A novel µ-oxo-diruthenium(III,III)-ibuprofen-(4-aminopyridine) chloride derived from the diruthenium(II,III)-ibuprofen paddlewheel metallodrug shows anticancer properties.

Diruthenium(II,III) metal-metal multiply bonded paddlewheel complexes bearing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are promising anticancer metallodrugs. The [Ru2(Ibp)4Cl] (Ibp, ibuprofenate anion from HIbp ibuprofen drug), free or encapsulated, shows anticancer activity against glioblastoma (in vitro, in vivo), and against human breast and prostate cancer cells. Herein we report the interaction of [Ru2(Ibp)4Cl] and of [Ru2(Ac)4(H2O)2]PF6 (Ac, acetate) with the 4-aminopyridine (4Apy) drug. The N-ligand was capable of cleaving the paddlewheel unit with oxidation of Ru2(II,III) to Ru2(III,III)O µ-oxo core in the ibuprofen complex while the acetate complex underwent axial substitution of water by 4Apy. Carefully designed synthetic and chromatographic methods succeeded in giving the novel [Ru2O(Ibp)2(4Apy)6]Cl2 metallodrug, the first diruthenium(III,III) µ-oxo having chloride as counterion. Characterization was performed by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, electronic absorption and vibrational spectroscopies, molar conductivity and cyclic voltammetry. Kinetic studies for the µ-oxo complex (in 50:50 v/v ethanol:water) suggested an aquation/complexation equilibrium in consecutive step reactions with the exchange of the two 4Apy trans to the µ-oxo bridge by water (aquation) and the back coordination of 4Apy in excess of the N-ligand (complexation). Trypan blue assays for the novel compound showed time- and dose- dependent antiproliferative effects (at 5-50 µmol L-1) and cytotoxicity (> 20 µmol L-1), and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assays gave IC50 value of 7.6 ± 1.5 µmol L-1 (at 48 h, 1-20 µmol L-1) against U87MG human glioblastoma cells (aggressive brain glioma cancer) pointing the metallodrug as potential candidate for novel therapies in gliomas.

Growth inhibitory effects of the Diruthenium-Ibuprofen compound, [Ru2Cl(Ibp) 4], in human glioma cells in vitro and in the rat C6 orthotopic glioma in vivo.

The Diruthenium-Ibuprofen compound [Ru2Cl(Ibp)4] (or RuIbp) is known to cause significant inhibition of C6 rat glioma cell proliferation in vitro. RuIbp increased the expression of cell cycle-related proteins such as p21 and p27 and the pro-apoptotic protein Bax, as well as causing a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and a modest increase in apoptosis in vitro. The present study extended these findings by (i) investigating the effects of RuIbp on human glioma cell line proliferation in vitro and (ii) investigating the acute and chronic toxicology of the compound in normal Wistar rats. The compound was then tested for its anti-tumour properties by either chronic 14 days intra-peritoneal (IP) administration or chronic Alzet osmotic pump infusion, in the rat C6 orthotopic glioma model in vivo. The IP injection of RuIbp caused a 41 % inhibition of tumour area without significant toxic effects but with an increase in blood neutrophils and monocytes and a decrease in blood lymphocytes. In an attempt to reduce this effect RuIbp was administered by Alzet osmotic pump infusion directly into the tumour at a dose of 15 mg/kg with an infusion rate of 0.5 µL/h for 14 days. The direct infusion of RuIbp caused a 45 % inhibition of tumour area without alterations in differential blood leukocyte counts. These results prove the efficacy of RuIbp in human glioma cell lines in vitro and in an in vivo glioma model and point to its potential as an inhibitor of tumour growth in vivo.

Thermodynamics of axial substitution and kinetics of reactions with amino acids for the paddlewheel complex tetrakis(acetato)chloridodiruthenium(II,III).

The known paddlewheel, tetrakis(acetato)chloridodiruthenium(II,III), offers a versatile synthetic route to a novel class of antitumor diruthenium(II,III) metallo drugs, where the equatorial ligands are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory carboxylates. This complex was studied here as a soluble starting prototype model for antitumor analogues to elucidate the reactivity of the [Ru(2)(CH(3)COO)(4)](+) framework. Thermodynamic studies on equilibration reactions for axial substitution of water by chloride and kinetic studies on reactions of the diaqua complexes with the amino acids glycine, cysteine, histidine, and tryptophan were performed. The standard thermodynamic reaction parameters ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔV° were determined and showed that both of the sequential axial substitution reactions are enthalpy driven. Kinetic rate laws and rate constants were determined for the axial substitution reactions of coordinated water by the amino acids that gave the corresponding aqua(amino acid)-Ru(2) substituted species. The results revealed that the [Ru(2)(CH(3)COO)(4)](+) paddlewheel framework remained stable during the axial ligand substitution reactions and was also mostly preserved in the presence of the amino acids.