Antitumor and Antiangiogenic Properties of Gold(III) Complexes Containing Cycloaurated Triphenylphosphine Sulfide Ligands

Inorg Chem. 2020 Apr 20;59(8):5662-5673. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c00423. Epub 2020 Apr 7.

Abstract

A family of stable anticancer gold(III)-based therapeutic complexes containing cyclometalated triphenylphosphine sulfide ligands have been prepared. The anticancer properties of the newly developed complexes [AuCl22-2-C6H4P(S)Ph2}] (1), [Au(κ2-S2CNEt2){κ2-2-C6H4P(S)Ph2}]PF6 (2), [AuCl(dppe){κC-2-C6H4P(S)Ph2}]Cl (3), and [Au(dppe){κ2-2-C6H4P(S)Ph2}][PF6]2 (4) were investigated toward five human cancer cell lines [cervical (HeLa), lung (A549), prostate (PC3), fibrosarcoma (HT1080), and breast (MDA-MB-231)]. In vitro cytotoxicity studies revealed that compounds 2-4 displayed potent cell growth inhibition (IC50 values in the range of 0.17-2.50 μM), comparable to, or better than, clinically used cisplatin (0.63-6.35 μM). Preliminary mechanistic studies using HeLa cells indicate that the cytotoxic effects of the compounds involve apoptosis induction through ROS accumulation. Compound 2 also demonstrated significant inhibition of endothelial cell migration and tube formation in the angiogenesis process. Evaluation of the in vivo antitumor activity of compound 2 in nude mice bearing cervical cancer cell (HeLa) xenografts indicated significant tumor growth inhibition (55%) with 1 mg/kg dose (every 3 days) compared with the same dose of cisplatin (28%). These results demonstrate the potential of gold(III) complexes containing cyclometalated triphenylphosphine sulfide ligands as novel metal-based anticancer agents.

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Coordination Complexes / chemical synthesis
  • Coordination Complexes / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Gold / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Phosphines / chemical synthesis
  • Phosphines / therapeutic use*
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Sulfides / chemical synthesis
  • Sulfides / therapeutic use*
  • Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Coordination Complexes
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Ligands
  • Phosphines
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Sulfides
  • Gold
  • Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase