Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026
Identification, Histological Characterization, and Dissection of Mouse Prostate Lobes for In Vitro 3D Spheroid Culture Models
Published on: September 18, 2018
Novel lawsone-containing ruthenium(II) complexes: Synthesis, characterization and anticancer activity on 2D and 3D
Rone Aparecido De Grandis1, Patrick Wellington da Silva Dos Santos2, Katia Mara de Oliveira3
1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University, Araraquara, São Paulo 14800-903, Brazil.
Abstract:
This study describes a series of newly synthesized phosphine/diimine ruthenium complexes containing the lawsone as bioligand with enhanced cytotoxicity against different cancer cells, and apoptosis induction in prostatic cancer cells DU-145. The complexes [Ru(law)(N-N)2]PF6 where N-N is 2,2'-bipyridine (1) or 1,10-phenanthroline (2) and [Ru(law)(dppm)(N-N)]PF6, where dppm means bis(diphenylphosphino)methane, N-N is 2,2'-bipyridine (3) or 1,10-phenanthroline (4), and law is lawsone, were synthesized and fully characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, NMR, UV-vis, IR spectroscopies and cyclic voltammetry. The interaction of the complexes (1-4) with DNA was evaluated by circular dichroism, gel electrophoresis, and fluorescence, and the complexes presented interactions by the minor grooves DNA. The phosphinic series of complexes exhibited a remarkably broad spectrum of anticancer activity with approximately 34-fold higher than cisplatin and 5-fold higher than doxorubicin, inhibiting the growth of 3D tumor spheroids and the ability to retain the colony survival of DU-145 cells. Also, the complex (4) inhibits DU-145 cell adhesion and migration potential indicating antimetastatic properties. The mechanism of its anticancer activity was found to be related to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, increased the BAX/BCL-2 ratio and subsequent apoptosis induction. Overall, these findings suggested that the complex (4) could be a promising candidate for further evaluation as a chemotherapeutic agent in the prostate cancer treatment.
Related Concept Videos
02:41Protein Complex Assembly
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
01:15Dehydration Synthesis
Dehydration synthesis (also called a condensation reaction) is the chemical process in which two molecules covalently link together to form a new molecule, along with the release of a water molecule. Many physiologically important compounds form by dehydration synthesis reactions, such as complex carbohydrates, proteins, DNA, and RNA.
Synthesis of carbohydrates
Sugar molecules are covalently linked together by dehydration synthesis. During the reaction, the hydroxyl (-OH) group from...
02:17Synthesis and Decomposition Reactions
02:36Transfer RNA Synthesis
Each of these chemical modifications is carried by a specific enzyme, post-transcription. All of these enzymes have unique base and site-specificity. Methylation, the most common chemical modification, is carried by at least nine different enzymes, with...
01:57Protein Complexes with Interchangeable Parts
The SCF ubiquitin ligase is a protein complex of five individual proteins. This complex attaches ubiquitin to other target proteins to mark them for degradation. In order...
01:59Lagging Strand Synthesis
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...