Tumor-specific Cytotoxic Activity and Type of Cell Death Induced by 4-Trifluoromethylimidazoles in Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines

Fourteen 4-trifluoromethylimidazole derivatives were investigated for their cytotoxicity against three human normal cells (gingival fibroblast HGF, pulp cell HPC and periodontal ligament fibroblast HPLF) and four human tumor cell lines (oral squamous cell carcinoma HSC-2, HSC-3, HSC-4 and promyelocytic leukemia HL-60). Among these compounds, 4- trifluoromethyl-1,2-diphenylimidazole (IM5), 1-benzyl-4- trifluoromethyl-2-phenylimidazole (IM7) and 5-(1-ethoxy-2,2,2- trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethyl)-1-methyl-2-phenyl-1H- imidazole (IM12) showed much higher cytotoxicity and tumor- specificity than the other compounds. IM5, the most potent