A non-ionic water-soluble pentaphyrin derivative. Synthesis and cytotoxicity

Synthesis and biologic properties of hydrophilic sapphyrins, a new class of tumor-selective inhibitors of gene expression

Background

Sapphyrin analogues and related porphyrin-like species have attracted attention as anticancer agents due to their selective localization in various cancers, including hematologic malignancies, relative to surrounding tissues. Sapphyrins are electron affinic compounds that generate high yields of singlet oxygen formation. Although initially explored in the context of photodynamic therapy, sapphyrins have intrinsic anticancer activity that is independent of their photosensitizing properties. However, the mechanisms for their anticancer activity have not been fully elucidated.

Results

We have prepared a series of hydrophilic sapphyrins and evaluated their effect on proliferation, uptake, and cell death in adherent human lung (A549) and prostate (PC3) cancer cell lines and in an A549 xenograft tumor model. PCI-2050, the sapphyrin derivative with the highest in vitro growth inhibitory activity, significantly lowered 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation in S-phase A549 cells by 60% within eight hours and increased levels of reactive oxygen species within four hours. The growth inhibition pattern of PCI-2050 in the National Cancer Institute 60 cell line screen correlated most closely using the COMPARE algorithm with known transcriptional or translational inhibitors. Gene expression analyses conducted on A549 plateau phase cultures treated with PCI-2050 uncovered wide-spread decreases in mRNA levels, which especially affected short-lived transcripts. Intriguingly, PCI-2050 increased the levels of transcripts involved in RNA processing and trafficking, transcriptional regulation, and chromatin remodeling. We propose that these changes reflect the activation of cellular processes aimed at countering the observed wide-spread reductions in transcript levels. In our A549 xenograft model, the two lead compounds, PCI-2050 and PCI-2022, showed similar tumor distributions despite differences in plasma and kidney level profiles. This provides a possible explanation for the better tolerance of PCI-2022 relative to PCI-2050.

Conclusion

Hydrophilic sapphyrins were found to display promise as novel agents that localize to tumors, generate oxidative stress, and inhibit gene expression.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new pentaphyrin macrocycles for photodynamic therapy

This paper describes the synthesis and in-depth characterization of two new porphyrogenic macrocycles 1 and 2, and provides an evaluation of these molecules as photosensitizer agents. By tuning the reaction conditions and starting from readily available 1,9-diformyl-5-phenyldipyrromethane (4) and tripyrrane dicarboxylic acid (3), both the nonaromatic isopentaphyrin 1, composed of a 24 pi-electron macrocycle, and the aromatic pentaphyrin 2, composed of a 22 pi-electron macrocycle, were obtained in good yield and purity. Confocal laser microscopy and cytofluorimetry studies showed that the newly synthesized pentaphyrins penetrate the cell membranes and localize mainly in the cytoplasm. In the absence of light, 1 and 2 exhibit a nonsignificant cytotoxic effect at concentrations up to 3 mug/mL. In contrast, the synthesized pentaphyrins, when delivered to cells at 1.5 or 3 microg/mL and irradiated with white light (8 mW/cm(2)), promoted a strong and dose-dependent phototoxic effect in four different cell lines. FACS and caspase-3/7 activation assays demonstrated that the pentaphyrins cause cell death by apoptosis.

Sapphyrins induce apoptosis in hematopoietic tumor-derived cell lines and show in vivo antitumor activity

Sapphyrins are pentapyrrolic, metal-free, expanded porphyrins. In the present study, the activity of sapphyrins as anticancer agents in hematopoietic-derived tumor cells was explored. It was found that a dihydroxylated water-soluble sapphyrin derivative (PCI-2000) is a potent inducer of apoptosis in a wide variety of tumor cell lines including lymphoma (Ramos, DHL-4, and HF-1), leukemia (Jurkat and HL-60), and myeloma (8226/S, 1-310, C2E3, and 1-414). PCI-2000 triggers an apoptotic pathway in these tumor cells as shown by release of cytochrome c from mitochondria; activation of caspases 9, 8, and 3; cleavage of the caspase substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase; and Annexin V binding. Apoptosis can be partially inhibited by overexpression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 or treatment with benzyloxycarbonyl-valine-alanine-aspartic acid-fluoromethylketone, a cell-permeable caspase inhibitor. Both PCI-2000 and PCI-2010, a tetrahydroxy bis-carbamate derivative of PCI-2000, result in increased levels of phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation resulted in a synergistic increase of PCI-2000 cytotoxicity. PCI-2010 showed less toxicity in mice than PCI-2000 and was active in slowing the growth of Ramos and HL-60 tumor xenografts in nude mice. These results provide preclinical rationale for the further study of sapphyrins for potential use in the treatment of hematopoietic-derived tumors.

Interaction of Rh(I) with meso-arylsapphyrins and -rubyrins: first structural characterization of bimetallic hetero-rubyrin complex

The ligational behavior of meso-arylsapphyrins and rubyrins toward Rh(I) is investigated. Sapphyrins form monometallic complexes with coordination of one imine and amine type nitrogens of the bipyrrole unit in an eta2 fashion. The Rh(I) coordination is completed by the presence of two ancillary carbon monoxide ligands. Rubyrins form both monometallic and bimetallic complexes. Two types of bimetallic complexes have been isolated. In the first type, both rhodium atoms are projected above the mean rubyrin plane, while in the second type, one rhodium atom is projected above and the other below the mean plane. Detailed 1H and 2D NMR spectral analyses along with IR and UV-visible spectra of the complexes confirm the proposed binding modes for the rhodium complexes. Furthermore, the single-crystal X-ray analysis of one of the bimetallic complexes of rubyrin shows a bowl-shaped symmetric structure where both Rh(I) atoms are projected above the mean rubyrin plane at an angle of 71.73 degrees. The geometry around each rhodium center is approximately square planar [N1-Rh1-N2, 80.38(9) degrees; C15-Rh1-C16, 86.95(14) degrees; N1-Rh1-C15, 97.13(12) degrees; and N2-RH1-C16, 94.97(12) degrees ]. The omicronbserved distance of 4.313 A between the two rhodium centers reveals very little interaction between the two rhodium atoms. This type of metal binding is accompanied by a 180 degrees ring flip of the heterocyclic ring connecting the two bipyrrole units. In dioxarubyrin, where one of the pyrrole rings of the bipyrrole unit is inverted, Rh(I) binds at the periphery to the pyrrole nitrogen, leaving the rubyrin cavity empty. The absence of one amino and one imino nitrogen on the dipyrromethene subunits in the sapphyrins and rubyrins described here forces Rh(I) to bind to bipyrrole nitrogens.