The high photoactivity of m-THPC in photodynamic therapy. Unusually strong retention of m-THPC by RIF-1 cells in culture

5,10,15,20-Tetra(m-hydroxyphenyl)chlorin (m-THPC, Foscan) is an extremely powerful photosensitizer showing up to 200 times the photodynamic activity of Photofrin in patients, in terms of drug/light dose. The influence of treatment conditions on the photodynamic efficacy of m-THPC has been compared to polyhematoporphyrin (PHP), a Photofrin equivalent, and a cationic pyridinium zinc (II) phthalocyanine (PPC), using the RIF-1 cell line. As predicted, the presence of serum during sensitizer incubation reduced the photodynamic efficacy of all three sensitizers. However, the presence of serum during the illumination period only had an inhibitory effect with PHP and PPC but not m-THPC. Quantification of the intracellular levels of sensitizer revealed that this was due to the efflux of PPC and PHP but not m-THPC into the medium, suggesting that m-THPC is tightly sequestered on entering the cell. This may partially explain the high efficacy of m-THPC in clinical photodynamic therapy and also highlights the importance not only of incubation conditions but also illumination conditions when in vitro comparisons are performed.     

Investigation of cross-resistance to a range of photosensitizers, hyperthermia and UV light in two radiation-induced fibrosarcoma cell strains resistant to photodynamic therapy in vitro

Two distinct photodynamic therapy-resistant variants of the murine radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) cell line have been isolated. One strain displayed relative resistance over the parental RIF-1 strain to treatment with the porphyrin-based compound, polyhaematoporphyrin (PHP), whereas the other strain displayed relative resistance over the RIF-1 strain to treatment using the cationic zinc (II) pyridinium-substituted phthalocyanine (PPC). The PHP-resistant strain did not display cross-resistance to PPC-mediated treatment, and vice versa. In both PDT-resistant strains, the increased resistance could not be attributed to altered cellular growth rate, antioxidant capacity or intracellular sensitizer localization. The PHP-resistant strain displayed resistance to treatment with both short (1 h) and extended (16 h) sensitizer incubation periods, which may indicate that in this strain, the resistance has arisen through an alteration in a membrane component. Conversely, the PPC-resistant strain only displayed increased resistance over the parental cells to treatment involving the short drug incubation, which is likely to reflect the existence of a threshold effect caused by the alteration of an individual cellular target. Each resistant strain has been compared to the parental strain in terms of cellular sensitivity to treatment with a range of other photosensitizers, hyperthermia, UV light and the anticancer agent cis-diamminedichloroplatinum. The PHP-resistant strain exhibited crossresistance to photosensitization treatment using exogenously added protoporphyrin IX, and also to treatment with the anionic phthalocyanine sensitizers, zinc (II) tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine and zinc (II) tetraglycine-substituted phthalocyanine. The PPC-resistant strain did not display cross-resistance to any of the treatment strategies employed in this investigation. The results of this investigation indicate that there are at least two distinct mechanisms of PDT resistance in RIF cells, and that the mechanism of PHP resistance may, to some extent depend, upon the physical nature of the sensitizer molecule.     

SYNTHESIS AND PHOTOCYTOTOXICITY OF SOME NEW SUBSTITUTED PHTHALOCYANINES

Some new, ring-substituted phthalocyanines have been synthesized and underwent preliminary testing for photodynamic activity using the colony forming ability of Chinese hamster cells in culture as an endpoint. Using 4-(3-N,N-diethylaminopropyl)phthalonitrile as a precursor, the previously unknown metal-free 2,9,16,23-tetra-(3-N,N-diethylaminopropyl)phthalocyanine was prepared and converted to its zinc (II) and its cationic water-soluble 2,9,16,23-tetramethylammonium zinc (II) iodide derivatives. Other new phthalocyanine derivatives tested, include a 2,9,16,23-tetra(2-hydroxymethyl-2-methylbutoxy)phthalocyaninato zinc (II) and 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octahydroxyphthalocyaninato zinc (II) derivatives. Boron tribromide cleavage of the newly prepared and fully characterized 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octamethoxyphthalocyanine gave the unstable metal-free octahydroxyphthalocyanine, which could only be characterized by ultraviolet-visible, NMR and IR spectroscopy.     

Fully Protected Glycosylated Zinc (II) Phthalocyanine Shows High Uptake and Photodynamic Cytotoxicity in MCF‐7 Cancer Cells

Phthalocyanine photosensitizers are effective in anticancer photodynamic therapy (PDT) but suffer from limited solubility, limited cellular uptake and limited selectivity for cancer cells. To improve these characteristics, we synthesized isopropylidene‐protected and partially deprotected tetra β‐glycosylated zinc (II) phthalocyanines and compared their uptake and accumulation kinetics, subcellular localization, in vitro photocytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species generation with those of disulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine. In MCF‐7 cancer cells, one of the compounds, zinc phthalocyanine {4}, demonstrated 10‐fold higher uptake, 5‐fold greater PDT‐induced cellular reactive oxygen species concentration and 2‐fold greater phototoxicity than equimolar (9 μm ) disulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine. Thus, isopropylidene‐protected β‐glycosylation of phthalocyanines provides a simple method of improving the efficacy of PDT.     

酞菁化合物光敏化氧化-还原反应的研究——Ⅲ.在胶束体系中光敏化还原甲基紫精的研究

本文报道我们合成的几种锌酞菁衍生物在胶束体系中,在电子给体EDTA的存在下,光敏化还原甲基紫精(MV²⁺)的研究.结果表明,锌酞菁及其衍生物在阳离子表面活性剂的胶束体系中,其敏化效果比在中性或阴离子表面活性剂的胶束体系中更为有效.结构不同的锌酞菁衍生物的敏化效果亦有显著的差异,其中锌酞菁磺酰丁胺敏化效果最好,锌酞菁羧酸次之.用它们作敏化剂时,MV²⁺形成的量子产率一般高达0.4—0.7,比没有取代基的锌酞菁的敏化效果高.     

Synthesis,electrochemical, in situ spectroelectrochemical and in situ electrocolorimetric characterization of new phthalocyanines peripherally fused to four flexible crown ether moieties

Novel Ni(II), Zn(II), Co(II) and Cu(II) phthalocyanines with four peripheral 4-[methyleneoxy(18-crown-6)] groups have been synthesized via the cyclic tetramerization of 4-[{(18-crown-6)-yl}methyleneoxy]phthalonitrile and the corresponding metal salts (NiCl₂, Zn(CH₃COO)₂, CoCl₂ and CuCl₂). The thermal stabilities of the metal-free and metallophthalocyanine compounds were determined by thermogravimetric analysis. The structures of the target compounds were confirmed using elemental analysis, IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, UV–Vis and MS spectral data. Voltammetric and in situ spectroelectrochemical measurements show that while the cobalt phthalocyanine complex gives both metal-based and ring-based redox processes, the metal-free, nickel, zinc and copper phthalocyanines show only ring-based reduction and oxidation processes. An in situ electrocolorimetric method has been applied to investigate the color of the electro-generated anionic and cationic forms of the complexes.     

Decreased efficiency of trypsinization of cells following photodynamic therapy: evaluation of a role for tissue transglutaminase

Identifying the cellular responses to photodynamic therapy (PDT) is important if the mechanisms of cellular damage are to be fully understood. The relationship between sensitizer, fluence rate and the removal of cells by trypsinization was studied using the RIF-1 cell line. Following treatment of RIF-1 cells with pyridinium zinc (II) phthalocyanine (PPC), or polyhaematoporphyrin at 10 mW cm-2 (3 J cm-2), there was a significant number of cells that were not removed by trypsin incubation compared to controls. Decreasing the fluence rate from 10 to 2.5 mW cm-2 resulted in a two-fold increase in the number of cells attached to the substratum when PPC used as sensitizer; however, with 5,10,15,20 meso-tetra(hydroxyphenyl) chlorine (m-THPC) there was no resistance to trypsinization following treatment at either fluence rate. The results indicate that resistance of cells to trypsinization following PDT is likely to be both sensitizer and fluence rate dependent. Increased activity of the enzyme tissue-transglutaminase (tTGase) was observed following PPC-PDT, but not following m-THPC-PDT. Similar results were obtained using HT29 human colonic carcinoma and ECV304 human umbilical vein endothelial cell lines. Hamster fibrosarcoma cell (Met B) clones transfected with human tTGase also exhibited resistance to trypsinization following PPC-mediated photosensitization; however, a similar degree of resistance was observed in PDT-treated control Met B cells suggesting that tTGase activity alone was not involved in this process.     

Umbelliferone Decorated Water-soluble Zinc(II) Phthalocyanines – In Vitro Phototoxic Antimicrobial Anti-cancer Agents

In this contribution we report on the synthesis, characterization and application of water-soluble zinc(II) phthalocyanines, which are decorated with four or eight umbelliferone moieties for photodynamic therapy (PDT). These compounds are linked peripherally to zinc(II) phthalocyanine by a triethylene glycol linker attached to pyridines, leading to cationic pyridinium units, able to increase the water solubility of the system. Beside their photophysical properties they were analyzed concerning their cellular distribution in human hepatocyte carcinoma (HepG2) cells as well as their phototoxicity towards HepG2 cells, Gram-positive (S. aureus strain 3150/12 and B. subtilis strain DB104) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli strain UTI89 and E. coli strain Nissle 1917). At low light doses and concentrations, they exhibit superb antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria as well as anti-tumor activity against HepG2. They are even capable to inactivate Gram-negative bacteria, whereas the dark toxicity remains low. These unique water-soluble compounds can be regarded as all-in-one type photosensitizers with broad applications ranges in the future.     

Novel thiol-derivatized zinc(II) phthalocyanines

Preparation and characterization of tetrasubstituted zinc(II) phthalocyanines in which sulfur is not linked to the macrocycle are reported herein for the first time. Thioacetic acid S-[3-(3,4-dicyano-phenoxy)-propyl]ester (4) was synthesized in 55% yield from 4-nitrophthalonitrile and thioacetic acid S-(3-hydroxy-propyl)ester (3). Tetrasusbtituted thiol-derivatized zinc(II) phthalocyanine 5 was obtained from 4 and zinc acetate in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene in butanol. Treatment of 5 with sodium methoxide afforded phthalocyanine 6.     

Synthesis and photophysical studies of phthalocyanine-gold nanoparticle conjugates

This work reports on the synthesis, characterization and photophysical studies of phthalocyanine-gold nanoparticle conjugates. The phthalocyanine complexes are: tris-(5-trifluoromethyl-2-mercaptopyridine)-2-(carboxy)phthalocyanine (3), 2,9,17,23-tetrakis-[(1, 6-hexanedithiol) phthalocyaninato]zinc(II) (8) and [8,15,22-tris-(naptho)-2(amidoethanethiol) phthalocyanato] zinc(II)(10). The gold nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy where the size was confirmed to be ～5 nm. The phthalocyanine Au nanoparticle conjugates showed lower fluorescence quantum yield values with similar fluorescence lifetimes compared to the free phthalocyanines. The Au nanoparticle conjugates of 3 and 10 also showed higher triplet quantum yields of 0.69 to 0.71, respectively. A lower triplet quantum yield was obtained for the conjugate compared to free phthalocyanine for complex 8. The triplet lifetimes ranged from 70 to 92 μs for the conjugates and from 110 to 304 μs for unbound Pc complexes.     

Synthesis, photophysical and photochemical properties of substituted zinc phthalocyanines

The synthesis, photophysical and photochemical properties of the 4-({3,4,5-tris-[2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyloxy]benzyl}oxy) and 4-({3,4,5-tris-[2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyloxy]benzyl}thio) zinc(ii) phthalocyanines are reported for the first time. The new compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, electronic spectroscopy and mass spectra. General trends are described for photodegradation, singlet oxygen, fluorescence and triplet excited state quantum yields, and triplet state and fluorescence lifetimes of these compounds in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The fluorescence of the complexes was quenched by benzoquinone (BQ). The effects of the substitution on the photophysical and photochemical parameters of the zinc(II) phthalocyanines (6, 7 and 8) are also reported. Photophysical and photochemical properties of phthalocyanine complexes are very useful for PDT applications. The substituted Zn(II) phthalocyanines showed high triplet and singlet oxygen quantum yields. High singlet oxygen quantum yields are very important for Type II mechanism. Thus, these complexes show potential as Type II photosensitizers.     

Preparation of a water-soluble fluorinated zinc phthalocyanine and its effect for photodynamic therapy

An amphiphilic fluorinated phthalocyanine, zinc tetracarboxyoctafluorophthalocyanine (ZnC4F8Pc) was synthesized and characterized. Its photodynamic efficiency for HeLa cells was compared with hydrophilic zinc octacarboxyphthalocyanine (ZnC8Pc) and hydrophobic zinc hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (ZnF16Pc). ZnC4F8Pc had a remarkable photodynamic effect among the phthalocyanines used. The effect is apparently caused by the fact that ZnC4F8Pc is mainly accumulated in the hydrophobic lipid membrane and is in the photoactive monomer form in HeLa cells.     

四取代羧基酞菁锌与白蛋白共价结合物的制备与光谱性质

通过成酰胺键的方式制备了一系列含羧基酞菁和白蛋白(牛血清白蛋白(BSA),人血清白蛋白(HSA))之间的共价结合物,所涉及到的酞菁分别是α-四(4-羧基苯氧基)酞菁锌(1)和α-四[4-(2-羧基乙基)苯氧基]酞菁锌(3),以及它们相应的β位四取代酞菁锌(化合物2和4).比较了游离酞菁以及它们的白蛋白结合物在磷酸盐缓冲溶液(PBS)中的光谱性质.结果表明,当酞菁被共价固定于白蛋白大分子上之后,展现出比游离酞菁更明显的单体特征吸收,而且结合物中的酞菁光谱特征不受体系pH值变化的影响.羧基在酞菁环上的取代位置,对酞菁与白蛋白结合前后的光谱转变幅度有影响,α位取代比β位取代更有利于光谱的变化.化合物1和3的白蛋白共价结合物在PBS溶液中甚至呈现出单体形式为主的光谱特征,Q带最大吸收波长分别位于697和706nm附近.     

Electrochemical,Spectroelectrochemical, and Electrocatalytic Dioxygen Reducing Properties of Peripheral Tetra-2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy Substituted Phthalocyanines

By using of peripherally tetrakis-2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy substituted Co(II), Fe(III), and Mn(III) phthalocyanines was observed to extend the redox richness of the phthalocyanine ring with the addition of reversible metal-based electron transfer couples to the phthalocyanine ring-based electron transfer processes in solution. The emergence of highly steady anionic and cationic redox species with clear spectral and colour changes both in solution and in the film during in situ spectroelectrochemical and in situ electrocolorimetric measurements pointed out their applicability as electrochromic materials. Furthermore, the phthalocyanine complexes demonstrated strong interaction with dioxygen and thus, high electrocatalytic enforcement for its reduction.     

Synthesis of trimethylammoniumphenylthio-substituted phthalocyanines with different pattern of substitution

The base-catalyzed cyclotetramerization of 3-, 4- and 4,5-dimethylaminophenylthio phthalonitriles with zinc(II)acetate afforded 1(4),8(11),15(18),22(25)- and 2(3),9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrasubstituted and 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octasubstituted Zn(II)phthalocyanines, respectively. The statistical mixed condensation of the same phthalonitriles with 1,2-dicyanobenzene gave the corresponding mono- and disubstituted derivatives. Methylation of such products afforded a series of cationic Zn(II)phthalocyanines with different pattern of substitution, with potential use as photodynamic agents in microbial infections.     

Phthalocyanines and related macrocycles for multi-electron transfer in catalysis,photochemistry and photoelectrochemistry

At different phthalocyanines and related macrocycles it is shown that one-step, multi-electron transfer and one-step, multi-change of oxidation states occur. At first, the catalytic oxidations of thiols and sulfide in the presence of different Co(II)phthalocyanines are discussed. Thiolates are oxidized to disulfides via a two-electron transfer whereas the reduction of O₂ occurs via a two- or four-electron transfer to H₂O₂ or H₂O. Zn(II) and Al(III)phthalocyanines are efficient sensitizers for the conversion of triplet to singlet dioxygen under illumination with visible light. In the presence of thiolates or sulfides an efficient photo-oxidation to sulfonic acids or sulfate is observed. The oxidation state of sulfur changes from ?2 to +4 or +6, respectively. This process of singlet oxygen reactions finds application in the photodynamic therapy of cancer. The unsubstituted zinc(II)-phthalocyanine as p-type molecular semiconductor can efficienfly reduce O₂ in photoelectrochemical experiments whereas zinc(II)phthalocyanines with electronwithdrawing groups as n-type conductors are active in the photoelectrochemical oxidation of thiols. All processes include multi-electron transfer. The electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ is investigated at electrodes modified with Co(II)phthalocyanine. In particular, the phthalocyanine in a polyvinylpyridine membrane is active, so the CO₂ is reduced to CO by multi-electron transfer. In addition, two photon excitations of a Mg(II)phthalocyanine are presented and some examples are reviewed.     

Phthalocyanines prepared from 4-chloro-/4-hexylthio-5-(4-phenyloxyacetic acid)phthalonitriles and functionalization of the related phthalocyanines with hydroxymethylferrocene

The phthalonitrile derivative chosen for the synthesis of substituted phthalocyanines [M: 2H, Zn(II), Co(II)] with four chloro and four phenyloxyacetic acid substituents on the periphery is 4-chloro-5-(4-phenyloxyacetic acid)phthalonitrile. The sodium salt of carboxyl substituted zinc phthalocyanine is good soluble in water. Further reactions of zinc and cobalt phthalocyanines bearing phenyloxyacetic acid with thionylchloride gave the corresponding acylchlorides. This functional group reacted with hydroxymethylferrocene in dry DMF to obtain ferrocenyl substituted phthalocyanines. Also chloro substituent in new phthalonitrile was substituted with hexylsulfanyl substituent and its cyclotetramerization in the presence of Zn(AcO)₂·2H₂O and 2-(dimethylamino)ethanol resulted with zinc phthalocyanine. The compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, MALDI-TOF mass, FT-IR, ¹H NMR, UV-Vis and fluorescence data. Aggregations properties of phthalocyanines were investigated at different concentrations in tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, water, and water/ethanol mixture. Also fluorescence spectral properties are reported.     

Nanoscopic fibrous assemblies made of metallophthalocyanine-terminated amphiphilic polymers

Atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of acrylates from the initiator-modified zinc phthalocyanine yielded amphiphilic, phthalocyanine-terminated polymers with a narrow molecular-weight distribution. The disklike phthalocyanine moiety was incorporated into one end of the polymer chain. We investigated the aggregation behavior of phthalocyanine-terminated polymers in solution and in the solid state by using UV-visible, FT-IR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and temperature-controlled powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Amphiphilic phthalocaynine-terminated polymers that possess a poly[tri(ethylene glycol)methyl ether acrylate] chain aggregate in methanol to form a physical gel. Images from atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicate that the physical gel contains a dense fibrous network structure, in which the zinc phthalocyanine groups were stacked into one-dimensional columnar aggregates through intermolecular pi-pi interactions between the pi-conjugated phthalocyanines and through van der Waals interaction of alkyl chains.     

SYNTHESIS OF POSITIVELY CHARGED PHTHALOCYANINES and THEIR ACTIVITY IN THE PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY OF CANCER CELLS

Positively charged zinc containing or metal free phthalocyanines 6a-c and 7a-c were prepared via a three step procedure starting from 4-nitrophthalonitrile. The phthalocyanines contain alkyl chains of different length in order to influence the hydrophilic vs lipophilic character of the compounds. The partition between a hydrophilic (water) and lipophilic (octanol-1) phase was determined, and the photoredox activities were investigated. Initial results on the photodynamic activity of these compounds were compared with those of Dougherty's Photofrin II on different malignant and non-malignant cell lines (XP 29MAmal, CX1, HeLa, S180 and NO17). Positively charged phthalocyanines in vitro showed a higher photodynamic activity than Photofrin II.     

PHTHALOCYANINE AND NAPHTHALOCYANINE PHOTOSENSITIZED OXIDATION OF 2'-DEOXYGUANOSINE: DISTINCT TYPE I AND TYPE II PRODUCTS

Abstract
The photodynamic properties of the di-and tetrasulfonated zinc and aluminium phthalocyanines and a tetrasulfonated aluminium napththalocyanine were studied using 2'-deoxyguanosine as a DNA model compound. The major photooxidation products of this nucleoside were identified and classified according to their formation through a radical mechanism (type I) or a singlet oxygen mediated mechanism (type II). The major type I product was obtained and identified as 2,2-diamino [(2-deoxy-β- d - erythro pentofuranosyl)-4-amino]-5( 2H )-oxazolone. Two major type II products were characterized as the 4R* and 4S* diastereomers of 9-(2-deoxy-β- d - erythro pentofuranosyl)-7,8-dihydro-4-hydroxy-8-oxoguanine. In addition a third product, also resulting from a type II photooxidation, was identified as 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine. Quantification of these products provided a means to estimate the contribution of type I and type II pathways during the phthalocyanine and naphthalocyanine mediated photooxidation of 2'-deoxyguanosine, confirming the major role of singlet oxygen in these processes.