Characterization of the binding sites of the anticancer ruthenium(III) complexes KP1019 and KP1339 on human serum albumin via competition studies

Indazolium trans-[tetrachloridobis(1H-indazole)ruthenate(III)] (KP1019) and its Na+ analogue (KP1339) are two of the most prominent non-platinum antitumor metal complexes currently undergoing clinical trials. After intravenous administration, they are known to bind to human serum albumin (HSA) in a noncovalent manner. To elucidate their HSA binding sites, displacement reactions with the established site markers warfarin and dansylglycine as well as bilirubin were monitored by spectrofluorimetry, ultrafiltration-UV-vis spectrophotometry, and/or capillary zone electrophoresis. Conditional stability constants for the binding of KP1019 and KP1339 to sites I and II of HSA were determined, indicating that both Ru(III) compounds bind to both sites with moderately strong affinity (log K (1)' = 5.3-5.8). No preference for either binding site was found, and similar results were obtained for both metal complexes, demonstrating low influence of the counter ion on the binding event

From hydrolytically labile to hydrolytically stable Ru(II)-arene anticancer complexes with carbohydrate-derived co-ligands

The synthesis, characterization, reactivity and in vitro anticancer activity of a series of Ru-II-arene complexes with carbohydrate-derived phosphite and biscarboxylato co-ligands are reported. The compounds were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry, and the molecular structures of oxalato(eta(6)-p-cymene)(3,5,6-bicyclophosphite-1,2-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranoside)ruthenium(II) and oxalato(eta(6)-p-cymene)(3,5,6-bicyclophosphite-1,2-O-cyclohexylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranoside)ruthenium(II) were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. In contrast to their dichlorido counterparts, the biscarboxylato complexes did not exhibit significant reactivity towards biomolecules, such as cysteine, methionine, ubiquitin or the DNA model 5'-GMP, and resist hydrolysis; no hydrolytic species were detected by H-1 and P-31(H-1) NMR spectroscopy over several days. These structural alterations led to a decrease in the tumor-inhibiting potency of the compounds in human cancer cell lines. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Physicochemical Studies and Anticancer Potency of Ruthenium η⁶-<i>p</i>-Cymene Complexes Containing Antibacterial Quinolones

With the aim of exploring the anticancer properties of organometallic compounds with bioactive ligands, Ru(arene) compounds of the antibacterial quinolones nalidixic acid (<b>2</b>) and cinoxacin (<b>3</b>) were synthesized, and their physicochemical properties were compared to those of chlorido(η⁶-<i>p</i>-cymene)(ofloxacinato-κ²<i>O</i>,<i>O</i>)ruthenium(II) (<b>1</b>). All compounds undergo a rapid ligand exchange reaction from chlorido to aqua species. <b>2</b> and <b>3</b> are significantly more stable than <b>1</b> and undergo minor conversion to an unreactive [(cym)Ru(μ-OH)₃Ru(cym)]⁺ species (cym = η⁶-<i>p</i>-cymene). In the presence of human serum albumin <b>1</b>−<b>3</b> form adducts with this transport protein within 20 min of incubation. With guanosine 5′-monophosphate (5′-GMP; as a simple model for reactions with DNA) very rapid reactions yielding adducts via its N7 atom were observed, illustrating that DNA is a possible target for this compound class. A moderate capacity of inhibiting tumor cell proliferation in vitro was observed for <b>1</b> in CH1 ovarian cancer cells, whereas <b>2</b> and <b>3</b> turned out to be inactive