Preparation and characterization of novel palladacycles and their evaluation as anticancer agents

Date
2016-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mononuclear and binuclear (unsubstituted and substituted) palladacycles based on benzylidene-2,6-diisopropylphenylamine, were designed and synthesised for evaluation as anti-cancer agents. The design of these complexes was based on the structure and properties of AJ5, a binuclear palladacycle with significant anti-cancer activity, but poor solubility. In an attempt to improve water solubility the Schiff base ligands, employed to prepare the palladacycles, were modified by introducing hydrophilic functional groups on the aldehyde starting material. Furthermore, the µ-chloro bridged palladacycles were cleaved with either the hydrophilic tertiary phosphine, 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA), or bis(tertiary phosphine) ligands as a further attempt at improving the water-solubility, whilst maintaining the anti-cancer activity. The synthesised complexes were fully characterised by a range of analytical techniques. The solubilities of the palladacycles were determined in water, dimethyl sulfoxide and water/dimethyl sulfoxide mixtures. None of the complexes were entirely watersoluble, however, the substituted binuclear palladacycles were found to show the highest solubility in dimethyl sulfoxide, with some analogues exhibiting improved solubility, compared to AJ5. NMR spectra of the mononuclear palladacycles showed that these PTA-cleaved, mononuclear palladacycles exhibit fluxional behaviour, especially with regard to the isopropyl substituents on the imine ligand. This fluxionality manifests itself as varying degrees of resolution of the isopropyl signals in the proton NMR spectroscopy, leading to this signal having different shapes depending on the nature of the imine ligand. The variety of peak shapes observed for the methyl signals of the isopropyl groups were thought to be due to a reversible symmetric site-exchange and fortunately this could be simulated by way of a computational model developed in-house. The free energy of activation (ΔG# ) and other thermodynamic parameters for the site-exchange process were calculated and found to correspond with aryl ring rotation. Slight deviations in the expected chemical shifts were attributed to concentration-dependent chemical exchange processes. Both molecular aggregation via PTA self-association and dimerisation by imine dissociation were proposed and shown to be plausible. Furthermore, we were able to show that the “ortho effect” accounts for the influence of the ortho-substituents on the free energy of activation. We were also able to attribute the ability for these species to undergo the proposed chemical exchange processes to the phosphorous ligand, PTA, specifically its small cone angle and nitrogen donor atoms. In vitro evaluation of the mono- and binuclear palladacycles was performed to determine their biological activity as anti-cancer agents against human breast adenocarcinoma MCF7 (estrogen receptor positive) and MDA-MB231 (estrogen receptor negative) cell lines. These studies show that most of the complexes are cytotoxic, with the binuclear palladacycles showing better activity than the mononuclear palladacycles. IC50 values of some of the palladacycles were better than those of cisplatin (below 20 μM) and the IC50 values for the substituted-binuclear palladacycle, BTC2, were found to be comparable to those of AJ5. The complexes were found to induce DNA damage and apoptosis. DNA binding studies were carried out on the most active palladacycle in each series to determine the mode of action. DNA binding studies by electrophoresis, ultraviolet-visible-, circular dichroism- and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy suggest that the palladacycles bind to DNA non-covalently, by a mode different to that of cisplatin. The most likely mode of DNA binding was identified as an electrostatic binding mode. Thus, the formation of an aquated cationic species was proposed to form via hydrolysis of the Pd-Cl bond.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Monokernige en bikernige (ongesubstitueerde en gesubstitueerde) palladasikliese verbindings gebaseer op die bensilideen-2,6-diisopropielfenielamien ligand, is ontwerp en gesintetiseer vir evaluering as kankermiddels. Die ontwerp van hierdie komplekse is gebaseer op die struktuur en eienskappe van AJ5, ‘n bikernige palladasikliese verbinding wat beduidende aktiewiteit as ‘n kankermiddel toon, maar deur swak oplosbaarheid belemmer word. In ‘n poging om die wateroplosbaarheid te verbeter is die Schiff-basis ligande, wat gebruik is in die voorbereiding van die palladasikliese verbindings, gemodifiseer deur die byvoeging van hidrofiliese funksionele groepe op die aldehied uitgangstof. Die µ-chloor oorbrugde palladasikliese verbindings is daarna gesplits deur die hidrofiliese tersiêre fosfien, 1,3,5-triasa-7-fosfaadamantaan (PTA), of bis(tersiêre fosfien) ligande, as ‘n verdere poging om die wateroplosbaarheid te verbeter sonder om die biologiese aktiewiteit te belemmer. Die gesintetiseerde komplekse is volledig gekarakteriseer met ‘n reeks analitiese tegnieke. Die oplosbaarheid van die gesplete palladasikliese verbindings is in water, dimetielsulfoksied en ‘n mengsel van water/dimetielsulfoksied bepaal. Geeneen van die komplekse is in water oplosbaar nie, maar die gesubstitueerde, bikernige palladasikliese verbindings toon die hoogste oplosbaarheid in dimetielsulfoksied. ‘n Paar van die bikernige palladasikliese verbindings toon ook beter oplosbaarheid as AJ5. KMR spektra van die monokernige palladasikliese verbindings wys dat hierdie PTA-gesplete, monokernige palladasikliese verbindings fluksionele gedrag toon, veral ten opsigte van die isopropiel substituente op die imien ligand. Die fluksionele gedrag manifesteer as die mate waarin die resolusie van die isopropiel sein in die proton KMR voorkom. As gevolg hiervan word daar ‘n reeks verskillende vorms vir hierdie seine, afhangend van die aard van die imien ligand, gevind. Die verskillende piekvorms wat waargeneem is vir die isopropiel metiel seine word geag om deur simmetriese plek uitruiling veroorsaak te word. Dit kan gelukkig deur middel van ‘n interne teoretiese model gesimuleer word. Die aktiveringsenergie (ΔG# ) en ander termodinamiese parameters vir die plek verruiling is bereken en gevind om ooreen te stem met ariel ring rotasie. Effense afwykings vanaf die verwagte chemiese sein verskuiwing word aan konsentrasie-afhanklike chemise uitruiling prosesse toegeskryf. Beider molekulêre aggregasie deur self-assosiasie van PTA en dimerisasie deur imien dissociasie is voorgestel en gewys om haalbaar te wees. Daar is gevind dat die “orto effek” die invloed van die orto substituente op die aktiveringsenergie kon verklaar. Ons kon ook die vermoë van hierdie komplekse om die voorgestelde chemise uitruiling prosesse te ondergaan aan die fosfien ligand, PTA, toeskryf, spesifiek die klein keel hoek en die stikstof skenkeratome. In vitro evaluering van die monokernige en bikernige palladasikliese verbindings is uitgevoer om hul biologiese aktiwiteit as kankermiddels teen menslike bors adenokarsinoom MCF7 (estrogeen reseptor positief) en MDA-MB231 (estrogeen reseptor negatief) sellyne te bepaal. Hierdie studies toon dat die meeste van die komplekse sitotoksies is en dat die bikernige palladasikliese verbindings better aktiewiteit toon as die monokernige palladasikliese verbindings. Die IC50 waardes van ‘n paar van die komplekse is beter as dié van cisplatin (onder 20 μM) en die IC50 waardes van die gesubstitueerde, bikernige palladasikliese verbinding, BTC2, was vergelykbaar met dié van AJ5. Daar is gevind dat die komplekse DNS dubbelstring breke en apoptose veroorsaak. DNS bindingstudies is uitgevoer op die mees aktiewe palladasikliese verbindings in elkeen van hierdie reekse, om die manier van interaksie te bepaal. DNS bindingstudies met behulp van elektroforese, ultraviolet-sig-, sirkulêredichroïsme-, kern magnetise resonansie spektroskopie dui daarop dat die palladasikliese verbindings DNS op ‘n nie-kovalente wyse bind, deur ‘n manier anders as dié van cisplatin. Die mees waarskynlikste manier van DNS verbind is geidentifiseer as ‘n elektrostatiese binding wyse. Dus was die formasie van ‘n kationiese spesies voorgestel wat vorm deur die hidroliese van die Pd-Cl binding.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2016.
Keywords
Palladacycles, Cancer -- Treatment, DNA-ligand interaction, Dynamic NMR, Antineoplastic agents, UCTD
Citation