Nitro Compounds Inhibit Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Colony Formation: Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Pharmacological Properties

Abstract

In this study, the concept of combined in vitro and in silico studies were utilized by using some synthesized nitro bearing compounds. The anticancer activities of the studied compounds were performed by using colony formation analysis, cell cytotoxicity, and migration. Nitro group containing two compounds were analyzed using Hoechst staining to indicate the morphological changes on the nuclei of cancer cells under fluorescence microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed with N,N‐dibutyl‐nitro‐substituted compound. Nitro containing anticancer agents were shown the inhibition at 1.5 μM and 2 μM concentrations, and nuclear apoptosis was detected. In addition, cell‐to‐cell interaction on MDA‐MB‐231 cells was broken and observed morphologic changes following the treatment with N,N‐dibutyl‐nitro‐substituted compound at the effective doses. In general, the other nitro compounds showed cell cytotoxicity at 5 μM, 10 μM, and 20 μM. Two hits as anticancer agents were determined as potential interleukin‐1 receptor‐associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and interleukin‐1 receptor‐associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) inhibitor candidates. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations studies will provide that the binding patterns with specific residues such as Met265, Tyr284 of the IRAK family members, and these will contribute to further in vitro and in vivo studies for targeted breast cancer therapy.