Ruthenium-based PACT agents based on bisquinoline chelates: synthesis, photochemistry, and cytotoxicity.

The known ruthenium complex [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(Hmte)](PF6)2 ([1](PF6)2, where tpy = 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, Hmte = 2-(methylthio)ethanol) is photosubstitutionally active but non-toxic to cancer cells even upon light irradiation. In this work, the two analogs complexes [Ru(tpy)(NN)(Hmte)](PF6)2, where NN = 3,3'-biisoquinoline (i-biq, [2](PF6)2) and di(isoquinolin-3-yl)amine (i-Hdiqa, [3](PF6)2), were synthesized and their photochemistry and phototoxicity evaluated to assess their suitability as photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT) agents. The increase of the aromatic surface of [2](PF6)2 and [3](PF6)2, compared to [1](PF6)2, leads to higher lipophilicity and higher cellular uptake for the former complexes. Such improved uptake is directly correlated to the cytotoxicity of these compounds in the dark: while [2](PF6)2 and [3](PF6)2 showed low EC50 values in human cancer cells, [1](PF6)2 is not cytotoxic due to poor cellular uptake. While stable in the dark, all complexes substituted the protecting thioether ligand upon light irradiation (520 nm), with the highest photosubstitution quantum yield found for [3](PF6)2 (Φ[3] = 0.070). Compounds [2](PF6)2 and [3](PF6)2 were found both more cytotoxic after light activation than in the dark, with a photo index of 4. Considering the very low singlet oxygen quantum yields of these compounds, and the lack of cytotoxicity of the photoreleased Hmte thioether ligand, it can be concluded that the toxicity observed after light activation is due to the photoreleased aqua complexes [Ru(tpy)(NN)(OH2)]2+, and thus that [2](PF6)2 and [3](PF6)2 are promising PACT candidates.

N-Heterocyclic Carbene Gold(I) Complexes: Mechanism of the Ligand Scrambling Reaction and Their Oxidation to Gold(III) in Aqueous Solutions.

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) gold(I) complexes offer great prospects in medicinal chemistry as antiproliferative, anticancer, and antibacterial agents. However, further development requires a thorough understanding of their reaction behavior in aqueous media. Herein, we report the conversion of the bromido[3-ethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propylimidazol-2-ylidene]gold(I) ((NHC)AuIBr, 1) complex in acetonitrile/water mixtures to the bis[3-ethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propylimidazol-2-ylidene]gold(I) ([(NHC)2AuI]+, 7), which is subsequently oxidized to the dibromidobis[3-ethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propylimidazol-2-ylidene]gold(III) ([(NHC)2AuIIIBr2]+, 9). By combining experimental data from HPLC, NMR, and (LC-)/HR-MS with computational results from DFT calculations, we outline a detailed ligand scrambling reaction mechanism. The key step is the formation of the stacked ((NHC)AuIBr)2 dimer (2) that rearranges to the T-shaped intermediate Br(NHC)2AuI-AuIBr (3). The dissociation of Br- from 3 and recombination lead to (NHC)2AuI-AuIBr2 (5) followed by the separation into [(NHC)2AuI]+ (7) and [AuIBr2]- (8). [AuIBr2]- is not stable in an aqueous environment and degrades in an internal redox reaction to Au0 and Br2. The latter in turn oxidizes 7 to the gold(III) species 9. The reported ligand rearrangement of the (NHC)AuIBr complex differs from that found for related silver(I) analogous. A detailed understanding of this scrambling mechanism is of utmost importance for the interpretation of their biological activity and will help to further optimize them for biomedical and other applications.

Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of bromido[3-ethyl-4-aryl-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(i) complexes.

Bromido[3-ethyl-4-aryl-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(i) complexes (8a-h) with methoxy, methyl and fluorine substituents at different positions of the 4-aryl ring were synthesized and characterized. The relevance of the 2-methoxypyridin-5-yl residue and the substituents at the 4-aryl ring with regard to the activity against a series of cell lines was determined. Particularly against the Cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cell line A2780cis, the most active bromido[3-ethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(2-methoxypyridin-5-yl)-1-propyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene]gold(i) complex 8c was more active than Auranofin. It also inhibited thioredoxin reductase more effectively and induced high amounts of reactive oxygen species in A2780cis cells. Furthermore, its influence on non-cancerous SV 80 lung fibroblasts was lower than that of Auranofin. This fact, together with a high accumulation rate in tumor cells, determined on the example of MCF-7 cells, makes this complex an interesting candidate for further extensive studies.