Characterization of interactions between human serum albumin and tumor-inhibiting amino alcohol platinum(II) complexes using capillary electrophoresis

How versatile is the use of ultrafiltration to study biointeractions of therapeutic metallodrugs?

For a representative number of approved or investigational anticancer metallodrugs varying in lipophilicity, unspecific adsorption onto ultracentrifugal filter units was studied. It was found that for fairly hydrophilic compounds, such as cisplatin and oxaliplatin, the binding to filters does not substantially affect their amount measured (by ICP-MS) after ultrafiltration (>95%). In the case of metal complexes with moderate lipophilicity (log P > -0.1), adsorption effects turn out to be substantial. This might impede using ultrafiltration for studying the transformations of such drugs in human serum, unless they are rapidly converted into the protein adducts. The adsorption-suppressing effect of proteins was proved for indazolium trans-[tetrachloridobis(1H-indazole)ruthenate(III)] whose recovery from the filters was 61 and 14% in free and HSA-bound form, respectively.

Principles and methods used to grow and optimize crystals of protein-metallodrug adducts, to determine metal binding sites and to assign metal ligands

The characterization of the interactions between biological macromolecules (proteins and nucleic acids) and metal-based drugs is a fundamental prerequisite for understanding their mechanisms of action. X-ray crystallography enables the structural analysis of such complexes with atomic level detail. However, this approach requires the preparation of highly diffracting single crystals, the measurement of diffraction patterns and the structural analysis and interpretation of macromolecule-metal interactions from electron density maps. In this review, we describe principles and methods used to grow and optimize crystals of protein-metallodrug adducts, to determine metal binding sites and to assign and validate metal ligands. Examples from the literature and experience in our own laboratory are provided and key challenges are described, notably crystallization and molecular model refinement against the X-ray diffraction data.

Biodistribution of the novel anticancer drug sodium trans-[tetrachloridobis(1H-indazole)ruthenate(III)] KP-1339/IT139 in nude BALB/c mice and implications on its mode of action

The ruthenium complex sodium trans-[tetrachloridobis(1H-indazole)ruthenate(III)] (KP-1339/IT139) has entered clinical trials as the more soluble alternative to the indazolium compound KP1019. In order to get insight into its distribution and accumulation throughout a living organism, KP-1339/IT139 was administered intravenously in non-tumor bearing nude BALB/c mice and the Ru content in blood cells and plasma, bone, brain, colon, kidneys, liver, lung, muscle, spleen, stomach and thymus was determined at several time points. The Ru concentration in blood cells and plasma was found to increase slightly within the first hours of analysis, with the Ru concentration being 3-times higher in plasma compared to blood cells. The plasma samples were subjected to analysis by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and size exclusion/anion exchange chromatography (SEC-IC) both coupled to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and a large majority of the total Ru content was found attached to mouse serum albumin (MSA), confirming similar behavior to KP1019 in an in vivo setting. Within 1h, the peak ratio of approximately 1.2-1.5 Ru per albumin molecule was reached which declined to about 1 Ru per albumin molecule within 24h. Beside the MSA adduct a higher molecular weight species was observed probably stemming from MSA conjugates. In addition, the tissue samples were mineralized by microwave digestion and analyzed for their Ru content. The highest Ru levels were found in colon, lung, liver, kidney and notably in the thymus. The peak Ru concentrations in these tissues were reached 1-6h after administration and declined slowly over time.

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for metallodrug development: albumin binding and serum distribution of cytotoxic cis- and trans-isomeric platinum(II) complexes

Binding to plasma proteins is one of the major metabolic pathways of metallodrugs. In the case of platinum-based anticancer drugs, it is the interaction with serum albumin that affects most strongly their in vivo behavior. Since both the configuration, i.e. cis-trans-isomerism, and the nature of leaving groups have an effect on the reactivity of Pt(II) coordination compounds toward biomolecules, a set of cis- and trans-configured complexes with halide leaving groups (Cl(-), Br(-), and I(-)) and 2-propanone oxime as carrier ligands was chosen for this study. Binding experiments were performed both with albumin and human serum and the Pt content in ultrafiltrates was quantified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In order to shed light on the binding mechanism, the albumin binding constant (KHSA) and the octanol-water partition coefficient (P) were experimentally determined and relationships between log KHSA and log P were explored. The correlation was found significant only for cis-configured platinum complexes (R(2)=0.997 and standard deviation=0.02), indicating a certain contribution of the nonspecific binding which is largely dominated by the lipophilicity of compounds. In contrast, for trans-complexes a specific molecular recognition element plays a significant role. The participation of albumin in drug distribution in blood serum was assessed using an equilibrium distribution model and by comparing the percentage binding in the albumin and serum-protein fractions. Irrespective of the compound polarity, albumin contributes from 85 to 100% to the overall binding in serum.

Binding of transition metal ions to albumin: sites, affinities and rates

BACKGROUND

Serum albumin is the most abundant protein in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid and plays a fundamental role in the distribution of essential transition metal ions in the human body. Human serum albumin (HSA) is an important physiological transporter of the essential metal ions Cu(2+), and Zn(2+) in the bloodstream. Its binding of metals like Ni(2+), Co(2+), or Cd(2+) can occur in vivo, but is only of toxicological relevance. Moreover, HSA is one of the main targets and hence most studied binding protein for metallodrugs based on complexes with Au, Pt and V.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

We discuss i) the four metal-binding sites so far described on HSA, their localization and metal preference, ii) the binding of the metal ions mentioned above, i.e. their stability constants and association/dissociation rates, their coordination chemistry and their selectivity versus the four binding sites iii) the methodology applied to study issues of items i and ii and iv) oligopeptide models of the N-terminal binding site.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

Albumin has four partially selective metal binding sites with well-defined metal preferences. It is an important regulator of the blood transport of physiological Cu(II) and Zn(II) and toxic Ni(II) and Cd(II). It is also an important target for metal-based drugs containing Pt(II), V(IV)O, and Au(I).

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

The thorough understanding of metal binding properties of serum albumin, including the competition of various metal ions for specific binding sites is important for biomedical issues, such as new disease markers and design of metal-based drugs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Serum Albumin.

Metallomics for drug development: serum protein binding and analysis of an anticancer tris(8-quinolinolato)gallium(III) drug using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The application of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) assay for quantifying in vitro binding of a gallium-based anticancer drug, tris(8-quinolinolato)gallium(III), to serum albumin and transferrin and in human serum is described. The distribution of the drug between the protein-rich and protein-free fractions was assessed via ICP-MS measurement of total gallium in ultrafiltrates. Comparative kinetic studies revealed that the drug exhibits a different reactivity toward individual proteins. While the maximum possible binding to albumin (~10%) occurs practically immediately, interaction with transferrin has a step-like character and the equilibrium state (with more than 50% binding) is reached for about 48 h. Drug transformation into the bound form in serum, also very fast, results in almost quantitative binding (~95%). The relative affinity of protein-drug binding was characterized in terms of the association constants ranging from 10(3) to 10(4)M(-1). In order to further promote clinical testing of the gallium drug, the ICP-MS method was applied for direct quantification of gallium in human serum spiked with the drug. The detection limit for gallium was found to be as low as 20 ng L(-1). The repeatability was better than 8% (as RSD) and the achieved recoveries were in the range 99-103%.

Influence of extracellular pH on the cytotoxicity, cellular accumulation, and DNA interaction of novel pH-sensitive 2-aminoalcoholatoplatinum(II) complexes

Extracellular acidity is a frequent pathophysiological condition of solid tumors offering possibilities for improving the tumor selectivity of molecular therapy. This might be accomplished by prodrugs with low systemic toxicity, attaining their full antitumor potency only under acidic conditions, such as bis(2-aminoalcoholato-κ(2)N,O)platinum(II) complexes that are activated by protonation of alcoholato oxygen, resulting in cleavage of platinum-oxygen bonds. In this work, we examined whether the pH dependency of such compounds is reflected in differential biological activity in vitro. In particular, the pH dependence of cytotoxicity, cellular accumulation, DNA platination, GMP binding, effects on DNA secondary structure, cell cycle alterations, and induction of apoptosis was investigated. Enhanced cytotoxicity of five of these complexes in non-small-cell lung cancer (A549) and colon carcinoma (HT-29) cells at pH 6.0 in comparison with pH 7.4 was confirmed: 50 % growth inhibition concentrations ranged from 42 to 214 μM in A549 cells and from 35 to 87 μM in HT-29 cells at pH 7.4 and decreased at pH 6.0 to 11-50 and 7.3-25 μM, respectively. The effects induced by all five pH-sensitive compounds involve increased 5'-GMP binding, cellular accumulation, and DNA platination as well as stronger effects on DNA secondary structure at pH 6.0 than at pH 7.4. As exemplified by treatment of A549 cells with a 2-amino-4-methyl-1-pentanolato complex, induction of apoptosis is enhanced at pH 6.5. These results confirm the increased reactivity and in vitro activity of these compounds under slightly acidic conditions, encouraging further evaluation of ring-closed aminoalcoholatoplatinum(II) derivatives in solid tumors in vivo.

Capillary zone electrophoresis and capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry studies on the behavior of anticancer cis- and trans-[dihalidobis(2-propanone oxime)platinum(II)] complexes in aqueous solutions

Anticancer chemotherapeutics with new modes of action are in great demand to overcome adverse effects, resistance problems and a limited application range. Among other approaches, trans-configured analogs of the established chemotherapy drug cisplatin show promising results in biological model systems. Herein we report on comparative studies on the stability of cis- and trans-[dihalidobis(2-propanone oxime)platinum(II)] (halido=Cl(-), Br(-), I(-)) complexes in phosphate buffer, using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and CZE hyphenated to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (CZE-ESI-MS). The used conditions simulate those in the cytoplasm, being of importance for the activation of platinum anticancer agents for their reaction with DNA, the ultimate target. The configuration of the Pt center, i.e., cis or trans, accounts for the differing degradation kinetics of the compounds and in addition a significant influence of the halido leaving group was observed, with in case of the cis complexes pseudo first order rate constants of 0.268, 0.191 and 0.142h(-1) for Br(-), Cl(-), and I(-), respectively. Degradation of the trans isomers was significantly faster compared to their cis-configured counterparts also leading to different products which were characterized by hyphenation of CZE to ESI-MS.

Capillary electrophoretic methods in the development of metal-based therapeutics and diagnostics: new methodology and applications

In recent years, capillary electrophoresis (CE) has matured to a standard method in medicinal inorganic chemistry. More and more steps of the drug discovery process are followed by CE. However, not only the number of applications has steadily increased but also the variety of used methodology has significantly broadened and, as compared to a few years ago, a wider scope of separation modes and hyphenated systems has been used. Herein, a summary of the newly utilized CE methods and their applications in metallodrug research in the timeframe 2006-2011 is presented, following related reviews from 2003 and 2007 (Electrophoresis, 2003, 24, 2023-2037; Electrophoresis 2007, 28, 3436-3446). Areas covered include impurity profiling, quality control of pharmaceutical formulations, lipophilicity estimation, interactions between metallodrugs and proteins or nucleotides, and characterization and also quantification of metabolites in biological matrices and real-world samples.

Proteomic approaches in understanding action mechanisms of metal-based anticancer drugs

Medicinal inorganic chemistry has been stimulating largely by the success of the anticancer drug, cisplatin. Various metal complexes are currently used as therapeutic agents (e.g., Pt, Au, and Ru) in the treatment of malignant diseases, including several types of cancers. Understanding the mechanism of action of these metal-based drugs is for the design of more effective drugs. Proteomic approaches combined with other biochemical methods can provide comprehensive understanding of responses that are involved in metal-based anticancer drugs-induced cell death, including insights into cytotoxic effects of metal-based anticancer drugs, correlation of protein alterations to drug targets, and prediction of drug resistance and toxicity. This information, when coupled with clinical data, can provide rational basses for the future design and modification of present used metal-based anticancer drugs.

Metabolization of [Ru(eta(6)-C (6)H (5)CF (3))(pta)Cl (2)]: a cytotoxic RAPTA-type complex with a strongly electron withdrawing arene ligand

The anticancer ruthenium-arene compound [Ru(eta(6)-C(6)H(5)CF(3))(pta)Cl(2)] (where pta is 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.1]decane), termed RAPTA-CF3, with the electron-withdrawing alpha,alpha,alpha-trifluorotoluene ligand, is one of the most cytotoxic RAPTA compounds known. To rationalize the high observed cytotoxicity, the hydrolysis of RAPTA-CF3 in water and brine (100 mM sodium chloride) and its reactions with the protein ubiquitin and a double-stranded oligonucleotide (5'-GTATTGGCACGTA-3') were studied using NMR spectroscopy, high-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, and gel electrophoresis. The aquation of the ruthenium-chlorido complex was accompanied by a loss of the arene ligand, independent of the chloride concentration, which is a special property of the compound not observed for other ruthenium-arene complexes with relatively stable ruthenium-arene bonds. Accordingly, the mass spectra of the biomolecule reaction mixtures contained mostly [Ru(pta)]-biomolecule adducts, whereas [Ru(pta)(arene)] adducts typical of other RAPTA compounds were not observed in the protein or DNA binding studies. Gel electrophoresis experiments revealed a significant degree of decomposition of the oligonucleotide, which was more pronounced in the case of RAPTA-CF3 compared with RAPTA-C. Consequently, facile arene loss appears to be responsible for the increased cytotoxicity of RAPTA-CF3.

Reaction of the Anticancer Organometallic Ruthenium Compound, [(eta-p-Cymene)Ru(ATSC)Cl]PF(6) with Human Serum Albumin

The reaction of [(eta(6)-p-cymene)Ru(ATSC)Cl]PF(6) (ATSC = 9-anthraldehyde thiosemicarbazone) with human serum albumin was investigated at different temperatures using fluorescence and infrared spectrophotometry. The binding constant, K, for the reaction was determined using a number of different methods. Using a modified Stern-Volmer equation, K was determined to be 9.09 x 10(4), 12.1 x 10(4), and 13.1 x 10(4) M(-1) at 293 K, 298 K, and 308 K, respectively. A thermodynamic analysis showed that the reaction is spontaneous with DeltaG being negative. The enthalpy of reaction DeltaH = 16.5kJ mol(-1) and the entropy of reaction DeltaS = 152 Jmol(-1)K(-1). The values of DeltaH and DeltaS suggest that hydrophobic forces are dominant in the mode of interaction and that the process is mostly entropy driven.

KP1019, a new redox-active anticancer agent--preclinical development and results of a clinical phase I study in tumor patients

The promising drug candidate indazolium trans-[tetrachlorobis(1H-indazole)ruthenate(III)] (KP1019) is the second Ru-based anticancer agent to enter clinical trials. In this review, which is an update of a paper from 2006 (Hartinger et al., J. Inorg. Biochem. 2006, 100, 891-904), the experimental evidence for the proposed mode of action of this coordination compound is discussed, including transport into the cell via the transferrin cycle and activation by reduction. The results of the early clinical development of KP1019 are summarized in which five out of six evaluated patients experienced disease stabilization with no severe side effects.

Elucidation of the interactions of an anticancer ruthenium complex in clinical trials with biomolecules utilizing capillary electrophoresis hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Short communication

The application of capillary electrophoresis (CE) combined with highly sensitive inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) detection allows the interactions of metal complexes with biomolecules to be characterized. This technique has been used to provide new insights into the mode of action of the ruthenium-based anticancer drug candidate indazolium [trans-tetrachlorobis(1H-indazole)ruthenate(III)] (KP1019). While the compound binds rapidly and efficiently to serum proteins, especially albumin, its reactivity towards the model DNA compound 2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-monophosphate (5'-dGMP) is moderate.

In vitro anticancer activity and biologically relevant metabolization of organometallic ruthenium complexes with carbohydrate-based ligands

The synthesis and in vitro anticancer activity of dihalogenido(eta6-p-cymene)(3,5,6-bicyclophosphite-alpha-D-glucofuranoside)ruthenium(II) complexes are described. The compounds were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and ESI mass spectrometry, and the molecular structures of dichlorido-, dibromido- and diiodido(eta6-p-cymene)(3,5,6-bicyclophosphite-1,2-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranoside)ruthenium(II) were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The complexes were shown to undergo aquation of the first halido ligand in aqueous solution, followed by hydrolysis of a P--O bond of the phosphite ligand, and finally formation of dinuclear species. The hydrolysis mechanism was confirmed by DFT calculations. The aquation of the complexes was markedly suppressed in 100 mM NaCl solution, and notably only very slow hydrolysis of the P--O bond was observed. The complexes showed affinity towards albumin and transferrin and monoadduct formation with 9-ethylguanine. In vitro studies revealed that the 3,5,6-bicyclophosphite-1,2-O-cyclohexylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranoside complex is the most cytotoxic compound in human cancer cell lines (IC50 values from 30 to 300 microM depending on the cell line).

CE in anticancer metallodrug research – an update

With the current demographic development and the knowledge that the probability to be diagnosed with cancer increases with age, the search for new treatment options in cancer chemotherapy is of utmost importance for the society. Capillary electrophoretic methods have been applied in the last few years for studying the properties of metal-based drugs and drug candidates. Especially, the elucidation of the mode of action of such compounds could contribute significantly to design new drugs for overcoming the threat of cancer. This review article highlights the developments in metallodrug research applying CE during the last 4 years and follows a review from 2003 (Hartinger, C. G., Timerbaev, A. R., Keppler, B. K., Electrophoresis 2003, 24, 2023-2037). Most importantly the broadening of application areas of CE must be noted: especially the binding studies of metal complexes toward proteins (including the determination of association and rate constants), following redox reactions of metal complexes and their influence on the reactivity toward biotargets, etc. are important development areas of the last few years. In parallel with these new applications goes the usage of new or modified separation methods including microemulsion EKC or ACE, or the advantageous use of equipping the CE system with mass spectrometric detectors such as inductively coupled plasma (ICP) or ESI mass spectrometers (MS) for determining the degree of metallation of a protein or characterizing the adducts. Finally, upcoming requirements for expanding the method's application area are discussed including studies on new targets in the cell, analyzing real-world samples, methodological development, and contributions to improve the design of new anticancer agents.