Jovana Bogojeski

Mechanistic studies on the reactions of platinum(II) complexes with nitrogen- and sulfur-donor biomolecules

A brief overview of mechanistic studies on the reactions of different Pt(II) complexes with nitrogen- and sulfur-donor biomolecules is presented. The first part describes the results obtained for substitution reactions of mono-functional Pt(II) complexes with different biomolecules, under various experimental conditions (temperature, pH and ionic strength). In addition, an overview of the results obtained for the substitution reactions of bi-functional Pt(II) complexes, analogous to cisplatin, with biomolecules is given. The last part of this report deals with different polynuclear Pt(II) complexes and their substitution behaviour with different biomolecules. The purpose of this perspective is to improve the understanding of the mechanism of action of Pt(II) complexes as potential anti-tumour drugs in the human body.

Interactions of nitrogen-donor bio-molecules with dinuclear platinum(II) complexes

Substitution reactions of the dinuclear Pt(II) complexes, [{Pt(en)Cl}2(μ-pz)]2+ (1), [{Pt(dach)Cl}2(μ-pz)]2+ (2) and [{Pt(dach)Cl}2(μ-4,4ʹ-bipy)]2+ (3), and corresponding aqua analogs with selected biologically important ligands, viz. 1,2,4-triazole, L-histidine (L-His) and guanosine-5ʹ-monophosphate (5ʹ-GMP) were studied under pseudo-first-order conditions as a function of concentration and temperature using UV–vis spectrophotometry. The reactions of the chloride complexes were followed in aqueous 25 mmol L−1 Hepes buffer in the presence of 40 mmol L−1 NaCl at pH 7.2, whereas the reactions of the aqua complexes were studied at pH 2.5. Two consecutive reaction steps, which both depend on the nucleophile concentration, were observed in all cases. The second-order rate constants for both reaction steps indicate a decrease in the order 1 > 2 > 3 for all complexes. Also, the pKa values of all three aqua complexes were determined. The order of the reactivity of the studied ligands is 1,2,4-triazole > L-His > 5ʹ-GMP. 1H NMR spectroscopy and HPLC were used to follow the substitution of chloride in the dichloride 1, 2, and 3 complexes by guanosine-5ʹ-monophosphate (5ʹ-GMP). This study shows that the inert and bridging ligands have an important influence on the reactivity of the studied complexes. Graphical Abstract

Platinum(II) complexes with hybrid amine-imidazolin-2-imine ligands and their reactivity toward bio-molecules

Two new Pt(II) complexes with imidazolin-2-imines as ancillary ligands, [Pt(DMEAImiPr)Cl2] and [Pt(DPENImiPr)Cl2], were synthesized and characterized. Substitution reactions of these complexes with nucleophiles – thiourea (TU), L-methionine (L-Met), L-histidine (L-His) and guanosine-5′-monophosphate (5′-GMP) – were carried out in 25 mM Hepes buffer in the presence of 30 mM NaCl. The reactions were monitored using variable-temperature UV-Vis spectrophotometry and were followed under pseudo-first-order conditions with a large excess of nucleophiles. A slightly higher reactivity was found for [Pt(DMEAImiPr)Cl2], while the reactivity of the nucleophiles decreased in the order TU > L-Met > L-His > 5′-GMP. The negative values reported for the entropy of activation confirmed an associative substitution mode. Spectrophotometric acid–base titrations were performed to determine the pKa values of the coordinated water molecules in the diaqua complexes [Pt(DMEAImiPr)(H2O)2]2+ and [Pt(DPENImiPr)(H2O)2]2+. Solubility measurements revealed good solubility of the studied imidazolin-2-imine complexes in water. The crystal structure of [Pt(DMEAImiPr)Cl2] was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The coordination geometries around the platinum atoms are distorted square-planar; the [Pt(DMEAImiPr)Cl2] complex displays Pt–N distances of 2.0162(19) and 2.0663(19) A. Attempts to coordinate Au(III) ions to different imidazolin-2-imine ligands did not result in the formation of coordination complexes, but rather in the reduction of the Au(III) precursor. This was evidenced by the X-ray crystal structure of [(DACH(ImiPrH)2)(AuCl2)2], which formed during the reaction of KAuCl4 with the ligand DACH(ImiPr)2.

Kinetic Studies on the Reactions of [(TLtBu)PtCl]+ and [Pt(tpdm)Cl]+ Complexes with Some Thiols and Thioethers

Substitution reactions of the complexes [(TLtBu)PtCl]+ and [Pt(tpdm)Cl]+, where TLtBu = 2,6-bis[(1,3-di-tert-butylimidazolin-2-imino)methyl]pyridine and tpdm = terpyridinedimethane, with nucleophiles: S-methyl-L-cysteine (S-Met-L-Cys), L-cysteine (L-Cys), glutathione (GSH) and L-methionine (L-Met) were studied in aqueous 0.1 M NaClO4 solution in the presence of 10 mM NaCl using variable-temperature UV-vis spectrophotometry. The higher reactivity of the complex with the tpdm ligand could be attributed to the influence of the bulkiness of the tert-butyl-groups from the [(TLtBu)PtCl]+ complex. The order of reactivity of the studied ligands is: S-Met-L-Cys > L-Met > GSH > L-Cys. The thioethers (S-Met-L-Cys and L-Met) are more reactive than the thiols (GSH and L-Cys). This order of reactivity is in relation with their electron properties and structures. The negative values reported for the entropy of activation confirmed the associative mode.

Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of copper(II) complexes with ligands derived from β-amino acids

Two copper(II) complexes with ligands derived from β-amino acids, 2-(1-aminocyclohexyl)acetic acid L1 and 2-(1-amino-4-(tert-butyl)cyclohexyl)acetic acid L2, were synthesized and characterized by microanalysis, infrared, UV–Vis and EPR spectra. The spectroscopically predicted structure of the square-planar copper(II) complex with 2-(1-aminocyclohexyl)-acetic acid C1 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The biological activities (antitumor activities and interaction with DNA) of the compounds were also investigated. The interactions of both complexes with calf thymus (CT) and herring testes (HT) DNA were examined by stopped-flow spectroscopy, by absorption (UV–Vis) and by emission spectral studies (ethidium bromide displacement studies). Both complexes were found to react a bit faster with HT-DNA than with CT-DNA. The obtained binding constants suggested a moderate intercalative binding mode between the complexes and DNA. In addition, fluorescence spectrometry of bovine serum albumin with the complexes showed a good fluorescence quenching of the complexes. The obtained copper(II) complexes have a relatively low cytotoxic effect on murine mammary carcinoma cell line, 4T1, a moderate effect on murine colon carcinoma cell line, CT26, and a relatively high cytotoxicity toward murine lung cancer cells, LLC1.

Interactions of the Platinum(II) Complexes with Nitrogen- and Sulfur-Bonding Bio-Molecules in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Transition metals and their reactions are in general important in the environment, in technical processes (catalysis, extraction and purification of metal complexes) and in biology and medicine (biological electron transfer, toxicology and use of metal complexes as drugs). Moreover, nonessential metal ions are very often used in biological systems either for therapeutic application or as diagnostic aids. For instance, metal complexes have been used for the treatment of many diseases (cancer, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer, etc.), but with little understanding of their mechanism of action in biological systems.(Ronconi & Sadler, 2007; Bruijnincx & Sadler, 2009) Biochemical studies have not clearly established the molecular basis for the activity and mechanism of action. The growing field of bioinorganic chemistry is presently dealing with the clarification of the mechanisms of action of metal complexes in biological systems.(Ronconi & Sadler,2007; Bruijnincx & Sadler, 2009; Jakupec et al., 2008)