Monize M. da Silva

Nitro/nitrosyl ruthenium complexes are potent and selective anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents causing autophagy and necrotic parasite death

ABSTRACT cis-[RuCl(NO2)(dppb)(5,5′-mebipy)] (complex 1), cis-[Ru(NO2)2(dppb)(5,5′-mebipy)] (complex 2), ct-[RuCl(NO)(dppb)(5,5′-mebipy)](PF6)2 (complex 3), and cc-[RuCl(NO)(dppb)(5,5′-mebipy)](PF6)2 (complex 4), where 5,5′-mebipy is 5,5′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine and dppb is 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane, were synthesized and characterized. The structure of complex 2 was determined by X-ray crystallography. These complexes exhibited a higher anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity than benznidazole, the current antiparasitic drug. Complex 3 was the most potent, displaying a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 2.1 ± 0.6 μM against trypomastigotes and a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.3 ± 0.2 μM against amastigotes, while it displayed a 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) of 51.4 ± 0.2 μM in macrophages. It was observed that the nitrosyl complex 3, but not its analog lacking the nitrosyl group, releases nitric oxide into parasite cells. This release has a diminished effect on the trypanosomal protease cruzain but induces substantial parasite autophagy, which is followed by a series of irreversible morphological impairments to the parasites and finally results in cell death by necrosis. In infected mice, orally administered complex 3 (five times at a dose of 75 μmol/kg of body weight) reduced blood parasitemia and increased the survival rate of the mice. Combination index analysis of complex 3 indicated that its in vitro activity against trypomastigotes is synergic with benznidazole. In addition, drug combination enhanced efficacy in infected mice, suggesting that ruthenium-nitrosyl complexes are potential constituents for drug combinations.

Nanostructured Lipid Systems as a Strategy to Improve the in Vitro Cytotoxicity of Ruthenium(II) Compounds

: Tuberculosis is an ancient disease that is still present as a global public health problem. Our group has been investigating new molecules with anti-TB activity. In this context, inorganic chemistry has been a quite promising source of such molecules, with excellent results seen with ruthenium compounds. Nanostructured lipid systems may potentiate the action of drugs by reducing the required dosage and side effects and improving the antimicrobial effects. The aim of this study was to develop a nanostructured lipid system and then characterize and apply these encapsulated compounds (SCARs 1, 2 and 4) with the goal of improving their activity by decreasing the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC90) and reducing the cytotoxicity (IC50). The nanostructured system was composed of 10% phase oil (cholesterol), 10% surfactant (soy oleate, soy phosphatidylcholine and Eumulgin®) and 80% aqueous phase (phosphate buffer pH = 7.4). Good activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis was maintained after the incorporation of the compounds into the nanostructured lipid system, while the cytotoxicity decreased dramatically, in some cases up to 20 times less toxic than the unencapsulated drug.

A new electrochemical sensor containing a film of chitosan-supported ruthenium: detection and quantification of sildenafil citrate and acetaminophen

This work presents the construction of a novel electrochemical sensor for detection of organic analytes, using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a chitosan-supported ruthenium film. The ruthenium-chitosan film was obtained starting from the mer-[RuCl3(dppb)(H2O)] complex as a [1,4-bis(diphenylphosphine)butane] (dppb) precursor, and chitosan (QT). The structure of the chitosan-supported ruthenium film on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode was characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) techniques. The glassy carbon electrode was modified with a film formed from the evaporation of 5 µL of a solution composed of 5 mg chitosan-supported ruthenium (RuQT) in 10 mL of 0.1 mol L-1 acetic acid. The modified electrode was tested as a sensor for sildenafil citrate (Viagra® 50 mg) and acetaminophen (Tylenol®) detection. The technique utilized for these analyses was differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in 0.1 mol L-1 H2SO4 (pH 1.0) and 0.1 mol L-1 CH3COOK (pH 6.5) as supporting electrolyte. All analyses were carried out during a month using the same electrode. The electrode was washed only with water in between the analyses, keeping it in the refrigerator when it was not in use. This electrode was stable during the period utilized showing no degradation and presenting a linear response over the evaluated concentration interval (1.25 × 10-5 to 4.99 × 10-4 mol L-1).

In vitro evaluation of the cyto-genotoxic potential of Ruthenium(II) SCAR complexes: a promising class of antituberculosis agents.

Tuberculosis is a top infectious disease killer worldwide, caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Increasing incidences of multiple drug-resistance (MDR) strains are emerging as one of the major public health threats. However, the drugs in use are still incapable of controlling the appalling upsurge of MDR. In recent years a marked number of research groups have devoted their attention toward the development of specific and cost-effective antimicrobial agents against targeted MDR-Tuberculosis. In previous studies, ruthenium(II) complexes (SCAR) have shown a promising activity against MDR-Tuberculosis although few studies have indeed considered ruthenium toxicity. Therefore, within the preclinical requirements, we have sought to determine the cyto-genotoxicity of three SCAR complexes in this present study. The treatment with the SCARs induced a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability in CHO-K1 and HepG2 cells. Based on the clonogenic survival, SCAR 5 was found to be more cytotoxic while SCAR 6 exhibited selectivity action on tumor cells. Although SCAR 4 and 5 did not indicate any mutagenic activity as evidenced by the Ames and Cytokinesis block micronucleus cytome assays, the complex SCAR 6 was found to engender a frameshift mutation detected by Salmonella typhimurium in the presence of S9. Similarly, we observed a chromosomal damage in HepG2 cells with significant increases of micronuclei and nucleoplasmic bridges. These data indicate that SCAR 4 and 5 complexes did not show genotoxicity in our models while SCAR 6 was considered mutagenic. This study presented a comprehensive genotoxic evaluation of SCAR complexes were shown to be genotoxic in vitro. All in all, further studies are required to fully elucidate how the properties can affect human health.

Structure/Activity of PtII/N,N-Disubstituted-N'-acylthiourea Complexes: Anti-Tumor and Anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis Activities

The syntheses, characterization, cytotoxicity against tumor cells and anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity assays of Pt/PPh3/N,N-disubstituted-N’-acylthioureas complexes with general formulae [Pt(PPh3)2(L)]PF6, PPh3 = triphenylphosphine; L = N,N-disubstituted-N’-acylthiourea, are here reported. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (H, C{H} and P{H}) spectroscopy. The P{H} NMR data are consistent with the presence of two PPh3 ligands cis to each other position, and one N,N-disubstituted-N’-acylthiourea coordinated to the metal through O and S, in a chelate form. The structures of the complexes were determined by X-ray crystallography, forming distorted square-planar structures. The complexes were tested in human cell lines carcinomas and also screened with respect to their anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity (H37RvATCC 27294). It was found that complexes with N,N-disubstituted-N’-acylthiourea containing open and small chains as R2 groups show higher cytotoxic and higher anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity than those containing rings in this position.