Preparation and in vitro photodynamic activities of folate-conjugated distyryl boron dipyrromethene based photosensitizers.

Two folate-conjugated diiododistyryl boron dipyrromethenes have been prepared and characterized with various spectroscopic methods. These conjugates exhibit higher photocytotoxicity toward the KB human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, which have high expression of folate receptors when compared with the MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma cells, which have low expression of folate receptors. The difference in photocytotoxicity for these two cell lines is particularly large for the conjugate with a shorter oligoethylene glycol linker (compound 11a) as a result of its higher cellular uptake and slightly lower aggregation tendency. Its IC50 value toward KB cells (0.06 µM) is 43-fold lower than that for MCF-7 cells, while the difference is only 6-fold for the analogue with a longer linker (compound 11b). The length of the spacer also affects their subcellular localization. While compound 11a shows high affinity toward the endoplasmic reticulum of KB cells, conjugate 11b is mainly localized in the lysosomes.

A phthalocyanine-peptide conjugate with high in vitro photodynamic activity and enhanced in vivo tumor-retention property.

A novel zinc(II) phthalocyanine conjugated with a short peptide with a nuclear localization sequence, Gly-Gly-Pro-Lys-Lys-Lys-Arg-Lys-Val, was synthesized by click chemistry and a standard Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis protocol. The conjugate was purified by HPLC and characterized with UV/Vis and high-resolution mass spectroscopic methods. Both this compound and its non-peptide-conjugated analogue are essentially non-aggregated in N,N-dimethylformamide and can generate singlet oxygen effectively with quantum yields (Φ(Δ)) of 0.84 and 0.81, respectively, relative to unsubstituted zinc(II) phthalocyanine (Φ(Δ) =0.56). Conjugation of the peptide sequence, however, can enhance the cellular uptake, efficiency in generating intracellular reactive oxygen species, and photocytotoxicity of the phthalocyanine-based photosensitizer against HT29 human colorectal carcinoma cells. The IC(50) value of the conjugate is as low as 0.21 µM. In addition, the conjugate shows an enhanced tumor-retention property in tumor-bearing nude mice. After 72 h post-injection, the dye concentration in the tumor was significantly higher than that in other organs. The results suggest that this phthalocyanine-peptide conjugate is a highly promising photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy.

Synthesis and in vitro photodynamic activities of pegylated distyryl boron dipyrromethene derivatives.

A series of pegylated distyryl boron dipyrromethenes have been prepared and characterized. Their in vitro photodynamic activities in Tween 80 emulsions have also been investigated against HT29 human colorectal carcinoma cells. The derivative having five triethylene glycol chains (compound 8) exhibits the highest photocytotoxicity with an IC(50) as low as 7 nM. It is also localized preferentially in the endoplasmic reticulum of the cells and can induce predominately apoptosis upon illumination.

Preparation of unsymmetrical distyryl BODIPY derivatives and effects of the styryl substituents on their in vitro photodynamic properties.

A series of unsymmetrical distyryl BODIPYs have been prepared which function as highly potent photosensitisers with in vitro IC(50) values as low as 15 nM. Their cellular uptake, subcellular localisation and photocytotoxicity depend greatly on the styryl substituents.

Phthalocyanine-polyamine conjugates as highly efficient photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy.

A series of silicon(IV) phthalocyanines substituted axially with different polyamine moieties have been prepared. Their fluorescence quantum yields (Φ(F) = 0.03-0.08) in N,N-dimethylformamide are low because of reductive quenching by the amino moieties. The values are significantly increased in aqueous media (Φ(F) = 0.12-0.21) as a result of protonation of the amino substituents. All the compounds are highly photocytotoxic against human colon adenocarcinoma HT29 cells and Chinese hamster ovary cells with IC(50) values as low as 1.1 nM. Flow cytometric studies of two selected compounds (2 and 5) against HT29 cells have shown that they induce apoptosis extensively. As shown by confocal microscopy, these two compounds also show high affinity toward the lysosomes, but not the mitochondria, of the cells. Their in vivo photodynamic activity has also been investigated using HT29 tumor bearing nude mice. Both of them can effectively inhibit the growth of the tumor without causing apparent injury to the liver of the mice.

Photodynamic activity of a glucoconjugated silicon(IV) phthalocyanine on human colon adenocarcinoma.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves the use of a non-toxic photosensitizer which exhibits a killing effect upon activation by light. In the past few years, we have synthesized a number of novel second generation photosensitizers with superior properties, most of them are phthalocyanines. Among them, the glucoconjugated silicon(IV) phthalocyanine (SiPcGlu) shows potent phototoxicity against human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT29 cells. In the present study, its action mechanism was investigated. The initiation of apoptosis by SiPcGlu-PDT, subsequent to reactive oxygen species production, was shown by the results of TUNEL assay, annexin V and propidium iodide staining and DNA ladder pattern analysis. Confocal microscopy revealed the presence of SiPcGlu in lysosome, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. SiPcGlu-PDT did not cause any damage to the lysosomal membrane; whereas in the mitochondria, it caused membrane depolarization and the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, which subsequently brought about caspase-3 activation. In the endoplasmic reticulum, the treatment led to Ca(2+) release and an increase in the expression level of the chaperone protein GRP78. These observations suggest that SiPcGlu-PDT triggered the apoptotic pathways in both mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, but not the lysosome. A preliminary study of the photodynamic activity of SiPcGlu in the in vivo animal model was also carried out. It retarded tumor growth in HT29 tumor-bearing nude mice while causing no apparent toxicity to the animal.

A pH-responsive fluorescence probe and photosensitiser based on a tetraamino silicon(IV) phthalocyanine.

A novel tetraamino silicon(iv) phthalocyanine has been prepared, of which the fluorescence emission and reactive oxygen species generation efficiency are greatly enhanced at lower pH in the range of ca. 5-7, making it a promising pH-controlled and tumour-selective fluorescence probe and photosensitiser for photodynamic therapy.

Phthalocyanine-polyamine conjugates as pH-controlled photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy.

A series of aryl hydroxyamines prepared by reductive amination were treated with silicon(IV) phthalocyanine dichloride in the presence of pyridine to give the diaxially substituted phthalocyanine-polyamine conjugates 1-5. The electronic absorption, fluorescence emission, and efficiency at generating reactive oxygen species of these compounds were all sensitive to the pH environment. Under acidic conditions, the fluorescence quantum yields and the singlet oxygen quantum yields of these compounds were greatly enhanced in DMF as a result of protonation of the amino moieties, which inhibited the photoinduced electron-transfer deactivation pathway. The Q band was diminished and broadened, and the fluorescence intensity decreased as the pH increased in citrate buffer solutions. The rate of superoxide radical formation was also reduced in a higher pH environment. Compound 3, containing a terminal 4-chlorophenyl group at the axial substituent, showed the most desirable pH-responsive properties, which makes it a promising tumor-selective fluorescence probe and photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy. All of the phthalocyanines 1-5 were highly photocytotoxic against HT29 and HepG2 cells with IC(50) values as low as 0.03 microM. Compound 3 was highly selective toward lysosomes, but not mitochondria of HT29 cells.

Purple acid phosphatase-like sequences in prokaryotic genomes and the characterization of an atypical purple alkaline phosphatase from Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315.

Purple acid phosphatases (PAP) are a group of dimetallic phosphohydrolase first identified in eukaryotes. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 57 prokaryotic PAP-like sequences in the genomes of 43 bacteria and 4 cyanobacteria species. A putative PAP gene (BcPAP) from the bacteria Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 was chosen for further studies. Synteny analysis showed that this gene is present as an independent gene in most of the members of the genus Burkholderia. The predicted 561 a.a. polypeptide of BcPAP was found to harbour all the conserved motifs of the eukaryotic PAPs and an N-terminal twin-arginine translocation signal. Expression and biochemical characterization of BcPAP in Escherichia coli revealed that this enzyme has a relatively narrow substrate spectrum, preferably towards phosphotyrosine, phosphoserine and phosphoenolpyruvate. Interestingly, this enzyme was found to have a pH optimum at 8.5, rather than an acidic optima exhibited by eukaryotic PAPs. BcPAP contains a dimetallic ion centre composed of Fe and Zn, and site-directed mutagenesis confirmed that BcPAP utilizes the invariant residues for metal-ligation and catalysis. The enzyme is secreted by the wild type bacteria and its expression is regulated by the availability of orthophosphate. Our findings suggest that not all members in the PAP family have acidic pH optimum and broad substrate specificity.