RESUMO
Porphyrin is known to enable the photodynamic effect during cancer drug delivery and molecular imaging. However, its hydrophobicity and tendency to aggregate in an aqueous medium create a significant hurdle for its use as an anticancer drug. Loading porphyrin onto biocompatible delivery vehicles can enhance its efficacy. This can be achieved by using gas-filled microbubbles that can be administered intravenously. This study aimed at developing near-infrared (NIR)-active porphyrin-loaded lipid microbubbles with anticancer activity enhanced by sonodynamic and photodynamic effects. The porphyrin-loaded microbubbles were studied for their cell toxicity, cellular uptake of porphyrin, and effect on cellular three-dimensional (3D) invasion of breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) in cellulo. Toxicity studies in zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio) in the presence and absence of photodynamic and sonodynamic therapy were also conducted. The results suggest that with a higher concentration of porphyrin loaded on microbubbles, the porphyrin-loaded microbubbles display a higher therapeutic effect facilitated by photodynamic and sonodynamic therapy, which results in enhanced cellular uptake and cellular toxicity. A lower concentration of loaded porphyrin microbubbles exhibits high cellular viability and good fluorescence intensity in the NIR region, which can be exploited for bioimaging applications.
RESUMO
A series of luminescent Ir(III) dipyrrinato complexes were synthesized having various aromatic chromophores at the C-5 position of dipyrrin ligands. The presence of different chromophores on the Ir(III) dipyrrinato complexes altered their optical properties and produced strong emission in the red to NIR region (680-900 nm) with huge Stokes shifts (5910-7045 cm-1). TD-DFT studies indicated significant charge distribution between dipyrrin ligands and Ir-cyclometalated units in all the molecules. X-ray crystal structures revealed an octahedral geometry of the Ir(III) center in the complex. The in vitro studies of the glycosylated Ir(III) complexes revealed strong photoluminescence with maximum Stokes shifts, and they showed significant photocytotoxicity in skin keratinocyte (HaCaT) and lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells. The singlet oxygen generation quantum yields of glycosylated Ir(III) complexes were in the range of 70-78% in water. The estimated IC50 values were between 17 and 25 µM after light exposure, and confocal microscopy revealed significant localization of the glycosylated Ir(III) complexes in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of cancer cells. The neutral Ir(III) dipyrrinato complexes are promising tracking agents for cellular imaging in the biological window and for photodynamic therapy (PDT) applications.
RESUMO
A series of rhenium(i) dipyrrinato complexes (Re1-Re8) have been prepared and characterized; their crystal structures, phosphorescence and singlet oxygen generation studies are reported. The aromatic substituents, such as thienyl, p-bromophenyl, p-fluorophenyl, m-fluorophenyl, pentaflurophenyl, N-butylcarbazole, N-phenylcarbazole, and N-butylphenothiazine, are linked to the C5 position of Re-dipyrrinates. Varying the electronic nature of the substituents from electron donating (e.g., carbazole) to electron withdrawing (e.g., pentaflurophenyl) allowed the change in the structural, electrochemical, and spectroscopic properties of these complexes. In particular, the rhenium dipyrrinates showed phosphorescence in the near IR region with sufficiently longer triplet state lifetimes (τT = 9-29 µs). Also, a large Stokes shift (Δν = 5682-6957 cm-1) was witnessed for all the rhenium dipyrrinates. Triplet emission was reflected in the efficient singlet oxygen generation yields (ΦΔ â¼ 0.75-0.98) along with the distinct photo-stability. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the electron density is spread over the dipyrrin unit in most complexes. Rhenium dipyrrinate having a phenothiazine substituent exhibited the smallest HOMO-LUMO band gap (2.820 eV) among all Re-complexes.
