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for C15H13N3O3 [M+H]+ 284.1035, found
284.1039.
General procedure for Knoevenagel condensation: Piperidine
(3 drops) was added to a solution of 5-substitiuted-2-oxindole
(1.0 equiv) and 3,5-dimethyl-2-carboxaldehyde (1.2 equiv) in EtOH
(8 mL). The reaction mixture was heated at 758C for 4 h. The reac-
tion mixture was then cooled to room temperature, and the result-
ing precipitate was filtered and washed with cold EtOH to give the
5-substituted-2-oxindole compound.
(Z)-3-((3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)-5-methoxyindolin-
2-one (5d): Following the general procedure, a solution of 5-me-
thoxy-2-oxindole (75 mg, 0.46 mmol) and 3,5-dimethyl-2-carboxal-
dehyde (4a; 68 mg, 0.55 mmol), and piperidine (3 drops) in EtOH
(7 mL) was stirred at 758C for 6 h. The residue was purified by
column chromatography (CH2Cl2/MeOH, 99:1) to give 5-methoxy
derivative 5d as a brown solid (90.1 mg, 73%): mp: 256–2578C
(decomposed); 1H NMR (400 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=13.44 (s, 1H),
10.56 (s, 1H), 7.57 (s, 1H), 7.39 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 6.75 (d, J=
8.4 Hz, 1H), 6.67 (dd, J=8.4, 2.4 Hz, 1H), 6.00 (d, J=2.0 Hz, 1H),
3.77 ppm (s, 3H); 13C NMR (100 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=169.5, 154.7,
135.5, 132.0, 131.6, 126.8, 126.6, 123.6, 113.2, 112.4, 111.9, 109.6,
104.1, 55.6, 13.5, 11.3 ppm. HRMS (ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for
C16H16N2O2 [M+H]+ 269.1290, found 269.1286.
(3Z)-3-[(3,5-Dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylidene]-1,3-dihydro-
2H-indol-2-one ((Z)-1): Following the general procedure, a solution
of 3,5-dimethyl-2-carboxaldehyde (4a; 111 mg, 0.90 mmol), indolin-
2-one (100 mg, 0.75 mmol), and piperidine (3 drops) in EtOH (2 mL)
was stirred at 908C for 3 h. The resulting precipitate was filtered,
washed with cold EtOH, and dried to give (Z)-1 as an orange solid
1
in 62% yield (111 mg): mp: 232–2348C (lit.[23] 220–2228C); H NMR
(400 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=13.35 (brs, 1H), 10.77 (brs, 1H), 7.71 (d,
J=7.2 Hz, 1H), 7.55 (s, 1H), 7.09 (m, 1H), 6.97 (m, 1H), 6.87 (d, J=
7.6 Hz, 1H), 6.00 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 2.32 (s, 3H), 2.30 ppm (s, 3H);
13C NMR (100 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=169.3, 138.0, 135.5, 131.4, 126.5,
125.7, 125.6, 123.3, 120.7, 117.9, 112.6, 112.4, 109.1, 13.4, 11.2 ppm;
HRMS (ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for C15H14N2O [M+H]+ 239.1184, found
239.1182.
(Z)-N-(3-((3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)-2-oxoindolin-5-
yl)acetamide (5e): Following the general procedure, a solution of
5-acetamide-2-oxindole (64 mg, 0.34 mmol) and 3,5-dimethyl-2-car-
boxaldehyde (4a; 50 mg, 0.41 mmol), and piperidine (3 drops) in
EtOH (5 mL) was stirred at 758C for 4 h. The residue was purified
by column chromatography (CH2Cl2/MeOH, 99:1) to give 5-acet-
amide derivative 5e as a yellow solid (70.8 mg, 71%): mp: >3508C
(decomposed); 1H NMR (400 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=13.36 (s, 1H),
10.70 (s, 1H), 9.75 (s, 1H), 7.77 (d, J=2.0 Hz, 1H), 7.36 (s, 1H), 7.22
(dd, J=8.4, 2.0 Hz, 1H), 6.79 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 6.01 (d, J=2.0 Hz,
1H), 2.32 (s, 3H), 2.28 (s, 3H), 2.02 ppm (s, 3H); 13C NMR (100 MHz,
(Z)-3-((3,5-Dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)-5-fluoroindolin-2-
one ((Z)-5a): Following the general procedure, a solution of 3,5-di-
methyl-2-carboxaldehyde (4a; 50 mg, 0.41 mmol), 5-fluoroindolin-
2-one (61 mg, 0.41 mmol), and piperidine (3 drops) in EtOH (3 mL)
was stirred at 758C for 12 h. Purification by silica gel column chro-
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[D6]DMSO): d=169.5, 167.7, 135.7, 134.2, 133.1, 131.5, 126.4, 125.7,
122.8, 118.0, 112.8, 112.5, 110.1, 109.1, 23.7, 13.5, 11.2 ppm; HRMS
(ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for C17H17N3O2 [M+H]+ 296.1399, found
296.1404.
(Z)-3-((1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)indolin-2-one ((Z)-8): Following
the general procedure, a solution of 1H-pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde
(86 mg, 0.9 mmol), indolin-2-one (100 mg, 0.75 mmol), and piperi-
dine (3 drops) in EtOH (2 mL) was stirred at 908C for 3 h. The re-
sulting precipitate was filtered, washed with cold EtOH, and dried
to give (Z)-8 as an orange solid in 66% yield (104 mg): mp: 234–
2368C (lit.[26] 210–2138C); 1H NMR (400 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=13.34
(brs, 1H), 10.88 (brs, 1H), 7.74 (s, 1H), 7.63 (d, J=7.2 Hz, 1H), 7.35
(brs, 1H), 7.14 (td, J=7.6, 1.2 Hz, 1H), 7.00 (m, 1H), 6.88 (d, J=
7.6 Hz, 1H), 6.83 (m, 1H), 6.36–6.34 ppm (m, 1H); 13C NMR
(100 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=169.1, 138.9, 129.5, 126.8, 126.2, 125.5,
125.1, 121.1, 120.1, 118.4, 116.7, 111.3, 109.4 ppm; HRMS (ESI-TOF):
(m/z) calcd for C13H10N2O [M+H]+ 211.0871, found 211.0873.
(Z)-3-((3,5-Dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)-5-hydroxyindolin-
2-one (5 f): Following the general procedure, a solution of 5-hy-
droxy-2-oxindole (34 mg, 0.23 mmol) and 3,5-dimethyl-2-carboxal-
dehyde (4a; 33 mg, 0.27 mmol), and piperidine (3 drops) in EtOH
(5 mL) was stirred at 758C for 16 h. The residue was purified by
column chromatography (CH2Cl2/MeOH, 97:3 to 95:5) to give 5-hy-
droxy derivative 5 f as an orange solid (33.2 mg, 57%): 1H NMR
(400 MHz, [D6]DMSO) d13.41 (s, 1H), 10.46 (s, 1H), 7.40 (s, 1H), 7.09
(d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 6.65 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 6.53 (dd, J=8.4, 2.4 Hz,
1H), 5.98 (d, J=2.4 Hz, 1H), 2.30 (s, 3H), 2.28 ppm (s, 3H); 13C NMR
(100 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=169.4, 152.2, 135.2, 131.1, 130.9, 126.8,
126.4, 122.9, 113.5, 112.7, 112.3, 109.6, 105.3, 13.5, 11.2 ppm; HRMS
(ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for C15H14N2O2 [M+H]+ 255.1134, found
255.1132.
General procedure for the acylation reaction for the synthesis of
6a, 7a, 6c, and 7c: A mixture of (Z)-1 or (E)-5h (1.0 equiv), DMAP
(0.15 equiv), and (Boc)2O or Ac2O (1.2 equiv) with triethylamine
(1.2 equiv) in CH2Cl2 was stirred under nitrogen at room tempera-
ture. The reaction was monitored using TLC until no (Z)-1 or (E)-5h
could be detected. The solvent was evaporated, and the mixture
was purified using column chromatography (petroleum ether/
EtOAc, 4:1), unless otherwise specified. If a mixture of E and
Z isomers was obtained, the analytical data reported correspond to
the major isomer. The minor isomer is not reported.
(Z)-5-Amino-3-((3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)indolin-2-
one (5g): 10% Pd/C (18 mg, 0.017 mmol Pd) was added to a sus-
pension of 5-nitro compound 5c (60 mg, 0.21 mmol) in EtOH
(2 mL). The reaction mixture was stirred under hydrogen atmos-
phere overnight. The reaction mixture was then filtered through
a pad of Celite. The residue was purified by column chromatogra-
phy (CH2Cl2/MeOH, 1:0 to 99:1) to give 5-amino derivative 5g as
an orange solid (17.8 mg, 34%): mp: 249–2518C (decomposed);
1H NMR (400 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=13.39 (s, 1H), 10.34 (s, 1H), 7.29
(s, 1H), 6.89 (s, 1H), 6.56 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 6.38 (dd, J=8.0, 1.6 Hz,
1H), 5.96 (s, 1H), 4.59 (brs, 2H), 2.30 (s, 3H), 2.26 ppm (s, 3H);
13C NMR (100 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=169.2, 143.1, 134.7, 130.3, 129.4,
126.3, 122.0, 114.1, 112.3, 112.1, 109.6, 104.3, 13.4, 11.2 ppm; HRMS
(ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for C15H15N3O [M+H]+ 254.1293, found
254.1292.
(Z)-1-Acetyl-3-((3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)indolin-2-
one ((Z)-6a): Following the general procedure, a mixture of (Z)-
1 (200 mg, 0.84 mmol), DMAP (15 mg, 0.13 mmol), triethylamine
(102 mg, 1.01 mmol), and Ac2O (121 mg, 1.01 mmol) in CH2Cl2
(6 mL) was stirred under nitrogen at room temperature. Purifica-
tion by silica gel column chromatography (petroleum ether/EtOAc,
4:1) afforded (Z)-6a as an orange solid in 78% yield (184 mg): mp:
196–1988C;1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): d=12.61 (brs, 1H), 8.25 (m,
1H), 7.49 (m, 1H), 7.40 (s, 1H), 7.20 (m, 2H), 6.04 (s, 1H), 2.80 (s,
3H), 2.42 (s, 3H), 2.35 ppm (s, 3H); 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): d=
171.4, 168.8, 138.1, 136.2, 134.5, 127.3, 126.4, 126.1, 124.4, 124.0,
116.3, 116.3, 113.5, 110.1, 27.1, 14.1, 11.7 ppm; HRMS (ESI-TOF): (m/
z) calcd for C17H16N2O2 [M+H]+ 281.1290, found 281.1293.
(E)-3-((1,3,5-Trimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)indolin-2-one
((E)-5h): Following the general procedure, a solution of 4b
(200 mg, 1.46 mmol), indolin-2-one (162 mg, 1.21 mmol), and pi-
peridine (3 drops) in EtOH (5 mL) was stirred at 758C for 24 h. Pu-
rification by silica gel column chromatography (petroleum ether/
EtOAc, 4:1!100% EtOAc) afforded (E)-5h as an orange solid in
46% yield (140 mg): mp: 170–1728C; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3):
d=7.67 (s, 1H), 7.64 (s, 1H), 7.17 (m, 2H), 6.95 (dt, J=4.0, 8.0 Hz,
1H), 6.87 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 5.94 (s, 1H), 3.48 (s, 3H), 2.29 (s, 3H),
1.97 ppm (s, 3H); 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): d=170.1, 140.2, 135.3,
128.1, 126.8, 125.5, 125.3, 124.7, 123.0, 122.4, 121.7, 111.0, 109.3,
31.8, 13.8, 12.6 ppm; HRMS (ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for C16H16N2O
[M+H]+ 253.1341, found 253.1342.
(Z)-tert-Butyl 3-((3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)-2-oxoin-
doline-1 carboxylate ((Z)-6c): Following the general procedure,
a mixture of (Z)-1 (50 mg, 0.21 mmol), DMAP (4 mg, 0.03 mmol),
and (Boc)2O (37 mg, 0.17 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (4 mL) was stirred under
nitrogen at room temperature. Purification by silica gel column
chromatography (petroleum ether/EtOAc, 4:1) afforded (Z)-6c as
1
an orange solid in 90% yield (51.8 mg): H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3):
d=12.82 (brs, 1H), 7.73 (m, 1H), 7.49 (m, 1H), 7.39 (s, 1H), 7.17 (m,
2H), 6.02 (s, 1H), 2.37 (s, 3H), 2.34 (s, 3H), 1.70 ppm (s, 9H);
13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): d=167.9, 149.4, 138.1, 135.6, 134.1,
127.3, 126.0, 125.7, 123.7, 123.6, 116.6, 114.7, 113.3, 110.0, 84.2,
28.2, 14.0, 11.7 ppm; HRMS (ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for C20H22N2O3
[M+Na]+ 361.1528, found 361.1523.
(E)-5-Fluoro-3-((1,3,5-trimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)indolin-
2-one ((E)-5i): Following the general procedure, a solution of 4b
(157 mg, 1.14 mmol), 5-fluoroindolin-2-one (208 mg, 1.37 mmol),
and piperidine (3 drops) in EtOH (5 mL) was stirred at 758C for
12 h. Purification by silica gel column chromatography (petroleum
ether/EtOAc, 4:1) afforded 5i as an E/Z mixture ((E)-5i:(Z)-5i=97:3)
as an orange solid in 15% (46.2 mg) combined yield: 1H NMR
E isomer (400 MHz, CDCl3): d=8.52 (s, 1H), 7.68 (s, 1H), 6.86 (m,
3H), 5.97 (s, 1H), 3.49 (s, 3H), 2.29 (s, 3H), 1.98 ppm (s, 3H);
13C NMR E isomer (100 MHz, CDCl3): d=170.2, 159.9, 157.6, 136.2,
136.1, 126.7, 126.7, 126.2, 126.2, 114.3, 114.0, 110.2, 109.9, 109.5,
109.4, 31.8, 13.9, 12.7 ppm (number of carbon signals was greater
than expected due to F coupling); HRMS (ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for
C16H15FN2O [M+H]+ 271.1247, found 271.1239.
(E)-1-Acetyl-3-((1,3,5-trimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)indolin-
2-one ((E)-7a): Following the general procedure, a mixture of (E)-
5h (100 mg, 0.40 mmol), DMAP (7 mg, 0.06 mmol), triethylamine
(61 mg, 0.60 mmol), and Ac2O (72 mg, 0.60 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (6 mL)
was stirred under nitrogen at room temperature. Purification by
silica gel column chromatography (petroleum ether/EtOAc, 4:1) af-
forded 7a as an E/Z mixture ((E)-7a:(Z)-7a=84:16) as an orange
1
solid in 58% (68.2 mg) combined yield: H NMR E isomer (400 MHz,
[D6]DMSO): d=8.18 (d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 7.65 (s, 1H), 7.31 (m, 1H), 7.17
(m, 2H), 6.00 (s, 1H), 3.48 (s, 3H), 2.66 (s, 3H), 2.28 (s, 3H),
1.87 ppm (s, 3H); 13C NMR E isomer (100 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=
170.5, 167.7, 138.5, 137.1, 128.1, 126.4, 126.2, 125.7, 124.3, 122.9,
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121.3, 118.8, 115.4, 111.5, 31.6, 26.4, 13.9, 12.3 ppm; HRMS (ESI-
TOF): (m/z) calcd for C18H18N2O2 [M+H]+ 295.1447, found
295.1439.
Isomerization study: Photoisomerization experiments were per-
formed with 10 mm [D6]DMSO solutions of 3-substituted indoline-
2-one derivatives in NMR tubes. The NMR tubes were then ex-
posed to fluorescent light (Philips Tornado 5W ES 6500 K cool day-
light, 285 lumens) at ambient temperature (22–248C), with a light
intensity of ~1700 lux (measured with a Gossen Luna-Pro F light
(E)-tert-Butyl
ne)indoline-1-carboxylate ((E)-7c): Following the general proce-
dure, mixture of (E)-4a (50 mg, 0.20 mmol), DMAP (4 mg,
2-oxo-3-((1,3,5-trimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methyle-
1
a
meter). The samples were analyzed by H NMR spectroscopy at var-
0.03 mmol), and (Boc)2O (52 mg, 0.24 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (5 mL) was
stirred under nitrogen at room temperature. Purification by silica
gel column chromatography (petroleum ether/EtOAc, 4:1) afforded
7c as an E/Z mixture ((E)-7c:(Z)-7c=86:14) as an orange oil in
ious time points (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 24 h). For the analysis
of isomerization in the dark, after the samples were exposed to
light for 24 h, the samples were then protected from light. At vari-
ous time points (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 h), samples were
1
1
90% (63.4 mg) combined yield: H NMR E isomer (400 MHz, CDCl3):
analyzed by H NMR spectroscopy.
d=7.89 (m, 1H), 7.68 (s, 1H), 7.24 (m, 2H), 7.06 (m, 1H, H-7), 5.97
(s, 1H), 3.46 (s, 3H), 2.28 (s, 3H), 1.94 (s, 3H), 1.67 ppm (s, 9H);
13C NMR E isomer (100 MHz, [D6]DMSO): d=165.5, 148.8, 138.0,
136.6, 128.2, 126.3, 125.8, 125.3, 123.6, 122.3, 121.5, 119.0, 114.0,
111.3, 83.3, 31.5, 27.7, 13.9, 12.3 ppm; HRMS (ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd
for C21H24N2O3 [M+Na]+ 375.1685, found 375.1678.
Isomerization of 100mm compound stocks: The 100 mm drug
stocks of (Z)-1, (Z)-5a, (Z)-2, and (Z)-10 were exposed to fluores-
cent lighting. At the end of 24 h, the E/Z ratios were determined
using NMR spectroscopy by diluting 50 mL of the stock solutions to
500 mL using [D6]DMSO.
General procedure for the alkylation reaction for the synthesis
of 6b and 7b: (Z)-1 (1.0 equiv) in DMF or THF (2 mL) was added to
a stirring suspension of NaH (1.0 equiv for the synthesis of 6b;
2.2 equiv for 7b) under nitrogen. After 1 h, iodomethane (1.0 equiv
for the synthesis of 6b; 2.2 equiv for 7b) was added. The reaction
was monitored using TLC until no (Z)-1 could be detected. Upon
completion, 0.5 mL of saturated ammonium chloride was added.
The mixture was extracted with EtOAc (3”10 mL). The combined
organic layers were washed with brine and dried with Na2SO4. The
solvent was evaporated, and the mixture was purified using
column chromatography (petroleum ether/EtOAc, 4:1), unless oth-
erwise specified. If a mixture of E and Z isomers was obtained, the
analytical data correspond to the major isomer. The minor isomer
is not reported.
Biology
Reagents and general procedures: Gentamicin and the soybean
trypsin inhibitor were from Invitrogen. Phosphate-buffered saline
(PBS) was purchased from Bio-Rad, and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-
2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) dye was purchased from
Duchefa. Drug stocks (10 mm and 100 mm) were prepared in
DMSO and were stored at À208C. TAMH cells were maintained in
a T75 flask with Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM):Nu-
trient Mixture F-12 (DMEM/F-12) supplemented with ITS (5 mgmLÀ1
insulin, 5 mgmLÀ1 transferrin, 5 ngmLÀ1 selenium), 10 mm nicotina-
mide, 100 nm dexamethasone, and 10 mgmLÀ1 gentamicin, while
HepG2 was maintained in minimal essential medium in the pres-
ence of 10% fetal bovine serum. Both lines were incubated at
378C in 95% air and 5% CO2.
(Z)-3-((3,5-Dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)-1-methylindolin-
2-one ((Z)-6b): Following the general procedure, (Z)-1 (20 mg,
0.08 mmol) in DMF (2 mL) was added to a stirring suspension of
NaH (3.5 mg, 0.09 mmol) under nitrogen. After 1 h, iodomethane
(13 mg, 0.09 mmol) was added. The mixture was quenched and ex-
tracted. Purification by silica gel column chromatography (petrole-
um ether/EtOAc, 4:1) afforded (Z)-6b as an orange solid in 53%
yield (10.7 mg): mp: 162–1648C; 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): d=
13.25 (brs, 1H), 7.51 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.40 (s, 1H), 7.19 (dt, J=
1.2, 8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.08 (dt, J=1.2, 8.0 Hz, 1H), 6.88 (d, J=8.0H, 1H),
5.97 (s, 1H), 3.38 (s, 3H), 2.38 (s, 3H), 2.33 ppm (s, 3H); 13C NMR
(100 MHz, CDCl3): d=168.4, 139.7, 136.5, 132.1, 127.0, 125.6, 125.5,
123.1, 121.6, 117.0, 112.5, 111.9, 107.8, 26.1, 13.9, 11.6 ppm; HRMS
(ESI-TOF): (m/z) calcd for C16H16N2O [M+H]+ 253.1341, found
253.1343.
MTT cell proliferation assay: The TAMH cells were trypsinized to pro-
duce
a single-cell suspension and were resuspended using
0.5 mgmLÀ1 of soybean trypsin inhibitor. After centrifugation, the
cell pellet was resuspended using the DMEM/F-12 media. After
counting the cells using a hemocytometer, the cell suspension was
diluted to provide the desired density of 15000 cells per well and
then seeded into 96-well plates, where the cells were allowed to
attach for 24 h. The spent media was removed. Drug stocks were
diluted appropriately using DMEM/F-12 medium immediately
before each assay. Stocks (200 mL) were added to each well and
were incubated for 24 h. Cell viability was determined by reduction
in MTT by viable cell dehydrogenases. MTT was added to give
a final concentration of 400 mgmLÀ1 in each well, and the plates
were incubated at 378C for 3 h before aspirating the supernatant
and solubilizing the insoluble formazan product using 100 mL
DMSO. Absorbance at 570 nm was measured using an Infinite 200
microplate reader (Tecan). Cell viability in percentage was plotted
against the concentrations of the drug. IC50 values were deter-
mined using GraphPad Prism 6 Software.
(E)-1-methyl-3-((1,3,5-trimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)indo-
lin-2-one ((E)-7b): Following the general procedure, (Z)-1 (50 mg,
0.21 mmol) in THF (2 mL) was added to a stirring suspension of
NaH (20 mg, 0.48 mmol) under nitrogen. After 1 h, iodomethane
(69 mg, 0.48 mmol) was added. The mixture was quenched and ex-
tracted. Purification by silica gel column chromatography (petrole-
um ether/EtOAc, 4:1) afforded 7b as an E/Z mixture ((E)-7b:(Z)-
7b=89:11) as an orange oil in 85% (47.5 mg) combined yield:
1H NMR (E)-isomer (400 MHz, CDCl3): d=7.65 (s, 1H), 7.21 (m, 2H),
6.97 (m, 1H), 6.83 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 5.93 (s, 1H), 3.47 (s, 3H), 3.31
(s, 3H), 2.28 (s, 3H), 1.96 ppm (s, 3H); 13C NMR (E)-isomer (100 MHz,
CDCl3): d=168.9, 143.2, 134.9, 128.1, 126.8, 125.2, 124.8, 122.7,
122.2, 121.6, 110.8, 107.5, 31.7, 26.1, 13.8, 12.6 ppm; HRMS (ESI-
TOF): (m/z) calcd for C17H18N2O [M+H]+ 267.1497, found 267.1496.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Ms. David P. Sheela (National University of
Singapore) for her assistance with some of the biological assays.
This work was supported by a National University of Singapore
(NUS) start-up grant to C.L.L.C. (R148000146133) and the A*STAR
ChemMedChem 2016, 11, 72 – 80
www.chemmedchem.org
79
ꢀ 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Full Papers
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Keywords: indolin-2-ones
·
computational chemistry
·
cytotoxicity · kinetics · photoisomerization
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Received: October 14, 2015
Published online on November 23, 2015
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