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Ruthenium complexes have been assessed as anti-tumor agents against cancer cells. In this project, new heteroleptic ruthenium(II) complexes with general formulae [Ru(L)(bipy)(dppb)](PF 6) (where L = N,N-disubstituted-N 0-acylthiourea, bipy = 2,2 0-bipyridine and dppb = 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR (1 H and 31 P{ 1 H}) spectroscopies, molar conductivity measurements and single crystal X-ray diffractometry. The IR and NMR data suggest the coordination of the ligands to the Ru(II) metal center through the thiocarbonyl and carbonyl groups. The structures of the new complexes were further studied by X-ray crystallography, which confirmed the coordination of the ligands with the metal through the sulfur and oxygen atoms, leading to the formation of distorted octahedral complexes. The N,N-disubstituted-N 0-acylthioureas and their complexes were screened with respect to their in vitro cytotoxicity. All compounds exhibited considerable antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 (human breast tumor cells ATCC HTB-26), DU-145 (human prostate tumor cells ATCC HTB-26), and relatively low toxicity against fibroblast L929 cells (health cell line from mouse ATCC CCL-1). A preliminary study regarding the mechanism of action of these compounds by confocal microscopy shows alterations of the actin filaments leading to modifications in cytoskeletal supporting the cell death and that the cell nucleus is not main target of these complexes.

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This paper describes a new series of four DNA-intercalating agents with promising anticancer activities, based on ruthenium(II) with the planar ligand dpqQX (dpqQX = dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c] quinoxaline [2,3-b] quinoxaline). The complexes identified as trans-[RuCl(dppb = 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphine)butane and PPh 3 = triphenylphosphine) were characterized by 31 P{ 1 H} nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, molar conductance measurements, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry and X-ray diffraction analysis for complex ct-[RuCl 2 (PPh 3 ) 2 (dpqQX)]. Their in vitro cytotoxic activities against MDA-MB-213 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells were evaluated and compared with normal L-929 cells. Low drug concentration at which 50% of the cells are viable relative to the control (IC 50 ) values were obtained for all four complexes compared with a reference metallodrug, cisplatin. In addition, DNA affinity studies from titrations, as well as the images obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM) involving pBR322 plasmid DNA, suggest interactions between the metal complexes and the DNA macromolecule, in which they act as intercalating agents. The intercalation of the complexes with DNA was confirmed by viscosity measurements.