Synthesis,cytotoxicity, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of a monoruthenium(II)-substituted Dawson polyoxotungstate

By 5-h reaction of cis-[Ru^IICl₂(DMSO)₄] (M2) with K₁₀[α₂-P₂W₁₇O₆₁] (M3) in ice-cooled, HCl-acidic aqueous solution, a water-soluble 1:2-type diamagnetic ruthenium(II) complex of formula K₁₈[Ru^II(DMSO)₂(P₂W₁₇O₆₁)₂]·35H₂O (M1) was unexpectedly obtained as an analytically pure, homogeneous tan-colored solid, in which two DMSO ligands are coordinated to the ruthenium(II) atom. The cytotoxic potential of the complex was tested on C33A, DLD-1, and HepG-2 cancer cells and human normal embryonic lung fibroblasts cell MRC-5; the viability of the treated cells was evaluated by MTT assay. The mode of cell death was assessed by morphological study of DNA damage and apoptosis assays. Compound M1 induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner, and the mode of cell death was essentially apoptosis though necrosis was also noticed. Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry indicated that M1 caused cell cycle arrest and accumulated cells in S phase.     

Dimethyltin(IV) complexes derived from hydroxamic acid and acylhydrazone ligands: Synthesis,DNA/bovine serum albumin interaction and cytotoxicity

Two novel dimethyltin(IV) complexes, Me₂SnL¹(PyCOO)(MeOH) ( 1 ) and Me₂SnL² ( 2 ) (HL¹ = 4‐pyridinehydroxamic acid and H₂L² = 2‐hydroxy‐N′‐[(2‐hydroxy‐5‐chlorophenyl)methylidene]benzoylhydrazone), were synthesized and characterized using elemental analyses, Fourier transform infrared and NMR (¹H, ¹³C) spectroscopies and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. In complex 1 the geometry around the tin atom is a six‐coordinated distorted octahedral configuration, while complex 2 exhibits five‐coordinated distorted trigonal bipyramid geometry. Preliminary in vitro cytotoxicity studies with two human cancer cell lines (HeLa and A549) using MTT assay show that complex 1 is more potent than complex 2 . The interactions of the two complexes with calf thymus DNA and bovine serum albumin were also investigated using UV–visible absorption spectral, thermal denaturation and viscosity measurements and docking analysis. Investigations indicate that the structures of the mixed ligands play an important role in the properties of the dimethyltin(IV) complexes, and, to some extent, the antitumor activities of the complexes are partly related to interactions with DNA and some proteins in cancer cells.     

Structural aspects of a trimetallic CuII derivative: cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative activity on human cancer cell lines

A trimetallic Cu^II derivative, [Cu₃(L)₂(CF₃COO)₂] (1) (where H₂L = N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-1,3-propanediamine), was prepared and characterized. In 1, the two terminal Cu^II ions are linked to the central Cu^II by trifluoroacetato and doubly bridging phenoxido. Both the square-pyramidal and octahedral geometries are observed among two different Cu^II centers in the linear arrangement of the trimetallic unit. Compound 1 is characterized by IR and UV-Vis spectra. Compound 1 has high cytotoxic activity in breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), colorectal carcinoma (HCT116) and particularly, in ovarian carcinoma (A2780) cell line compared to a lung adenocarcinoma cell line. The IC₅₀ in A2780 cells is 25 times lower than the respective value for normal human primary fibroblasts demonstrating 1 has higher cytotoxicity towards cancer cells. Additionally, combination of DOX with 1 induces a higher loss of HCT116 cell viability compared with each drug alone.     

Hybrid modeling and simulation of stochastic effects on progression through the eukaryotic cell cycle

The eukaryotic cell cycle is regulated by a complicated chemical reaction network. Although many deterministic models have been proposed, stochastic models are desired to capture noise in the cell resulting from low numbers of critical species. However, converting a deterministic model into one that accurately captures stochastic effects can result in a complex model that is hard to build and expensive to simulate. In this paper, we first apply a hybrid (mixed deterministic and stochastic) simulation method to such a stochastic model. With proper partitioning of reactions between deterministic and stochastic simulation methods, the hybrid method generates the same primary characteristics and the same level of noise as Gillespie's stochastic simulation algorithm, but with better efficiency. By studying the results generated by various partitionings of reactions, we developed a new strategy for hybrid stochastic modeling of the cell cycle. The new approach is not limited to using mass-action rate laws. Numerical experiments demonstrate that our approach is consistent with characteristics of noisy cell cycle progression, and yields cell cycle statistics in accord with experimental observations.     

Hollow fiber liquid phase microextraction combined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for the determination of methylmercury in human hair and sludge samples

Two methods, based on hollow fiber liquid–liquid–liquid (three phase) microextraction (HF-LLLME) and hollow fiber liquid phase (two phase) microextraction (HF-LPME), have been developed and critically compared for the determination of methylmercury content in human hair and sludge by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). In HF-LPME, methylmercury was extracted into the organic phase (toluene) prior to its determination by GFAAS, while inorganic mercury remained as a free species in the sample solution. In HF-LLLME, methylmercury was first extracted into the organic phase (toluene) and then into the acceptor phase (4% thiourea in 1 mol L^− 1 HCl) prior to its determination by GFAAS, while inorganic mercury remained in the sample solution. The total mercury was determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and the levels of inorganic mercury in both HF-LLLME and HF-LPME were obtained by subtracting methylmercury from total mercury. The factors affecting the microextraction of methylmercury, including organic solvent, extraction time, stirring rate and ionic strength, were investigated and the optimal extraction conditions were established for both HF-LLLPME and HF-LPME. With a consumption of 3.0 mL of the sample solution, the enrichment factors were 204 and 55 for HF-LLLPME and HF-LPME, respectively. The limits of detection (LODs) for methylmercury were 0.1 μg L^− 1 and 0.4 μg L^− 1 (as Hg) with precisions (RSDs (%), c = 5 μg L^− 1 (as Hg), n = 5) of 13% and 11% for HF-LLLPME–GFAAS and HF-LPME–GFAAS, respectively. For ICP-MS determination of total mercury, a limit of detection of 39 ng L^− 1 was obtained. Finally, HF-LLLME–GFAAS was applied to the determination of methylmercury content in human hair and sludge, and the recoveries for the spiked samples were in the range of 99–113%. In order to validate the method, HF-LLLME–GFAAS was also applied to the analysis of a certified reference material of NRCC DORM-2 dogfish muscle, and the determined values were in good agreement with the certified values.     

The formation of a metallosupramolecular porous helicate through salicylaldehydethiosemicarbazone: Synthesis,Characterization, Cytotoxic activity,DNA binding and DFT calculations

The reaction of salicylaldehyde‐S‐methylisothiosemicarbazone in the presence of ethylenediamine base and iron (III)chloride generated unforeseen homotopic dinuclear triple‐stranded iron (III)helicate. The synthesized helicate was characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, magnetic moment measurement, and evaluated cytotoxic activities against K562, HL‐60 and THP‐1 leukemia cells. In addition, solid‐state structure has been determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction technique. In the complex, three dinucleating O, N, N, O donor ligands provide three diazine (═N─N═) bridges between the metal ions and facial O₃N₃ coordination spheres around them. The ligands are folded about the N ─ N single bond and coordinated to the two metal ions in a helical fashion to form the triple helical structure. In the crystal lattice, chains of centrosymmetric rings, which are connected to one another via π─π stacking interactions, are generated by C─H···O intermolecular interactions. The results are also confirmed by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results obtained from the cytotoxicity test showed to be effective in low concentrations on the leukemia cells. An intercalative binding mode of helicate‐DNA complex was confirmed with the high intrinsic binding constant (K_b = 8×10⁶ M^?1) and competitive displacement assay of Ethidium bromide with high Ksv value.     

Synthesis,characterization, biological studies and in vitro cytotoxicity on human cancer cell lines of titanium(IV) and tin(IV) derivatives with the α,α′‐dimercapto‐o‐xylene ligand

The reaction of α,α′‐dimercapto‐o‐xylene (H₂dmox) with different precursors such as SnMe₂Cl₂, [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₅)₂Cl₂] and [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₄Me)₂Cl₂] (1:1) in the presence of two equivalents of NEt₃ yielded the complexes [SnMe₂(dmox)] (1), [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₅)₂(dmox)] (2) and [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₄Me)₂(dmox)] (3), respectively. 1–3 have been characterized by spectroscopic methods; in addition, complex 3 has been determined by X‐ray diffraction studies. Furthermore, structural studies based on density functional theory calculations of 1 and 2 have been carried out. The cytotoxic activity of 1–3 was tested against the tumour cell lines human adenocarcinoma HeLa, human myelogenous leukaemia K562 and human malignant melanoma Fem‐x. The results of this study show a higher cytotoxicity of the tin(IV) complex (1) in comparison to their titanium(IV) counterparts (2 and 3) as well as an improvement in the cytotoxic activity of compounds 2 and 3 compared to their titanocene(IV) dichloride analogues [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₅)₂Cl₂] and [Ti(η⁵‐C₅H₄Me)₂Cl₂]. In view of the relatively high cytotoxicity of compound 1, a detailed study on the effects of the in vitro treatment of cancer cell lines using this compound was carried out. Thus cell cycle experiments on all the studied cell lines treated with 1 show that this complex seems to cause disturbances in the G1 phase of HeLa, and in the G1 and G2/M phases of Fem‐x cell line, while almost no disturbances were observed in the cycle of K562 cells treated with 1. Finally, DNA laddering method showed that treatment of the HeLa and Fem‐x cell lines with IC₉₀ doses of 1 resulted in the induction of apoptosis. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metal(II) complexes of bioactive aminonaphthoquinone-based ligand: synthesis,characterization and BSA binding,DNA binding/cleavage,and cytotoxicity studies

An aminonaphthoquinone ligand, L, and its metal complexes of general formula [MLCl₂] {M = Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)} have been synthesized and characterized by analytical and spectral techniques. Tetrahedral geometry has been assigned to Ni(II) and Zn(II) complexes and square planar geometry to Co(II) and Cu(II) complexes on the basis of electronic spectral and magnetic susceptibility data. The binding of complexes with bovine serum albumin (BSA) is relatively stronger than that of free ligand and alters the conformation of the protein molecule. Interaction of these complexes with CT-DNA has been investigated using UV-Vis and fluorescence quenching experiments, which show that the complexes bind strongly to DNA through intercalative mode of binding (K_app 10⁵ M^?1). Molecular docking studies reiterate the mode of binding of these compounds with DNA, proposed by spectral studies. The ligand and its complexes cleave plasmid DNA pUC18 to nicked (Form II) and linear (Form III) forms in the presence of H₂O₂ oxidant. The in vitro cytotoxicity screening shows that Cu(II) complex is more potent against MCF-7 cells and Zn(II) complex exhibits marked cytotoxicity against A-549 cells equal to that of cisplatin. Cell imaging studies suggested apoptosis mode of cell death in these two chosen cell lines.     

Production of artifact methylmercury during the analysis of certified reference sediments: use of ionic exchange in the sample treatment step to minimise the problem

Production of artifact methylmercury (MeHg⁺) during the analysis of two certified reference sediments, CRM-580 and IAEA-405, was investigated. Leaching of the analyte from the solid sample was achieved by ultrasound assisted acidic extraction. The aqueous leachate was either ethylated (NaBEt₄) or phenylated (NaBPh₄) using acetic/acetate or citric/citrate to buffer the solution. Preconcentration of the volatile compounds was carried out by extraction with an organic solvent (n-hexane) or solid phase microextraction (SPME). MeHg⁺ was finally separated and detected by gas chromatography with atomic emission or mass spectrometry detection (GC-MIP-AED or GC-MS). In all the cases the concentrations obtained for MeHg⁺ in the CRM-580 were significantly higher than the certified value. For the IAEA-405, however, the MeHg⁺ concentration found was always statistically indistinguishable from the certified value. Experiments were also conducted with synthetic samples, such as aqueous mixtures of MeHg⁺ and inorganic mercury (Hg²⁺) or silica-gel spiked with both compounds. The methylation rates found (defined as the percentage of Hg²⁺ present in the sample which methylates to give artifact MeHg⁺) ranged from not observable (in certain synthetic aqueous mixtures) to 0.57% (analysis of CRM-580 under certain conditions). As the amount of Hg²⁺ available in the sample seems to be the main factor controlling the magnitude of the artifact, several experiments were conducted using an ionic exchange resin (Dowex M-41) in order to minimise the concentration of this chemical in the reaction medium. First, a hydrochloric leachate of the sample was passed through a microcolumn packed with the exchanger. Second, the resin was mixed with the sample prior to extraction with HCl. In both cases, the predominant Hg²⁺ species, HgCl₄²⁻, was adsorbed on the resin, whereas MeHg⁺, mainly as MeHgCl, remained in solution. Following the second option, a new method to analyse MeHg⁺ in conflictive matrices like certain sediments was proposed. This approach produced better results for the CRM-580, but a MeHg⁺ concentration slightly, but statistically significant, higher than the reference value was still obtained.     

A new cytotoxic diterpenoid glycoside from the leaves of Blumea lacera and its effects on apoptosis and cell cycle

A new diterpenoid glycoside, 6E,10E,14Z-(3S)-17-hydroxygeranyllinalool-17-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1?→?2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1?→?6)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (1) together with the known diterpenoid glycoside (2) and two known flavonoid glycosides (3, 4) were isolated from the methanol extract of Blumea lacera leaves. The structures were determined by the interpretation of their spectroscopic data and comparison with the literature. All compounds were isolated for the first time from B. lacera and evaluated for their cytotoxic activity. Only the new compound (1) showed strong cytotoxic activity with the lowest IC₅₀ value (8.3 μM) being displayed against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In apoptosis and cell cycle analysis, 1 revealed strong apoptotic activity against MCF-7 cells (45.5% AV⁺/PI^?) after 24 h, but showed no arresting of any of the cell cycle phases in MCF-7.     

The synthesis and photoactivated cytotoxicity of novel 5-phenyl-3- （2,2＇：5＇,2″-terthien-5-yl）-4,5-dihydro-lH-pyrazolines

A series of novel 5-phenyl-3-（2,2＇：5＇,2″-terthien-5-yl）-4,5-dihydro-lH-pyrazolines were synthesized in this report. Their photoactivated cytotoxicities on the 5podoptera litura （SL） cell line were evaluated using the MTT method. It was noticed that the inhibitory activities of all the conjugates was enhanced when irradiated with UV-A light. Compounds 4, 6 and 8 were found to be most effective with inhibition rates of 88.1%, 88.0%, and 90,5%, respectively, For compound B, the inhibition rate value was only slightly enhanced under the irradiation treatment （78.3%） compared to the dark treatment （74.8%）. The relationship analysis between structure and activity showed that the middle thiophene ring played an important role on the inhibitory activities. It was shown that these compounds could be the potential candidates for new photoactivated pesticides.     

Natural product-derived modulators of cell cycle progression and viral entry by enantioselective oxa Diels-Alder reactions on the solid phase

The underlying frameworks of natural product classes with multiple biological activities can be regarded as biologically selected and prevalidated starting points in vast chemical structure space in the development of compound collections for chemical biology and medicinal chemistry research. For the synthesis of natural product-derived and -inspired compound collections, the development of enantioselective transformations in a format amenable to library synthesis, e.g., on the solid support, is a major and largely unexplored goal. We report on the enantioselective solid-phase synthesis of a natural product-inspired alpha,beta-unsaturated delta-lactone collection and its investigation in cell-based screens monitoring cell cycle progression and viral entry into cells. The screens identified modulators of both biological processes at a high hit rate. The screen for inhibition of viral entry opens up avenues of research for the identification of compounds with antiviral activity.     

Cytotoxicity of syringin and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol isolated from Foeniculum vulgare on selected human cell lines

This study was carried out to determine the cytotoxic effect of seven plant extracts and the isolated compounds – syringin and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol – on cancerous and non-cancerous cells. The ethanol extract of Foeniculum vulgare was found to exhibit the most significant toxicity with an IC₅₀ value of 19.97 μg/mL on HeLa cells. Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of two compounds, syringin (1) and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol (2). Both compounds showed toxicity against MCF-7, HeLa and DU145 cancer cell line. The results showed that compound 2 showed high toxicity against all the cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 14.24, 7.82 and 22.10 μg/mL, respectively. 4-Methoxycinnamyl alcohol also showed no apoptotic effect in cell cycle analysis after 48 h at a concentration of 10 μg/mL. However, DNA fragmentation study revealed that necrosis took place at a concentration of 10 μg/mL after 48 h exposure.     

Studies on the manganese and copper complexes derived from chiral Schiff base: synthesis,structure, cytotoxicity and DNA/BSA interaction

Abstract

Three new manganese and copper complexes, [Mn(ONO-(S)L¹)₂] (1), [Cu(ONO-(R)L²)]₄·2CH₃OH (2), and [Mn₃(ONO-(S)L³)₄(OAc)₄(H₂O)₂] (3), {[H₂L¹ = (S)-2-phenyl-2-(2-hydroxy-5-chlorobenzylideneamino)ethane-1-ol], H₂L² = (R)-2-(2-hydroxy-5-chlorobenzylideneamino)butane-1-ol] and H₂L³ = (S)-2-phenyl-2-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylideneamino)ethane-1-ol]}, have been synthesized. The crystal structures of 1–3 were determined through single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure of mononuclear 1 shows a six-coordinate octahedral geometry around the manganese ion. Complex 2 is a five-coordinate tetranuclear copper complex with the central Cu atoms adopting distorted square pyramidal geometry. Complex 3 shows a trinuclear structure with the six-coordinate Mn ions surrounded by four L³ ligands and acetate ions. The in vitro cytotoxicity screening revealed that the 1–3 had substantial cytotoxicity against three cancer cell lines (HepG2, MDA-MB-231, and A549), even higher than that of cisplatin. Inspiringly, 2 derived from (R)-Schiff base ligand H₂L² was more potent against MDA-MB-231 cells. Interaction of 1–3 with calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA) has been investigated using UV-vis, viscosity and thermal denaturation experiments. It was found that 1 binds with DNA through intercalation while 2 and 3 interact with DNA probably through groove-binding and electrostatic mode. In addition, the capability of the complexes to bind with bovine serum albumin was monitored using some spectral techniques. The metal ions, chiral and nuclearity have significant influences on the properties of the title compounds.     

A novel quantitative model of cell cycle progression based on cyclin-dependent kinases activity and population balances

Cell cycle regulates proliferative cell capacity under normal or pathologic conditions, and in general it governs all in vivo/in vitro cell growth and proliferation processes. Mathematical simulation by means of reliable and predictive models represents an important tool to interpret experiment results, to facilitate the definition of the optimal operating conditions for in vitro cultivation, or to predict the effect of a specific drug in normal/pathologic mammalian cells. Along these lines, a novel model of cell cycle progression is proposed in this work. Specifically, it is based on a population balance (PB) approach that allows one to quantitatively describe cell cycle progression through the different phases experienced by each cell of the entire population during its own life. The transition between two consecutive cell cycle phases is simulated by taking advantage of the biochemical kinetic model developed by Gérard and Goldbeter (2009) which involves cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) whose regulation is achieved through a variety of mechanisms that include association with cyclins and protein inhibitors, phosphorylation–dephosphorylation, and cyclin synthesis or degradation. This biochemical model properly describes the entire cell cycle of mammalian cells by maintaining a sufficient level of detail useful to identify check point for transition and to estimate phase duration required by PB. Specific examples are discussed to illustrate the ability of the proposed model to simulate the effect of drugs for in vitro trials of interest in oncology, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.     

Studies on mimicry of naturally occurring annonaceous acetogenins: non-THF analogues leading to remarkable selective cytotoxicity against human tumor cells

A class of structurally simplified analogues of the naturally occurring annonaceous acetogenins were developed, amongst which some non-THF analogues showed remarkable cytotoxicities against tumor cell lines, as well as good selectivity between human tumor cells and normal cells. The synthetic routes were significantly shortened because of the removal of the chiral centers bearing the THF rings on the natural templates. This simplification also provides access to the parallel synthesis of these mimics by a combinatorial strategy. The remaining stereogenic centers at the positions alpha to the ethereal links were introduced by the Chiron approach from the easily accessible chiral building blocks 6a and/or 6b, made in turn from L-ascorbic acid or D-mannitol, while the one in the butenolide segment was taken from L-lactate. All four diastereomeric non-THF analogues 2a-2d showed remarkable activity against the HCT-8 cell line, and better differentiation was found when testing against the HT-29 cell line. It was also discovered that both the butenolide and ethylene glycol subunits play essential roles in the cytotoxicities against tumor cell lines, while the 10-substituted hydroxy group and the absolute configuration of methyl group at the butenolide moiety are less important for their activity.     

Multiple mechanisms for cytotoxicity induced by copper(II) complexes of 2‐acetylpyrazine‐N‐substituted thiosemicarbazones

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanism by which 2‐acetylpyrazine‐⁴N‐substituted thiosemicarbazone copper II complexes mediate their cytotoxicity. These compounds were shown to be cytotoxic to a variety of human and rodent tumors in cell culture and are potent cytocidal agents as determined by dilute agar colony assays. They demonstrated the ability to inhibit several enzymes in vitro including DNA topoisomerase II activity. The data presented suggest that cytotoxicity may be mediated by the cumulative effect of several enzymes being inhibited by the agents. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.