Chemopreventive activities of C-glucuronide/glycoside analogs of retinoid-O-glucuronides against breast cancer development and growth.

The O-glucuronide analog of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPROG) has shown a greater chemopreventive activity than the parent N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR). However, this compound is relatively unstable. In order to improve stability and efficacy, we have prepared a number of stable C-linked analogs of 4-HPROG (C-phenyl and C-benzyl glucuronosyl, glucosyl, and xylosyl analogs). These analogs are stable toward acid hydrolysis and the glucuronosyl analogs resist the actions of beta-glucuronidase. The analogs were prescreened for their antiproliferative potential in vitro using cultured human MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Selected analogs were then evaluated for their ability to inhibit the development and growth of tumors in the 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced rat mammary tumor model. Although the stable C-linked analogs bound poorly to the nuclear retinoic acid receptors, many showed more potency than the less stable 4-HPROG in inhibiting tumor incidence and multiplicity in vivo. The glucuronide/glucoside analogs are more potent than the xylosides, and the C-benzyl more effective than the C-phenyl analogs. The higher potency of at least two C-linked analogs (retinamidobenzyl glucuronide and retinamidobenzyl glucose) suggests that these analogs may have a chemopreventive advantage over the parent retinamide and its natural O-glucuronide.