Synthesis and antitumor properties of a plasmalogen methyl ether analogue

Incorporation of a cis-O-vinyl linkage into the sn-1 position of glycerol gave a new antitumor ether lipid analogue of ET-18–OCH3 (2). We report here the synthesis of plasmalogen O-methyl ether 4 and its in vitro activity on epithelial cancer cells. The activity of 4 with respect to inhibition of the growth of several human breast cancer cells is slightly less than that of 2. Surprisingly, incubation of SKBr3 and BT-20 (human breast cancer cells) with varying concentrations of 4 resulted in a marked stimulation of cell growth. The induction of cellular proliferation was not transduced by the Edg-2, -4, or -7 subfamilies of G-protein-coupled receptors.