Long-chain aminoalcohol and diamine derivatives induce apoptosis through a caspase-3 dependent pathway.

A number of long chain diamines and aminoalcohols and several of their alkyl, acyl and carbamoyl derivatives, have been synthesized and evaluated for their apoptotic activities using the Jurkat cell line. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry and the best results were found for the aminoalcohols displaying either a free alcohol or an amine with at least, one free hydrogen atom. The apoptotic pathway was mediated by a disruption of the mitochondria transmembrane potential and caspase-3 activation, inducing DNA fragmentation at the phase G(1)/S of the cell cycle.