Synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of flavones designed as inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases.

A series of flavones has been prepared, which are variously substituted in the 3,3',4',5 and 7 positions with halo-, alkoxy-, nitro-, amino-, hydroxy-, acyloxy- and azido-groups, for evaluation of their cytotoxicity to ANN-1 cells (3T3 murine fibroblasts transformed with the Abelson murine leukaemia virus) which contain a tyrosine kinase. This cytotoxicity was compared to their non-transformed 3T3 counterparts. 3'-Amino-4'-methoxyflavone was the most cytotoxic compound (IC50 = 1.6 microM) and was less inhibitory to the non-transformed parent 3T3 cell line (IC50 = 8 microM). The compound was inactive at 50 microM in assays of the inhibition of the cell-associated Abelson protein tyrosine kinase but inhibited an epidermal growth factor (EGF) protein tyrosine kinase by 42% at 50 microM. Quercetin (3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) was the most potent inhibitor of the Abelson protein tyrosine kinase but showed no selective inhibition of the growth of ANN-1 cells compared to the parent 3T3 cell line. Different structure-activity relationships were observed between the results of the cytotoxicity assays and inhibition of protein tyrosine kinases. Inhibitors of the Abelson protein tyrosine kinase which were competitive with respect to ATP showed different potencies for inhibition of the EGF receptor kinase.