The antitumor activity of 4,4′-bipyridinium amphiphiles

A series of 4,4′-bipyridinium amphiphiles were synthesized and their anticancer activities were further evaluated. MTT assay showed that the cytotoxicity first increased and then decreased with the growth of carbon chains (8–16 C) at both ends of bipyridyl. Specifically, compounds with saturated carbon chains consisting of 13 carbons at both ends of bipyridyl displayed the best cell inhibitory activity with IC(50) values in the low-micromolar range, which were even superior to that of cisplatin, against all the tested human cancer cells and cisplatin-resistant A549 cancer cells in vitro. In addition, compound 6 could evidently arrest the G2/M phase of the cell cycle in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, this study demonstrates the potent performance of compound 6 in cell growth inhibition and apoptosis induction via a conceivable approach of membrane damage.