Construction of 5-Fluorouracil and Gallium Corrole Conjugates for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy

Abstract

Molecular hybridization is a well-established strategy for developing new drugs. In the pursuit of promising photosensitizers (PSs) with enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficiency, a series of novel 5-fluorouracil (5FU) gallium corrole conjugates (1-Ga–4-Ga) were designed and synthesized by hybridizing a chemotherapeutic drug and PSs. Their photodynamic antitumor activity was also evaluated. The most active complex (2-Ga) possesses a low IC50 value of 0.185 μM and a phototoxic index of 541 against HepG2 cells. Additionally, the 5FU-gallium corrole conjugate (2-Ga) exhibited a synergistic increase in cytotoxicity under irradiation. Excitedly, treatment of HepG2 tumor-bearing mice with 2-Ga under irradiation could completely ablate tumors without harming normal tissues. 2-Ga-mediated PDT could disrupt mitochondrial function, cause cell cycle arrest in the sub-G1 phase, and activate the cell apoptosis pathway by upregulating the cleaved PARP expression and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratios. This work provides a useful strategy for the design of new corrole-based chemo-photodynamic therapy drugs.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytotoxicity of a Ga(III) Complex with Warfarin

“…Peng et al have summarized the anticancer mechanisms of Ga(III) and introduced numerous Ga(III) complexes with great antineoplastic potential [10]. Ga(III) salts and metal-based drugs incorporating Ga(III) have been researched as promising antineoplastic agents [11][12][13][14][15] because of the strong resemblances between the gallium(III) and iron(III) cations in terms of electronegativity, ionic radius, coordination polyhedral structures, electro-and Lewis base affinity. Gallium(III) possesses a stable valency in biological conditions, different from Fe(III).…”

“…properties [19]. Numerous Ga(III) complexes have been investigated in the last few years for their pharmacological activity [11][12][13][14]20].…”