Sn- and Ge- triorganometallics exert different cytotoxicity and modulation of migration in triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231

The role of germanium in diseases: exploring its important biological effects

With the development of organic germanium and nanotechnology, germanium serves multiple biological functions, and its potential value in biochemistry and medicine has increasingly captured the attention of researchers. In recent years, germanium has gradually gained significance as a material in the field of biomedicine and shows promising application prospects. However, there has been a limited amount of research conducted on the biological effects and mechanisms of germanium, and a systematic evaluation is still lacking. Therefore, the aim of this review is to systematically examine the application of germanium in the field of biomedicine and contribute new insights for future research on the functions and mechanisms of germanium in disease treatment. By conducting a comprehensive search on MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases, we systematically reviewed the relevant literature on the relationship between germanium and biomedicine. In this review, we will describe the biological activities of germanium in inflammation, immunity, and antioxidation. Furthermore, we will discuss its role in the treatment of neuroscience and oncology-related conditions. This comprehensive exploration of germanium provides a valuable foundation for the future application of this element in disease intervention, diagnosis, and prevention.

Dibutylstannanediyl (2Z,2'Z)-bis(4-(benzylamino)-4-oxobut-2-enoate inhibits prostate cancer progression by activating p38 MAPK/PPARα/SMAD4 signaling

Organotin (IV) compounds are a focus of research for potential use in cancer chemotherapy. Here, we established anticancer profile of dibutyltin (IV) carboxylate derivatives in prostate cancer (PCa) model. We determined cytotoxicity of a library of dibutyltin (IV) carboxylate derivatives and observed that dibutylstannanediyl (2Z,2'Z)-bis(4-(benzylamino)-4-oxobut-2-enoate (Ch-620; 10 μM) was minimally toxic to normal fibroblasts. Ch-620 (1-1.25 μM) inhibited proliferation of PCa and melanoma cells on short- and long-term exposures with induction of cell cycle arrest. Ch-620 treatment increased population of apoptotic cells, as assessed by flow cytometry, and activated caspase 3. Proteomics showed activation of PPARα, with repression of SMAD4 and integrin β5 (ITGB5) in Ch-620-treated PCa cells. Further analysis demonstrated that Ch-620 resulted in phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, upregulation of PPARα and decreased expression of SMAD4 and ITGB5 with reduced migration of PCa cells. In vivo studies in PC3M grafted athymic nude mice showed that Ch-620 (5 μg/week; 7 weeks) treatment reduced tumor growth as opposed to untreated controls. Immunoblot analysis of tumors demonstrated upregulated p-p38 MAPK and PPARα, followed by a decline in SMAD4 and ITGB5. Immunohistochemistry reinforced these results with increased caspase 3 and p-p38 MAPK and diminished Ki67 staining in Ch-620 treated animals. Taken together, our data indicate that Ch-620 inhibited proliferation of PCa through modulation of MAPK/PPARα/SMAD4 signaling. Organotin (IV) carboxylate compounds; specifically Ch-620 can be a potential anticancer agent for the treatment of PCa subject to detailed pre-clinical and clinical investigations. This unlocks prospects for the development of new tin-based drugs in cancer therapeutics.

Exploring the Potential of Metallodrugs as Chemotherapeutics for Triple Negative Breast Cancer

This review focuses on studies of coordination and organometallic compounds as potential chemotherapeutics against triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) which has one of the poorest prognoses and worst survival rates from all breast cancer types. At present, chemotherapy is still the standard of care for TNBC since only one type of targeted therapy has been recently developed. References for metal-based compounds studied in TNBC cell lines will be listed, and those of metal-specific reviews, but a detailed overview will also be provided on compounds studied in vivo (mostly in mice models) and those compounds for which some preliminary mechanistic data was obtained (in TNBC cell lines and tumors) and/or for which bioactive ligands have been used. The main goal of this review is to highlight the most promising metal-based compounds with potential as chemotherapeutic agents in TNBC.

Chemical compounds causing severe acute toxicity in heavy liquids used for intraocular surgery

Perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCLs) have been considered safe for intraocular manipulation of the retina, but since 2013 many cases of acute eye toxicity cousing blindness have been reported in various countries when using various commercial PFCLs. All these PFCLs were CE marked (Conformité Européenne), which meant they had been subjected to evaluation complying with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guidelines. These dramatic events raised questions about the safety of PFCLs and the validity of some cytotoxicity tests performed under ISO guidelines. Samples from toxic batches were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with Raman and infrared spectrometry. Perfluorooctanoic acid, dodecafluoro-1-heptanol, ethylbenzene and tributyltin bromide were identified and evaluated by a direct contact cytotoxicity test using ARPE-19 cell line, patented by our group (EP 3467118 A1). Perfluorooctanoic acid at a concentration of >0.06 mM and tributyltin bromide at a concentration of ≥0.016 mM were shown to be toxic, whereas the concentration found in the toxic samples reached 0.48 mM, and 0.111 mM, respectively. These finding emphasized the idea that determination of partially fluorinated compounds are not enough to guarantee the safety of these medical devices.

Genotoxic Effects of Tributyltin and Triphenyltin Isothiocyanates, Cognate RXR Ligands: Comparison in Human Breast Carcinoma MCF 7 and MDA-MB-231 Cells

The cytotoxicity of two recently synthesized triorganotin isothiocyanate derivatives, nuclear retinoid X receptor ligands, was tested and compared in estrogen-receptor-positive MCF 7 and -negative MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cell lines. A 48 h MTT assay indicated that tributyltin isothiocyanate (TBT-ITC) is more cytotoxic than triphenyltin isothiocyanate (TPT-ITC) in MCF 7 cells, and the same trend was observed in the MDA-MB-231 cell line. A comet assay revealed the presence of both crosslinks and increasing DNA damage levels after the 17 h treatment with both derivatives. Differences in cytotoxicity of TBT-ITC and TPT-ITC detected by FDA staining correspond to the MTT data, communicating more pronounced effects in MCF 7 than in the MDA-MB-231 cell line. Both derivatives were found to cause apoptosis, as shown by the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) depolarization and caspase-3/7 activation. The onset of caspase activation correlated with MMP dissipation and the total cytotoxicity more than with the amount of active caspases. In conclusion, our data suggest that the DNA damage induced by TBT-ITC and TPT-ITC treatment could underlie their cytotoxicity in the cell lines studied.