Tamoxifen-like metallocifens target thioredoxin system determining mitochondrial impairment leading to apoptosis in Jurkat cells

Tamoxifen-like metallocifens (TLMs) of the group-8 metals (Fe, Ru, and Os) show strong anti-proliferative activity on cancer cell lines resistant to apoptosis, owing to their unique redox properties. In contrast, the thioredoxin system, which is involved in cellular redox balance, is often overexpressed in cancer cells, especially in tumour types resistant to standard chemotherapies. Therefore, we investigated the effect of these three TLMs on the thioredoxin system and evaluated the input of the metallocene unit in comparison with structurally related organic tamoxifens. In vitro, all three TLMs became strong inhibitors of the cytosolic (TrxR1) and mitochondrial (TrxR2) isoforms of thioredoxin reductase after enzymatic oxidation with HRP/H2O2 while none of the organic analogues was effective. In Jurkat cells, TLMs inhibited mainly TrxR2, resulting in the accumulation of oxidized thioredoxin 2 and cell redox imbalance. Overproduction of ROS resulted in a strong decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential, translocation of cytochrome c to the cytosol and activation of caspase 3, thus leading to apoptosis. None of these events occurred with organic tamoxifens. The mitochondrial fraction of cells exposed to TLMs contained a high amount of the corresponding metal, as quantified by ICP-OES. The lipophilic and cationic character associated with the singular redox properties of the TLMs could explain why they alter the mitochondrial function. These results provide new insights into the mechanism of action of tamoxifen-like metallocifens, underlying their prodrug behaviour and the pivotal role played by the metallocenic entity in their cytotoxic activity associated with the induction of apoptosis

Electrochemical attachment of a conjugated amino-ferrocifen complex onto carbon and metal surfaces

International audienceThe attachment of a pi-conjugated amino-ferrocifen complex was electrochemically achieved either by direct oxidation of the amino group or via the oxidation of the ferrocene moiety. In the first case, the modification consists in oxidizing, at +0.70V/SCE, the amino moiety to its radical cation, which upon deprotonation from the amino group, yields all aminyl radical that may add onto the electrode surface. Alternatively, it is demonstrated that the amine moiety can be indirectly oxidized through an intramolecular electron transfer from the amino moiety to the ferrocenyl group after oxidation of the ferrocene part at +0.40 V. This can occur thanks to the conjugated pi system of the complex. More importantly. it is demonstrated that the covalent attachment of the complex can be achieved on glassy carbon, gold, and platinum surfaces whatever the approach used. The possible mechanisms for the covalent attachment are discussed. Interestingly, it is also shown that the amino-ferrocene compound adsorbs very well likely via pi stacking between grafted and non-grafted molecules. Nevertheless, the adsorbed molecules could be easily removed after passing the electrode in an ultrasonic bath. The electrode coverage was determined under various conditions by integration of the corresponding voltammograms. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Nanoparticles loaded with ferrocenyl tamoxifen derivatives for breast cancer treatment.

International audienceFor the first time, two organometallic triphenylethylene compounds (Fc-diOH and DFO), with strong antiproliferative activity in breast cancer cells, but insoluble in biological fluids, were incorporated in two types of stealth nanoparticles (NP): PEG/PLA nanospheres (NS) and nanocapsules (NC). Their physicochemical parameters were measured (size, zeta potential, encapsulation and loading efficiency), and their biological activity was assessed. In vitro drug release after high dilution of loaded NPs was measured by estradiol binding competition in MELN cells. The influence of the encapsulated drugs on the cell cycle and apoptosis was studied by flow cytometry analyses. Notwithstanding potential drug adsorption at the NP surface, Fc-diOH and DFO were incorporated efficiently in NC and NS, which slowly released both compounds. They arrested the cell cycle in the S-phase and induced apoptosis, whose activity is increased by loaded NS. A decrease in their antiproliferative activity by the antioxidant alpha-tocopherol indicated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be involved. Therefore, nanosystems, containing for the first time a high load of anticancer organometallic triphenylethylenes, have been developed. Their small size and delayed drug release, combined with their enhanced apoptotic potential, are compatible with an increased persistence in the blood and a promising antitumour activity

A [3]Ferrocenophane polyphenol showing a remarkable antiproliferative activity on breast and prostate cancer cell lines

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The replacement of a phenol group by an aniline or acetanilide group enhances the cytotoxicity of 2-ferrocenyl-1,1-diphenyl-but-1-ene compounds against breast cancer cells

International audienceWe have previously shown that conjugated ferrocenyl p-phenols show strong cytotoxic effects against both the hormone-dependent MCF-7 and hormone-independent MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, possibly via oxidative quinone methide formation. We now present a series of analogous amine and acetamide compounds: 2-ferrocenyl-1-(4-aminophenyl)-1-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-2), 2-ferrocenyl-1-(4-N-acetylaminophenyl)-1-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z-3), and their corresponding organic molecules 1-(4-aminophenyl)-1,2-bis-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-4) and 1-(4-N-acetamidophenyl)-1,2-bis-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-5). All of the compounds have adequate relative binding affinity values for the estrogen receptor; between 2.8% and 5.7% for ERα, and between 0.18% and 15.5% for ERβ, as well as exothermic ligand binding in in silico ER docking experiments. Compounds 2 and 3 show dual estrogenic/cytotoxic activity on the MCF-7 cell line; they are proliferative at low concentrations (0.1 μM) and antiproliferative at high concentrations (10 μM). On the MDA-MB-231 cell line, the ferrocenyl complexes 2 and 3 are antiproliferative with IC50 values of 0.8 μM for 2 and 0.65 μM for 3, while the purely organic molecules 4 and 5 show no effect. Electrochemical experiments suggest that both 2 and 3 can be transformed to oxidized quinoid-type species, analogous to what had previously been observed for the ferrocene phenols

The replacement of a phenol group by an aniline or acetanilide group enhances the cytotoxicity of 2-ferrocenyl-1,1-diphenyl-but-1-ene compounds against breast cancer cells

International audienceWe have previously shown that conjugated ferrocenyl p-phenols show strong cytotoxic effects against both the hormone-dependent MCF-7 and hormone-independent MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, possibly via oxidative quinone methide formation. We now present a series of analogous amine and acetamide compounds: 2-ferrocenyl-1-(4-aminophenyl)-1-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-2), 2-ferrocenyl-1-(4-N-acetylaminophenyl)-1-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z-3), and their corresponding organic molecules 1-(4-aminophenyl)-1,2-bis-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-4) and 1-(4-N-acetamidophenyl)-1,2-bis-phenyl-but-1-ene (Z+E-5). All of the compounds have adequate relative binding affinity values for the estrogen receptor; between 2.8% and 5.7% for ERα, and between 0.18% and 15.5% for ERβ, as well as exothermic ligand binding in in silico ER docking experiments. Compounds 2 and 3 show dual estrogenic/cytotoxic activity on the MCF-7 cell line; they are proliferative at low concentrations (0.1 μM) and antiproliferative at high concentrations (10 μM). On the MDA-MB-231 cell line, the ferrocenyl complexes 2 and 3 are antiproliferative with IC50 values of 0.8 μM for 2 and 0.65 μM for 3, while the purely organic molecules 4 and 5 show no effect. Electrochemical experiments suggest that both 2 and 3 can be transformed to oxidized quinoid-type species, analogous to what had previously been observed for the ferrocene phenols

Atypical McMurry Cross-Coupling Reactions Leading to a New Series of Potent Antiproliferative Compounds Bearing the Key [Ferrocenyl-Ene-Phenol] Motif

In the course of the preparation of a series of ferrocenyl derivatives of diethylstilbestrol (DES), in which one of the 4-hydroxyphenyl moieties was replaced by a ferrocenyl group, the McMurry reaction of chloropropionylferrocene with a number of mono-aryl ketones unexpectedly yielded the hydroxylated ferrocenyl DES derivatives, 5a–c, in poor yields (10%–16%). These compounds showed high activity on the hormone-independent breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 with IC50 values ranging from 0.14 to 0.36 µM. Surprisingly, non-hydroxylated ferrocenyl DES, 4, showed only an IC50 value of 1.14 µM, illustrating the importance of the hydroxyethyl function in this promising new series. For comparison, McMurry reactions of the shorter chain analogue chloroacetylferrocene were carried out to see the difference in behaviour with mono-aryl ketones versus a diaryl ketone. The effect of changing the length of the alkyl chain adjacent to the phenolic substituent of the hydroxylated ferrocenyl DES was studied, a mechanistic rationale to account for the unexpected products is proposed, and the antiproliferative activities of all of these compounds on MDA-MB-231 cells lines were measured and compared. X-ray crystal structures of cross-coupled products and of pinacol-pinacolone rearrangements are reported.The authors wish to thank P. Herson and J. Vaissermann for three crystal structure determinations and T. Cresteil for IC50 determinations. We thank Anh N’Guyen for full discussions. K.K.’s stay in Paris was supported through an European Community Marie Curie Fellowship (HMPT-CT-2000- 00186). We thank the Agence Nationale de la Recherche for financial support (ANR 2010 BLAN 7061 blanc “Mecaferrol”) and the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères for a doctoral fellowship (M.G.)

CDModelTree (V1): Manipulation d'une base de données contenant des modèles supramoléculaires d'inclusion d'un ferrociphénol dans des cyclodextrines par une application web en PHP

SuccFerr (also known as P722) is a ferrociphenol that have a very good activity on cancer cells, for example an IC50 = 0.035 µM on Triple Negative Breast Cancer (MDA-MB-231) and on Ovarian Cancer A2780. However, SuccFerr is lipophilic and has a very low solubility in water, so a formulation was needed. Cyclodextrins (CD), and particularly methylated CDs were tested, but a modelling was needed to find the best CDs, i.e., the best methylation rate. Several series of models (with one or two CD and with different types of insertions: moieties of SuccFerr that was inserted and in which side of the CD) were created and modelling was done with Spartan 14. Starting from a simple CD (all glucose units were identical), several G0 (generation 0) were created and the methylation on each oxygen atom was inverted. The best model was used to do the same for several generations. This created tree of modifications of methylation onto the CD leading to the best models/CDs.To manage this large set of models, this PHP was created to describe the models that can be created or not depending on the parent model, calculate ∆rH°, save it in the database, navigate into the tree and do some statistics. A copy of all the webpages generated by the PHP program are also furnished as illustration for off-line navigation into the trees.This program can be used with other inserted molecules, but for other kinds of cyclodextrins (not a βCD), or for insertion of more than 2 cyclodextrins, this program should be adapted. It can also be modified to treat other kinds of problems based on improvement by changing one parameter at each generation

Introduction of a carboxymethylamino (or oxy or thio) group in the 3 position of 2-aryl (or arylmethyl) isoindol-1-ones from alpha hydroxylactams

International audienceThe preparation of 3-carboxymethylamino (or oxy or thio)-2-aryl (or arylmethyl)-isoindol-1-ones are described from hydroxylactams according to three different pathways

Benzothienoindolizidines via intramolecular aryl radical cyclization or palladium catalyzed cyclization

International audiencelndolizidines 4,7 fused to both benzene and thiophene rings were synthesized via intramolecular aryl radical cyclization of enamide 3 or intramoleeular Heck reaction of enamidone 5