Franco Bisceglie

Synthesis, characterization and X-ray structures of new antiproliferative and proapoptotic natural aldehyde thiosemicarbazones and their nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes

Synthesis and characterization of new thiosemicarbazones derived from natural aldehydes (1-9) have been investigated in order to develop a research program aimed at the development of compounds with antiviral, antibacterial, and antitumor properties. These substances contain both a chain with N and S nucleophilic centers with tuberculostatic activity, and an alkyl or terpenic moiety. In addition, a few nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes (10-18), derived also from the previously studied ligands, were synthesized and characterized by means of NMR and IR techniques. The trans-2-octenal N(1)-phenylthiosemicarbazone and its nickel complex were also characterized by X-ray diffractometry. Biological studies, performed with some of these compounds, have involved both inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis tests in vitro on human leukemia cell line U937 to deepen our knowledge on the way these substances interfere with biological processes in leukemic cells.

Synthesis, characterisation, X-ray structure and biological activity of three new 5-formyluracil thiosemicarbazone complexes.

Three new complexes of transition metals as copper, nickel and cobalt with 5-formyluracil thiosemicarbazone (H3ut) have been synthesised and characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In all compounds the ligand behaves as SNO terdentate. In the copper complex the coordination geometry is square pyramidal with the ligand lying on the basal plane and two water molecules that complete the metal environment, the nickel compound is surrounded by six donor atoms (three of the ligand, two water oxygen atoms and a chlorine atom) in an octahedral fashion, and cobalt also shows an octahedral geometry but determined only by two terdentate ligand molecules. These three compounds have been tested on human leukemic cell lines K562 and CEM. The nickel and cobalt complexes have demonstrated low activity in cell growth, while the copper complex that is more active has been tested also on a third leukemic human cell line (U937), but it was not able to induce apoptosis on all cell lines.

Synthesis, characterization and deepening in the comprehension of the biological action mechanisms of a new nickel complex with antiproliferative activity.

Thiosemicarbazones are versatile organic compounds that present considerable pharmaceutical interest because of a wide range of properties. In our laboratory we synthesised some new metal-complexes with thiosemicarbazones derived from natural aldehydes which showed peculiar biological activities. In particular, a nickel complex [Ni(S-tcitr)(2)] (S-tcitr=S-citronellalthiosemicarbazonate) was observed to induce an antiproliferative effect on U937, a human histiocytic lymphoma cell line, at low concentrations (IC(50)=14.4microM). Therefore, we decided to study the interactions of this molecule with various cellular components and to characterise the induced apoptotic pathway. Results showed that [Ni(S-tcitr)(2)] causes programmed cell death via down-regulation of Bcl-2, alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase-3 activity, regardless of p53 function. The metal complex is not active on G(0) cells (i.e. fresh leukocytes) but is able to induce perturbation of the cell cycle on stimulated lymphocytes and U937 cells, in which a G(2)/M block was detected. It reaches the nucleus where it induces, at low concentrations (2.5-5.0microM), DNA damage, which could be partially ascribed to oxidative stress. [Ni(S-tcitr)(2)] is moreover able to strongly reduce the telomerase activity. Although the biological target of this metal complex is still unknown, the reported data suggest that [Ni(S-tcitr)(2)] could be a good model for the synthesis of new metal thiosemicarbazones with specific biological activity.

Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of two new polymeric copper(II) complexes with α-ketoglutaric acid thiosemicarbazone

In this paper we describe the synthesis of new copper complexes with alpha-ketoglutaric acid thiosemicarbazone. The crystal structures of the two compounds: [Cu(H(2)ct)Cl](n) [(Cu(H(2)ct)Cl)(2)] (1) and [Cu(Hct)](n).3nH(2)O (2) (H(3)ct=alpha-ketoglutaric acid thiosemicarbazone) have been determined by X-ray and spectroscopic methods. In 1 two independent copper atoms are present. Cu(1), in a nitrogen- and oxygen-bridged polymer, is a six-coordinated (4+2), Cu(2), five coordinated (4+1), is a chlorine-bridged dimer. In 2 the copper atom presents a penta-coordination, polymeric chains form layers and the -CH(2)CH(2)COO(-) groups bridge copper atoms. In 1 a monodentate and in 2 a syn-anti bidentate bridging carboxylate are present. The biological properties of 1 and 2 and also of the free ligand (H(3)ct) were tested in vitro and compared on Friend erythroleukemia cells (FLC) and on human leukemia cell lines K562 and U937. On the FLC cells the free ligand does not inhibit cell growth, but increases the DNA synthesis; complex 1 inhibits cell proliferation and increases the DNA synthesis; complex 2 inhibits cell growth, but induces a decrement of DNA synthesis and increases the reverse transcriptase activity. Regarding the human cell lines, both complexes show proliferation inhibition through an apoptosis mechanism on cell line U937, while they have no effects on the K562 line.

Antiretroviral Activity of Thiosemicarbazone Metal Complexes

Thiosemicarbazones display a wide antimicrobial activity by targeting bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Here, we report our studies on the antiviral activity of two thiosemicarbazone metal complexes, [bis(citronellalthiosemicarbazonato)nickel(II)] and [aqua(pyridoxalthiosemicarbazonato)copper(II)] chloride monohydrate, against the retroviruses HIV-1 and HTLV-1/-2. Both compounds exhibit antiviral properties against HIV but not against HTLVs . In particular, the copper complex shows the most potent anti-HIV activity by acting at the post-entry steps of the viral cycle.

New methyl pyruvate thiosemicarbazones and their copper and zinc complexes: synthesis, characterization, X-ray structures and biological activity

By reacting thiosemicarbazides substituted on the aminic nitrogen with both alkyl or aryl groups, and methyl pyruvate a new group of methylpyruvate thiosemicarbazones (Hmpt) derivatives was obtained. These ligands were then treated with copper and zinc inorganic salts. All isolated compounds were characterized using spectroscopic methods. The single crystal structural analysis of the ligands Me-Hmpt x 0.5H2O 1, Et-Hmpt x H2O 2, Ph-Hmpt 5, Meph-Hmpt 6 showed that only compound 6 presents significant deviation from planarity. The X-ray structure of [Zn(Me-Hmpt)Cl2] x H2O 8 showed that in this complex Me-Hmpt behaves as a neutral ligand SNO terdentate and that the penta coordination is achieved by chloride ions according to spectroscopic and elemental analyses. On the basis of the analytical data the same behavior is proposed for the other zinc complexes. All the ligands in copper complexes seem to be monodeprotonated; nevertheless the same SNO behavior is expected. Tests on cell proliferation of human leukemic cell line U937 showed that the copper complex Cu(Et-mpt)Cl x H2O is the most active compound among those reported even though it is not able to induce apoptosis.

Synthesis and characterization of square planar nickel(II) complexes with p-fluorobenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone derivatives

Abstract New thiosemicarbazone nickel complexes (1–7), derived from p-fluorobenzaldehyde and differently substituted thiosemicarbazides, were synthetized and characterized by means of NMR and IR techniques. The p-fluorobenzaldehyde 4-ethylthiosemicarbazone Et-Hfbt (1) and its complex [Ni(Et-fbt)2] (2) were also characterized by X-ray diffractometry. Molecule 1 consists of two units: the p-fluorobenzaldehyde residue and the thiosemicarbazonic chain. In the reaction of 1 with NiAc2·4H2O, complex 2 was afforded. The molecular structure of 2 consists of the neutral complexes [Ni(Et-fbt)2] with the metal not lying on a symmetry centre, with two consequently independent ligand molecules; the coordination results in a square planar geometry slightly twisted towards a tetrahedron, involving the sulfur and the hydrazine nitrogen atoms of the two ligands in a trans configuration.

Cinnamaldehyde and cuminaldehyde thiosemicarbazones and their copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes: a study to understand their biological activity.

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of trans-cinnamaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (Htcin), cuminaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (Htcum) and their copper and nickel complexes. All the compounds, which on healthy cells (human fibroblasts) show a neglectable cytotoxicity, were screened in vitro in cell line U937 for their antileukemic activity. These compounds, in spite of their molecular similarity, present variegated behaviors. Htcin shows no inhibition activity in U935 cells, while both its metal complexes inhibit proliferation with IC50 at μM concentrations. The other ligand, Htcum, and its metal complexes, besides inhibiting proliferation, induce apoptosis. The cell cycle analysis highlights a G2/M checkpoint stop suggesting a possible direct action on DNA or on topoisomerase IIa. From CD and UV spectroscopy experiments, the DNA results to be not the main target of all these molecules, while both copper complexes are effective topoisomerase IIa inhibitors. All of these molecules activate caspase-9 and caspase-3, while caspase-8 activity is significantly induced by both cinnamaldehyde metal complexes. Tests on PgP and intracellular metal concentrations (determined by mean of atomic absorption spectrometry) show that the compounds tend to accumulate in the cytoplasm and that the cells do not manage to pump out copper and nickel ions.

Synthesis, structural characterization and antiproliferative and toxic bio-activities of copper(II) and nickel(II) citronellal N4-ethylmorpholine thiosemicarbazonates

This paper reports the syntheses and characterization of ethylmorpholine substituted citronellal thiosemicarbazone copper(II) and nickel(II) metal complexes. The compounds were characterized through elemental analyses and spectroscopic (IR, UV-Vis, NMR, MS) methods. The X-ray analysis of the two complexes shows that both Ni and Cu derivatives present a square planar coordination, where the coordinating homologous donor atoms bind in trans to each other. The compounds were tested for their biological activity after determination of their octanol-saline partition coefficients, followed by their radical scavenging properties. Eventually the complexes were tested for their proliferation inhibition on human histiocytic lymphoma U937 cell line. The GI(50) values resulted to be 2.3microM for the copper derivative and 12.3microM for the nickel derivative.

SYNTHESIS, X-RAY CRYSTAL STRUCTURES AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COPPER(II)-2,2'-BIPYRIDYL DERIVATIVES OF (4-AMINO)-HIPPURIC ACID AND OF L-PROLINE

Abstract In this paper the synthesis and the characterization of two complexes of copper and 2,2′-bipyridyl with amino acids 4-aminohippuric acid and l -proline are reported. The X-ray structure reveals for the first complex, [Cu2(OH)(OH2)(bipy)2(Am-hip)](NO3)2·4H2O, dinuclear copper(II) cations with nitrate counterions and lattice water molecules. The two metal centres are linked together by a water molecule, a hydroxyl group and the carboxylic moiety of the 4-amino-hippuric acid, the remaining two positions on both metal centres are occupied by bipyridyl molecules. The second compound consists of monomeric [Cu(OH2)(bipy)( l -pro)]+ cations and perchlorate anions. Also in this case copper is five-coordinated in a distorted square pyramidal geometry with the bipyridine nitrogens, one carboxylate oxygen atom and the amino nitrogen of the l -proline ion on the basal plane.