Cellular and biomolecular responses of human ovarian cancer cells to cytostatic dinuclear platinum(II) complexes.

Polynuclear platinum(II) complexes represent a class of potential anticancer agents that have shown promising pharmacological properties in preclinical studies. The nature of cellular responses induced by these complexes, however, is poorly understood. In this research, the cellular responses of human ovarian cancer COC1 cells to dinuclear platinum(II) complexes {[cis-Pt(NH3)2Cl]2L¹}(NO3)2 (1) and {[cis-Pt(NH3)2Cl]2L²}(NO3)2 (2) (L¹ = α,α'-diamino-p-xylene, L² = 4,4'-methylenedianiline) has been studied using cisplatin as a reference. The effect of platinum complexes on the proliferation, death mode, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cell cycle progression has been examined by MTT assay and flow cytometry. The activation of cell cycle checkpoint kinases (CHK1/2), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) of the cells by the complexes has also been analyzed using phospho-specific flow cytometry. Complex 1 is more cytotoxic than complex 2 and cisplatin at most concentrations; complex 2 and cisplatin are comparably cytotoxic. These complexes kill the cells through an apoptotic or apoptosis-like pathway characterized by exposure of phosphatidylserine and dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential. Complex 1 shows the strongest inductive effect on the morphological changes of the cells, followed by cisplatin and complex 2. Complexes 1 and 2 arrest the cell cycle in G2 or M phase, while cisplatin arrests the cell cycle in S phase. The influence of these complexes on CHK1/2, ERK1/2, and p38 MAPK varies with the dose of the drugs or reaction time. Activation of phospho-ERK1/2 and phospho-p38 MAPK by these complexes is closely related to the cytostatic activity. The results demonstrate that dinuclear platinum(II) complexes can induce some cellular responses different from those caused by cisplatin.

The role of bridging ligands in determining DNA-binding ability and cross-linking patterns of dinuclear platinum(II) antitumour complexes.

The DNA binding ability and binding mode of platinum complexes are crucial factors that govern their cytotoxic activity. In this work, circular dichroism spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF MS spectrometry combined with enzymatic degradation have been used to elucidate the role of bridging ligands in DNA-binding ability and cross-linking patterns of two dinuclear antitumour active platinum(II) complexes, {[cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl](2)L1}(NO(3))(2) (1, L1= 4,4'-methylenedianiline) and {[cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl](2)L2}(NO(3))(2) (2, L2 = alpha,alpha'-diamino-p-xylene). Although both complexes have two cis-diammine-Pt(II) moieties (1,1/c,c), complex 1 exhibits much higher DNA-binding ability than complex 2. The former readily forms both 1,3- and 1,4-intrastrand cross-links with DNA oligonucleotides, while the latter preferentially forms 1,4- rather than 1,3-intrastrand cross-links. Cytotoxicity studies against a human non-small-cell lung cancer cell line (A549) demonstrate that complex 1 has higher activity than 2. These results show that the linker properties play a critical role in controlling the DNA-binding and cross-linking abilities and in modulating the cytotoxicity of dinuclear platinum complexes.

A dinuclear monofunctional platinum(II) complex with an aromatic linker shows low reactivity towards glutathione but high DNA binding ability and antitumor activity.

Multinuclear Pt(II) complexes represent a novel class of antitumor agents. In this work, a dinuclear monofunctional Pt(II) complex {[cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)Cl](2)(4,4'-methylenedianiline)}(NO(3))(2) (1) was synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR, electrospray mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The 2D [(1)H,(15)N] heteronuclear single quantum coherence NMR spectra of (15)N-labeled 1 revealed that the cationic core of this water-soluble complex hardly hydrolyzes in aqueous solution and reacts very slowly with glutathione. Hydrolysis appears not to be an essential step for the formation of Pt-guanosine-5'-monophosphate (5'-GMP) or Pt-DNA adducts because the complex can react readily with 5'-GMP and partially transform B-DNA into its Z form. Such properties are desired to achieve the goal of enhancing cytotoxicity and lowering side effects of Pt(II) complexes. In fact, complex 1 is highly cytotoxic against the murine leukemia (P-388) and the human non-small-cell lung cancer (A-549) cell lines, and it is more cytotoxic than cisplatin at most concentrations tested.