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In this study, we report the synthesis, anticancer and biological properties of three doubly cyclometalated phenylbenzimidazole derived ruthenium(ii) organometallics () and their corresponding three organic ligands. The structures of were fully characterized by various analytical techniques, and the meso stereoisomer of the doubly cyclometalated ruthenacycle was unambiguously confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The anticancer effects of the newly synthesized compounds were tested against selected human cancer cell lines AGS (gastric carcinoma), SK-hep-1 (hepatocellular carcinoma), and HCT-15 (colorectal carcinoma). The growth inhibitory effects of ruthenacycles on cancer cells were found to be considerably more effective against the abovementioned cancer cells than the reference drug oxaliplatin. Compound exhibited a more specific effect on the AGS cells. Gene-fishing and ELISA array were performed to analyze the target genes and cytokine secretion by . As a result, a significant reduction was observed in RPS21 by . Moreover, increased the secretion of cytokines such as IFNγ in macrophages and reduced the release of cytokines such as rantes and IGF-1. These results show that could be a very good anticancer drug through the regulation of the RPS21 gene and cytokines.

Nano-sized multinuclear ruthenium complexes have rapidly emerged as promising therapeutic candidates with unique anticancer activities. Here, we describe the coordination-driven self-assembly and anticancer activities of a set of three organometallic tetranuclear Ru(II) molecular bowls. [2+2] Coordination-driven self-assembly of 3, 6-bis(pyridin-3- ylethynyl) phenanthrene (bpep) (1) and one of the three dinuclear arene ruthenium clips, [(η6-p-iPrC6H4Me)2Ru2-(OO\OO)][OTf]2 (OO\OO =2, 5-dioxido-1, 4-benzoquinonato, OTf = triflate) (2), 5, 8-dioxido-1, 4-naphthoquinonato (3), or 6, 11-dioxido-5, 12-naphthacenediona (4), resulted in three molecular bowls 5-7 of general formula [{(η6-p-iPrC6H4Me)2Ru2-(OO\OO)}2(bpep)2][OTf]4. All molecular bowls were obtained as triflate salts in very good yields (>90%) and were fully characterized using multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and elemental analysis. The structure of the representative molecular bowl 5 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The anticancer activities of molecular bowls 5-7 were determined by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, autophagy, and Western blot analysis. Bowl 6 showed the strongest cytotoxicity in AGS human gastric carcinoma cells and was more cytotoxic than doxorubicin. In addition, autophagic activity and the ratio of apoptotic cell death increased in AGS cells by treatment with bowl 6. Bowl 6 also induced autophagosome formation via upregulation of p62 and promotion of the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II. Moreover, bowl 6 promoted apoptotic cell death through downregulation of Akt/mTOR activation, followed by increased caspase-3 activity. These results suggest that bowl 6 induces gastric cancer cell death via modulation of autophagy and apoptosis. Bowl 6 is a potent anticancer agent and a potential treatment for human gastric cancer that merits further study.

A new dipyridyl ligand is encoded with 120° angularity between its coordination vectors by using a central pyridine carboxamide scaffold to orient two 4-(pyridin-4-ylethynyl)phenyl moieties. The N,N'-bis(4-(pyridin-4-ylethynyl)phenyl)pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide ligand undergoes self-assembly with a diruthenium arene complex to furnish a [2 + 2] metallacycle with a wedge-like structure. The metallacycle binds to the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) variant of GFP, resulting in steady-state spectral changes in UV-Vis absorption and emission experiments. These studies indicate that the metallacycle induces conformation changes to the EGFP, disrupting the tripeptide chromophore. Furthermore, gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism and atomic force microscopy studies indicate that binding ultimately leads to aggregation of the protein. Computational investigations indicate a favorable interaction, predominantly between the metallacycle and the Arg168 residue of the EGFP. An interaction with Arg168 and related residues was previously observed for an emission-attenuating antibody, supporting that these interactions induce changes to the photophysical properties of EGFP by disrupting the tripeptidechromophore in a similar manner. Additionally, we have also described the quenching study of the reporter GFP protein in vivo by a new metal complex using reflected fluorescence microscopy. We anticipate that such metal complexes which can passively diffuse into the cells in vivo can serve as potential tools in molecular and drug targeting based biological studies.

A suite of three tetraruthenium metallacycles have been obtained from [2+2] self-assemblies between N,N'-Di-(4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarbo-xydiimide (4) and one of the three dinuclear arene ruthenium clips, (η(6)-p-iPrC6H4Me)2Ru2(OO∩OO)][OTf]2 (OO∩OO = oxalate 1, 2,5-dioxydo-1,4-benzoquinonato (dobq) 2, 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthaquinonato (donq) 3; OTf = triflate). All complexes were isolated in good yield (>85 %) as triflate salts and were fully characterized by using (1)H NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopies, and high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry. A single crystal of the metallarectangle 5 was suitable for X-ray diffraction structural characterization. The biological activities of the metallacycles were determined by using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, establishing their in vitro anticancer properties. Our results show that for the AGC (gastric cancer) cell lines, the cytotoxicity of (donq)-containing SCC 7 exceeds that of cisplatin, which was used as a control. For HCT15 (colon cancer) cell lines, the cytotoxicity is comparable to both cisplatin and doxorubicin. An in vivo hollow fiber model was used to show growth-inhibitory activity against HCT15 and image-based cytometry experiments indicated that 7 induced apoptosis as the mode of cell death. Complex 7 also showed significant antitumor activity for multidrug-resistant HCT15/CLO2 cell lines, for which doxorubicin was ineffective., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The synthesis of six new [2+2] metallarectangles through the coordination-driven self-assembly of octahedral Ru(II)-based acceptors with ambidentate pyridyl-carboxylate donors is described. These molecular rectangles are fully characterized by (1)H NMR spectroscopy, high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In each case, despite the possible formation of multiple isomers, based on the relative orientation of the pyridyl and carboxylate groups (head-to-head versus head-to-tail), evidence for the formation of a single preferred ensemble (head-to-tail) was found in the (1)H NMR spectra. Furthermore, the cytotoxicities of all of the rectangles were established against A549 (lung), AGS (gastric), HCT-15 (colon), and SK hep 1 (liver) human cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicities of rectangles that contained the 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthaquinonato bridging moiety between the Ru centers (9-11) were particularly high against AGS cancer cells, with IC50 values that were comparable to that of reference drug cisplatin., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A suite of eight cationic, tetra-metallic molecular rectangles (1-8) was generated via coordination-driven self-assembly using four dicarboxylate-bridged arene-Ru precursors (A1-A4) with one of two dipyridyl ligands (D1, D2). The high-yielding (84-92%) rectangles were characterized by (1)H NMR and HR-ESI-MS to support their structural assignments. The molecular structure of 5 was determined by single crystal X-ray analysis, which indicated that two D2 ligands bridge two A1 acceptors to form a rectangular construct. The photophysical properties of these metalla-rectangles and their molecular precursors were also investigated, as well as an MTT assay to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicities relative to two chemotherapeutic agents, cisplatin and doxorubicin. MTT assays were conducted using SK-hep-1 (liver cancer) and HCT-15 (colon cancer) human cancer cell lines. Compounds 3, 4, 7 and 8 showed significant activity, with IC(50) values comparable to those of cisplatin and doxorubicin.

A novel, interlocked, self-assembled (M(2)L(2))(2) molecular architecture was constructed from an arene-Ru acceptor and a 1,4-di(pyridin-4-yl)buta-1,3-diyne donor. Two M(2)L(2) units, with cavities of ~7.21 Å, spontaneously interlock, with one unit encapsulating a twin in a non-catenane fashion. The dimeric host-guest complex thus formed is unique among two-dimensional self-assemblies and is stabilized by π-π interactions between the M(2)L(2) units., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)

Novel arene-ruthenium [2+2] metalla-rectangles 4 and 5 have been synthesized by self-assembly using dipyridyl amide ligand 3 and arene-ruthenium acceptors (arene: benzoquinone (1), naphthacenedione (2)) and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS. The solid-state structure of 5 was determined by X-ray diffraction and shows encapsulated diethyl ether molecule in the rectangular cavity of 5. The luminescent 5 was further used for anion sensing with the amidic linkage serving as a hydrogen-bond donor site for anions and the ruthenium moiety serving as a signaling unit. A UV/Vis titration study demonstrated that although 5 interacts very weakly with common monoanions as well as with flexible dicarboxylate anions such as malonate and succinate, it displays significant binding affinity (K>10(3) in MeOH) for rigid multi-carboxylate anions such as oxalate, citrate, and tartrate, exhibiting a 1:1 stoichiometry. It has been suggested that 1:1 bidentate hydrogen bonding assisted by appropriate geometrical complementarity is mainly responsible for the increased affinity of 5 towards such anions. A fluorescence titration study revealed a large fluorescence enhancement of 5 upon binding to multi-carboxylate anions, which can be attributed to the blocking of the photoinduced electron-transfer process from the arene-Ru moiety to the amidic donor in 5 as a result of hydrogen bonding between the donor and the anion., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Two novel nano-cage compounds, 8 and 9, were prepared by self-assembly of the ruthenium complexes 4 and 5, and the tripodal donor 1. The cytotoxicity of 8 was found to be considerably stronger than that of cisplatin. The complex 8 inhibited tumor cell proliferation by interfering into regulatory pathways of the cell cycle via apoptosis., (© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

Three new cobalt-ruthenium heterometallic molecular rectangles, 1- 3, were synthesized through the coordination-driven self-assembly of a new cobalt sandwich donor, (η5-Cp)Co[C4- trans-Ph2(4-Py)2] (L; Cp: cyclopentyl; Py: pyridine), and one of three dinuclear precursors, [( p-cymene)2Ru2(OO∩OO)2Cl2] [OO∩OO: oxalato ( A1), 5,8-dioxido-1,4-naphthoquinone ( A2), or 6,11-dioxido-5,12-naphthacenedione ( A3)]. All of the self-assembled architectures were isolated in very good yield (92-94 %) and were fully characterized by spectroscopic analysis; the molecular structures of 2 and 3 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The anticancer activities of bimetallic rectangles 1- 3 were evaluated with a 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, an autophagy assay, and Western blotting. Rectangles 1- 3 showed higher cytotoxicity than doxorubicin in AGS human gastric carcinoma cells. In addition, the autophagic activities and apoptotic cell death ratios were increased in AGS cells by treatment with 1- 3; the rectangles induced autophagosome formation by promoting LC3-I to LC3-II conversion and apoptotic cell death by increasing caspase-3/7 activity. Our results suggest that rectangles 1- 3 induce gastric cancer cell death by modulating autophagy and apoptosis and that they have potential use as agents for the treatment of human gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report the synthesis, anticancer and biological properties of three doubly cyclometalated phenylbenzimidazole derived ruthenium(ii) organometallics (1–3) and their corresponding three organic ligands. The structures of 1–3 were fully characterized by various analytical techniques, and the meso stereoisomer of the doubly cyclometalated ruthenacycle 3 was unambiguously confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The anticancer effects of the newly synthesized compounds were tested against selected human cancer cell lines AGS (gastric carcinoma), SK-hep-1 (hepatocellular carcinoma), and HCT-15 (colorectal carcinoma). The growth inhibitory effects of ruthenacycles 1–3 on cancer cells were found to be considerably more effective against the abovementioned cancer cells than the reference drug oxaliplatin. Compound 2 exhibited a more specific effect on the AGS cells. Gene-fishing and ELISA array were performed to analyze the target genes and cytokine secretion by 2. As a result, a significant reduction was observed in RPS21 by 2. Moreover, 2 increased the secretion of cytokines such as IFNγ in macrophages and reduced the release of cytokines such as rantes and IGF-1. These results show that 2 could be a very good anticancer drug through the regulation of the RPS21 gene and cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A suite of three tetraruthenium metallacycles have been obtained from [2+2] self-assemblies between N, N′-Di-(4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarbo-xydiimide ( 4) and one of the three dinuclear arene ruthenium clips, (η6- p- iPrC6H4Me)2Ru2( OO∩OO)][OTf]2 ( OO∩OO=oxalate 1, 2,5-dioxydo-1,4-benzoquinonato (dobq) 2, 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthaquinonato (donq) 3; OTf=triflate). All complexes were isolated in good yield (>85 %) as triflate salts and were fully characterized by using 1H NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopies, and high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry. A single crystal of the metallarectangle 5 was suitable for X-ray diffraction structural characterization. The biological activities of the metallacycles were determined by using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, establishing their in vitro anticancer properties. Our results show that for the AGC (gastric cancer) cell lines, the cytotoxicity of (donq)-containing SCC 7 exceeds that of cisplatin, which was used as a control. For HCT15 (colon cancer) cell lines, the cytotoxicity is comparable to both cisplatin and doxorubicin. An in vivo hollow fiber model was used to show growth-inhibitory activity against HCT15 and image-based cytometry experiments indicated that 7 induced apoptosis as the mode of cell death. Complex 7 also showed significant antitumor activity for multidrug-resistant HCT15/CLO2 cell lines, for which doxorubicin was ineffective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of six new [2+2] metallarectangles through the coordination-driven self-assembly of octahedral RuII-based acceptors with ambidentate pyridyl-carboxylate donors is described. These molecular rectangles are fully characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In each case, despite the possible formation of multiple isomers, based on the relative orientation of the pyridyl and carboxylate groups (head-to-head versus head-to-tail), evidence for the formation of a single preferred ensemble (head-to-tail) was found in the 1H NMR spectra. Furthermore, the cytotoxicities of all of the rectangles were established against A549 (lung), AGS (gastric), HCT-15 (colon), and SK hep 1 (liver) human cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicities of rectangles that contained the 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthaquinonato bridging moiety between the Ru centers ( 9- 11) were particularly high against AGS cancer cells, with IC50 values that were comparable to that of reference drug cisplatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new large molecular rectangles ( 4 and 5) were obtained by the reaction of two different dinuclear arene ruthenium complexes [Ru2(arene)2(O $\widehat{OO}$O)2Cl2] (arene= p-cymene; O $\widehat{OO}$O=2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinonato ( 2), 6,11-dihydroxy-5,12-naphthacene dionato ( 3)) with the unsymmetrical amide $\widehat{NN}$ ( N-[4-(pyridin-4-ylethynyl)phenyl]isonicotinamide) donor ligand 1 in methanol in the presence of AgO3SCF3, forming tetranuclear cations of the general formula [Ru4(arene)4( $\widehat{NN}$)2(O $\widehat{OO}$ O)2]4+. Both rectangles were isolated in good yields as triflate salts and were characterized by multinuclear NMR, ESI-MS, UV/Vis, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The crystal structure of 5 was determined by X-ray diffraction. Luminescent rectangle 5 was used for anion sensing with an amide ligand as a hydrogen-bond donor and an arene-ruthenium acceptor as a signaling unit. Rectangle 5 strongly bound multicarboxylate anions, such as oxalate, tartrate, and citrate, in UV/Vis titration experiments in 1:1 ratios, in contrast to monoanions, such as F−, Cl−, NO3−, PF6−, CH3COO−, and C6H5COO−. The fluorescence titration experiment showed a large fluorescence enhancement of 5 upon binding to multicarboxylate anions, which could be attributed to blocking of the photoinduced electron transfer process from the arene-ruthenium moiety to the amidic donor in 5; this was likely to be a result of hydrogen bonding between the ligand and the anion. On the other hand, rectangle 5 was not selective towards any other anions. To the naked eye, multicarboxylate anions in a solution of 5 in methanol appear greenish upon irradiation with UV light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A suite of two new tetraruthenium metallarectangles 5 and 6 have been obtained from [2+2] self-assemblies between dipyridylethynyltriptycene 2 and one of the two dinuclear arene ruthenium clips, [Ru 2 ( μ - η 4 -OO∩OO) ( η 6 - p -cymene) 2 ][OTf] 2 ; (OO∩OO = oxalate 3 ; 6,11-dihydroxy-5,12-naphthacenedionato (dotq) 4 ; OTf = triflate). These molecular rectangles are fully characterized by 1 H NMR spectroscopy, electrospray mass spectrometry. A single crystal of 6 was suitable for X-ray diffraction structural characterization. These new metallarectangles showed fluorescence behavior in solution, have been examined for emission quenching effects with various aromatic compounds, and show high quenching selectivity and sensitivity towards nitroaromatics, particularly picric acid and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene. Excited-state charge transfer from the rectangles to nitro aromatic substrates can be used to develop selective fluorescent sensors for nitro aromatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thetwo new large molecular metalla-rectangles 6and 8were obtained by the reaction of the two different arene–rutheniumacceptors [Ru2(p-cymene)2(μ-η4-C2O4)Cl2] (2) and [Ru2(p-cymene)2(donq)(Cl)2] (donq = 5,8-dioxido-1,4-naphthoquinonato) (4) with a symmetrical N,N′-bis(4-(pyridin-4-ylethynyl)phenyl)terephthalamide(1) donor ligand. Both metalla-rectangles were isolatedin good yields as triflate salts and were characterized by multinuclearNMR, ESI–MS, and UV–vis spectroscopy. X-ray crystallographyof 6confirmed a molecular metalla-rectangle. The cytotoxicitiesof metalla-rectangles 6–9were establishedin SK-hep-1 (liver cancer), AGS (gastric cancer), and HCT-15 (colorectalcancer) human cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicity of metalla-rectangle 8was found to be considerably stronger against all cancercell lines, even much more effective than the well-known anticancerdrugs doxorubicin and cisplatin. In addition, expressions of APC andp53, colorectal cancer suppressor genes, were significantly increasedfollowing exposure to the metalla-rectangle 8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]