The transport and cytotoxicity of molybdenum-based drugs have been explained with the concept of chemical transformation, a very important idea in inorganic medicinal chemistry that is often overlooked in the interpretation of the biological activity of metal-containing systems. Two monomeric, [MoO2(L1)(MeOH)] (1) and [MoO2(L2)(EtOH)] (2), and two mixed-ligand dimeric MoVIO2 species, [{MoO2(L1-2)}2(μ-4,4′-bipy)] (3-4), were synthesized and characterized. The structures of the solid complexes were solved through SC-XRD, while their transformation in water was clarified by UV-vis, ESI-MS, and DFT. In aqueous solution, 1-4 lead to the penta-coordinated [MoO2(L1-2)] active species after the release of the solvent molecule (1 and 2) or removal of the 4,4′-bipy bridge (3 and 4). [MoO2(L1-2)] are stable in solution and react with neither serum bioligand nor cellular reductants. The binding affinity of 1-4 toward HSA and DNA were evaluated through analytical and computational methods and in both cases a non-covalent interaction is expected. Furthermore, the in vitro cytotoxicity of the complexes was also determined and flow cytometry analysis showed the apoptotic death of the cancer cells. Interestingly, μ-4,4′-bipy bridged complexes 3 and 4 were found to be more active than monomeric 1 and 2, due to the mixture of species generated, that is [MoO2(L1-2)] and the cytotoxic 4,4′-bipy released after their dissociation. Since in the cytosol neither the reduction of MoVI to MoV/IV takes place nor the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through Fenton-like reactions of 1-4 with H2O2 occurs, the mechanism of cytotoxicity should be attributable to the direct interaction with DNA that happens with a minor-groove binding which results in cell death through an apoptotic mechanism.

Mo(VI) Potential Metallodrugs: Explaining the Transport and Cytotoxicity by Chemical Transformations / Mohanty, M.; Sahu, G.; Banerjee, A.; Lima, S.; Patra, S. A.; Crochet, A.; Sciortino, G.; Sanna, D.; Ugone, V.; Garribba, E.; Dinda, R.. - In: INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. - ISSN 0020-1669. - 61:10(2022), pp. 4513-4532. [10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c00113]

Mo(VI) Potential Metallodrugs: Explaining the Transport and Cytotoxicity by Chemical Transformations

Sciortino G.;Ugone V.;Garribba E.
;
2022-01-01

Abstract

The transport and cytotoxicity of molybdenum-based drugs have been explained with the concept of chemical transformation, a very important idea in inorganic medicinal chemistry that is often overlooked in the interpretation of the biological activity of metal-containing systems. Two monomeric, [MoO2(L1)(MeOH)] (1) and [MoO2(L2)(EtOH)] (2), and two mixed-ligand dimeric MoVIO2 species, [{MoO2(L1-2)}2(μ-4,4′-bipy)] (3-4), were synthesized and characterized. The structures of the solid complexes were solved through SC-XRD, while their transformation in water was clarified by UV-vis, ESI-MS, and DFT. In aqueous solution, 1-4 lead to the penta-coordinated [MoO2(L1-2)] active species after the release of the solvent molecule (1 and 2) or removal of the 4,4′-bipy bridge (3 and 4). [MoO2(L1-2)] are stable in solution and react with neither serum bioligand nor cellular reductants. The binding affinity of 1-4 toward HSA and DNA were evaluated through analytical and computational methods and in both cases a non-covalent interaction is expected. Furthermore, the in vitro cytotoxicity of the complexes was also determined and flow cytometry analysis showed the apoptotic death of the cancer cells. Interestingly, μ-4,4′-bipy bridged complexes 3 and 4 were found to be more active than monomeric 1 and 2, due to the mixture of species generated, that is [MoO2(L1-2)] and the cytotoxic 4,4′-bipy released after their dissociation. Since in the cytosol neither the reduction of MoVI to MoV/IV takes place nor the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through Fenton-like reactions of 1-4 with H2O2 occurs, the mechanism of cytotoxicity should be attributable to the direct interaction with DNA that happens with a minor-groove binding which results in cell death through an apoptotic mechanism.
2022
Mo(VI) Potential Metallodrugs: Explaining the Transport and Cytotoxicity by Chemical Transformations / Mohanty, M.; Sahu, G.; Banerjee, A.; Lima, S.; Patra, S. A.; Crochet, A.; Sciortino, G.; Sanna, D.; Ugone, V.; Garribba, E.; Dinda, R.. - In: INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. - ISSN 0020-1669. - 61:10(2022), pp. 4513-4532. [10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c00113]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11388/276333
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