Quinolinium salt as a potent inhibitor of lymphocyte apoptosis

The synthesis of several quinolinium salts and related compounds and their ability to inhibit glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis in murine thymocytes are described. Interestingly, 1-[2-methoxyimino-2-(4-pyrrolidin-1-yl-phenyl)ethyl]quinolinium bromide (11) showed a potent protective effect with an EC50 of 0.013 μM, which was at least 300-fold more potent than the reference compound pifithrin-α.