ABSTRACT
Six new ruthenium(ii) complexes with lapachol (Lap) and lawsone (Law) with the general formula [Ru(L)(P-P)(bipy)]PF6, where L = Lap or Law, P-P = 1,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe), 1,4'-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane (dppb), 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf) and bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine, were synthesized, fully characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, NMR, cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis, IR spectroscopies and three of them by X-ray crystallography. All six complexes were active against breast (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and prostate (DU-145) cancer cell lines with lower IC50 values than cisplatin. Complex [Ru(Lap)(dppe)(bipy)]PF6 (1a) showed significant selectivity for MDA-MB-231, a model of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), as compared to the "normal-like" human breast epithelial cell line, MCF-10A. Complex (1a) inhibited TNBC colony formation and induced loss of cellular adhesion. Furthermore, the complex (1a) induced mitochondrial dysfunction and generation of ROS, as is involved in the apoptotic cell death pathway. Preferential cellular uptake of complex (1a) was observed in MDA-MB-231 cells compared to MCF-10A cells, consistent with the observed selectivity for tumorigenic vs. non-tumorigenic cells. Taken together, these results indicate that ruthenium complexes containing lapachol and lawsone as ligands are promising candidates as chemotherapeutic agents.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Benzoquinones/chemistry , Coordination Complexes/chemistry , Coordination Complexes/pharmacology , Ruthenium/chemistry , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Cell Death/drug effects , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Humans , MCF-7 Cells , Mitochondria/drug effects , Mitochondria/pathology , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolismABSTRACT
The neutral binuclear mol-ecule of the title complex, [V2(C15H12N2O2S)2(CH3O)2O2], exhibits inversion symmetry and consists of two oxidovanadium(V) (VO)(3+) fragments, each coordinated by a dianionic and O,N',O'-chelating N'-(1-benzoyl-prop-1-en-2-yl)thio-phene-2-carbohydrazidate ligand. The V(5+) cations are bridged by two asymmetrically bonding methano-late ligands [V-O = 1.8155â (12) and 2.3950â (13)â Å] originating from the deprotonation of the methanol solvent. The coordination sphere of the V(V) atom is distorted octa-hedral, with the equatorial plane defined by the three donor atoms of the thio-phene-2-carbohydrazidate ligand and the O atom of a methano-late unit. The axial positions are occupied by the oxide group and the remaining methano-late ligand. The axially bound methano-late ligand shows a longer V-O bond length due to the trans influence caused by the tightly bonded oxide group. The packing of the complex mol-ecules is dominated by dispersion forces.
