Medicinal Chemistry

Synthesis, DNA-binding, Photocleavage and in vitro Cytotoxicity of Novel Imidazole[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline-based Oxovanadium Complexes

Abstract

Peng Ying, Xuyan Tian, Pengfei Zeng, Jiazheng Lu, Hongyuan Chen and Manshan Xiao

Three novel imidazole[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline-based oxovanadium complexes [VO(hntdtsc)(HPIP)] (1) (hntdtsc = 2-hydroxyl-1-naphthaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, HPIP = 2-(2-hydroxylphenyl)imidazole[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline), [VO(hntdtsc)(m-HPIP)] (2) (m-HPIP = 2-(3-hydroxylphenyl)imidazole[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline), [VO(hntdtsc)(p-HPIP) (3) (p-HPIP = 2-(4-hydroxylphenyl)imidazole[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses and spectroscopic techniques. Their DNA-binding properties with calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were studied by various methods. The cytotoxicity of these three complexes was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The electronic spectral results reveal that three complexes can bind to CT-DNA by intercalation mode. The electrophoresis studies also show that they can efficiently cleave pBR322 DNA. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of complex 1 against human CaSki, SiHa, K562, HepG2, EC9706 and EC109 cell lines is proved to be more effective than both 2 and 3.