Hydrosulfide Adducts of Organo-Iridium Anticancer Complexes

Inorg Chem. 2016 Mar 7;55(5):2324-31. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b02697. Epub 2016 Feb 10.

Abstract

Novel half-sandwich hydrosulfidoiridium(III) complexes [(η(5)-Cp*)Ir(phen)(SH)]PF6 (1), [(η(5)-Cp*)Ir(bpy)(SH)]PF6 (2), [(η(5)-Cp(biph))Ir(phen)(SH)]PF6 (3), and [(η(5)-Cp(biph))Ir(bpy)(SH)]PF6 (4) were prepared from the chlorido complexes by dechlorination and treatment with excess NaSH·xH2O; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, Cp* = 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, and Cp(biph) = 1,2,3,4-tetramethyl-5-biphenylcyclopentadienyl. Complexes 1-4 were characterized by various techniques including electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy (δ(SH) ca. -2 ppm), and a single-crystal X-ray analysis. Complex [(η(5)-Cp*)Ir(phen)(SH)]BPh4 (1') shows a typical piano-stool geometry with Ir-S bond length of 2.388(2) Å. Cp(biph) complexes 3 (IC50 = 0.98 μM) and 4 (IC50 = 0.61 μM) showed significantly higher (p < 0.005) in vitro antiproliferative activity against A2780 human ovarian cancer cells, as compared with their Cp* analogues 1 (IC50 = 49.5 μM) and 2 (IC50 = 48.4 μM), and potency similar to the anticancer drug cisplatin. The complexes were relatively stable in aqueous solution toward hydrolysis and reactions with reduced glutathione (GSH), 9-ethylguanine, or 9-methyladenine. Interestingly, GSH was readily oxidized to glutathione disulfide in the presence of Cp(biph) complexes 3 and 4, as judged by (1)H NMR, perhaps indicative of a possible redox-linked mechanism of action.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Coordination Complexes / chemistry*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen Sulfide / chemistry*
  • Iridium / chemistry*
  • Organic Chemicals / chemistry*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Coordination Complexes
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Iridium
  • Hydrogen Sulfide