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Anticancer activity of structurally related ruthenium(II) cyclopentadienyl complexes

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Abstract

A set of structurally related Ru(η5-C5H5) complexes with bidentate N,N′-heteroaromatic ligands have been evaluated as prospective metallodrugs, with focus on exploring the uptake and cell death mechanisms and potential cellular targets. We have extended these studies to examine the potential of these complexes to target cancer cell metabolism, the energetic-related phenotype of cancer cells. The observations that these complexes can enter cells, probably facilitated by binding to plasma transferrin, and can be retained preferentially at the membranes prompted us to explore possible membrane targets involved in cancer cell metabolism. Most malignant tumors present the Warburg effect, which consists in increasing glycolytic rates with production of lactate, even in the presence of oxygen. The reliance of glycolytic cancer cells on trans-plasma-membrane electron transport (TPMET) systems for their continued survival raises the question of their appropriateness as a target for anticancer drug development strategies. Considering the interesting findings that some anticancer drugs in clinical use are cytotoxic even without entering cells and can inhibit TPMET activity, we investigated whether redox enzyme modulation could be a potential mechanism of action of antitumor ruthenium complexes. The results from this study indicated that ruthenium complexes can inhibit lactate production and TPMET activity in a way dependent on the cancer cell aggressiveness and the concentration of the complex. Combination approaches that target cell metabolism (glycolytic inhibitors) as well as proliferation are needed to successfully cure cancer. This study supports the potential use of some of these ruthenium complexes as adjuvants of glycolytic inhibitors in the treatment of aggressive cancers.

Graphical abstract

A simplified hypothetical model showing the possible relationship between the trans-plasma-membrane electron transport (tPMET) system (ferricyanide reductase), the transferrin receptor, and the Na+/H+ antiporter. This tPMET might be involved in iron uptake and in regulating the NADH-to-NAD+ ratio. As a consequence of tPMET activity, the antiport is probably activated by proton release. (Adapted from Crane et al., 1991; Herst and Berridge, Curr. Mol. Med. 6:895–904, 2006). MET mitochondrial electron transport, TCA tricarboxylic acid

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Abbreviations

AcP:

Acid phosphatase

2,2′-Bipy:

2,2′-Bipyridine

3BrP:

3-Bromopyruvate

DCA:

Dichloroacetate

2DG:

2-Deoxyglucose

DTNB:

Dithionitrobenzoic acid

FBS:

Fetal bovine serum

IC50 :

Half-maximal inhibitory concentration

ICP-MS:

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Me2bipy:

4,4′-Dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine

mTPPMS:

m-Diphenylphosphane benzene-3-sulfonate

MTT:

3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide

NR:

Neutral red

PAO:

Phenylarsine oxide

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

pCMBS:

p-Chloromercuribenzene sulfonate

pNPP:

p-Nitrophenyl phosphate

PPh3 :

Triphenylphosphane

TM34:

[Ru(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)(2,2′-bipy)][CF3SO3]

TM85:

[Ru(η5-C5H5)(mTPPMSNa)(2,2′-bipy)][CF3SO3]

TM102:

[Ru(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)(Me2bpy)[CF3SO3]

TPMET:

Trans-plasma-membrane electron transport

Tris:

Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by national funds through FCT, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, within the scope of projects PTDC/QUI-QUI/101187/2008, PTDC/QUI-QUI/118077/2010, PEst-OE/QUI/UI0100/2011, and PEst-OE/QUI/UI0536/2011, as well as the Ciência2007 initiative. T.S.M. thanks FCT for her PhD grant (SFRH/BD/45871/2008), and A.V. thanks FCT for her postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/80459/2011).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unidade Ciências Químicas e Radiofarmacêuticas, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Polo de Loures-Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear, Estrada Nacional 10, km 139.7, 2695-066, Bobadela LRS Sacavém, Portugal

    Leonor Côrte-Real, Filipa Mendes, Isabel Santos & Fernanda Marques

  2. Laboratório Central de Análises, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Joana Coimbra

  3. Centro de Ciências Moleculares e Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências,, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal

    Leonor Côrte-Real, Tânia S. Morais, Ana Isabel Tomaz, Andreia Valente & M. Helena Garcia

  4. Laboratório de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício Egas Moniz, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisbon, Portugal

    Manuel Bicho

  5. Instituto Bento da Rocha Cabral, 1250-047, Lisbon, Portugal

    Manuel Bicho

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  1. Leonor Côrte-Real
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  2. Filipa Mendes
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  4. Tânia S. Morais
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  5. Ana Isabel Tomaz
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  7. M. Helena Garcia
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  8. Isabel Santos
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  9. Manuel Bicho
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  10. Fernanda Marques
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernanda Marques.

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Côrte-Real, L., Mendes, F., Coimbra, J. et al. Anticancer activity of structurally related ruthenium(II) cyclopentadienyl complexes. J Biol Inorg Chem 19, 853–867 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00775-014-1120-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00775-014-1120-y

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