Xylosylated naphthoic acid–amino acid conjugates for investigation of glycosaminoglycan priming

Three different series of xylosylated naphthoic acid–amino acid conjugates containing one or two amino acid residues were synthesized for the investigation of glycosaminoglycan priming and potential use as anti-tumor drugs. All xylosylated naphthoic acid-conjugates inhibited the growth of normal lung fibroblasts to some extent, whereas the growth of tumor derived T24 carcinoma cells was not affected. There was no correlation between amino acid conjugation, retention time and the antiproliferative activity. Only one compound initiated the priming of glycosaminoglycans. Modification of the naphthalene ring with one or two amino acid residues did not have any effect on proteoglycan biosynthesis or glycosaminoglycan priming in T24 carcinoma cells.