Three derivatives of ouabain, digoxin and proscillaridin A containing the carboxylic group instead of the lactone moiety were synthesized and examined for cytotoxicity in human breast cancer cells. Evaluation of the cytotoxicity of these compounds employing an MTT assay and inhibition of [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation into DNA in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells demonstrated that compound 3, the most active of the series, proved to be only slightly less potent than proscillaridin A. We evaluated the effects of these compounds 1-3 on change in intracellular Ca 2؉ , appearance of apoptosis, inhibition of DNA topoisomerase I and II, and the activity of caspase-3 in breast cancer cells. These studies indicate that the increase in potency for 3 may be related, in part, to an activation of caspase-3, increasing free calcium concentration and topoisomerase II inhibition. All these data emphasize the potential usefulness of these derivatives of cardiac glycosides as anticancer agents.Key words cardiac glycoside; cytotoxicity; breast cancer cell; DNA topoisomerase Biol. Pharm. Bull. 31(6) 1131-1140 (2008) © 2008 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan * To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: kwin@amb.edu.pl mine, penicillin and streptomycin were obtained from Quality Biologicals (U.S.A.). [ 3 H]Thymidine (6.7 Ci/mmol) was purchased from NEN (U.S.A.), and Scintillation Coctail "Ultima Gold XR" from Packard (U.S.A.). Nitrocellulose membrane (0.2 mm), sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), polyacrylamide and molecular weight standards were received from Bio-Rad Laboratories (U.S.A.). Topoisomerase I and II, supercoiled pHOT1 DNA, supercoiled pRYG DNA, etoposide, camptothecin were purchased from TopoGEN (U.S.A.).Chemistry The structures of all the compounds were confirmed by ). Melting points were determined on Büchi 535 melting-point (Germany) apparatus and were uncorrected. Elemental analysis of C, H, was performed on a Perkin Elmer 240 analyser (U.S.A.) and satisfactory results within Ϯ0.4% of calculated values were obtained. Chemical shifts are expressed in d value (ppm). Multiplicity of resonance peaks are indicated as singlet (s), doublet (d), triplet (t), quarter (q), and multiplet (m).(Z)-4-Hydroxy-3-((1R,3S,5S,8R,9S,10R,11R,13R,14S, 17R)-1,5,11,14-tetrahydroxy-10-(hydroxymethyl)-13-methyl-3-((2R,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yloxy)hexadecahydro-1H-cyclopenta-[a]phenanthren-17-yl)but-2-enoic Acid (Compound 1) Ouabain (0.57 g, 0.78 mmol) was suspended in a mixture of 2 ml of THF and 2 ml of 1 M LiOH. The reaction was allowed to stir at room temperature until no starting ouabain could be detected by TLC (CHCl 3 : MeOH 5 : 1). The basic mixture was acidified to pH 4 with 2 M HCl and diluted with acetone. The precipated acid was filtred and dried in vacuo at room temperature to afford 0. 17.11, 17.62, 22.96, 26.07, 32.30, 33.20, 34.91, 35.37, 38.94, 46.58, 47.37, 48.28, 48.76, 49.45, 62.57, 63.61, 66.70, 68.17, 69.22, 70.56, 70.68, 72.18, 73.54, 83.30, 97.08, 115.96, 172.3...