title: Ruthenium(III) maltolato-nitroimidazole complexes: synthesis and biological activity.
abstract: The Ru(III) metronidazole-maltolato and -ethylmaltolato complexes, trans-[RuL(2)(metro)(2)]CF(3)SO(3) (L=ma (1a) or etma (1b)), have been synthesized and tested for potential anti-tumour activity against the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-435S using a so-called MTT assay in phosphate-buffered saline; ma=3-hydroxy-2-methylpyran-4-onato, etma=2-ethyl-3-hydroxypyran-4-onato, metro=2-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazole-1-ethanol (metronidazole); MTT=3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide. The complexes exhibit lower IC(50) values than our previously reported Ru(III) tris-maltolato and -ethylmaltolato complexes [D.C. Kennedy, A. Wu, B.O. Patrick, B.R. James, Inorg. Chem. 44 (2005) 6529-6535]. An improved synthetic route to the 2-nitroimidazole EF5 (2-(2-nitro-1-H-imidazol-1-yl)-N-(2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropyl)acetamide) is reported, as well as a related synthesis of a 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole derivative of EF5, triF5 (2-(3-nitro-1-H-triazol-1-yl)-N-(2,2,3,3,3- pentafluoropropyl)acetamide). The complexes [RuL(2)(EF5)(2)]CF(3)SO(3) (4a and 4b) and [Ru(ma)(2)(triF5)(2)]CF(3)SO(3) (5) were prepared from the [RuL(2)(EtOH)(2)]CF(3)SO(3) complexes (3a and 3b); IC(50) values for 3-5 are high. Data on the uptake of Ru by the cells are also reported. The complexes were characterized generally by all or some of the following methods: elemental analyses, NMR, IR and mass spectroscopies, conductivity, and cyclic voltammetry; complexes 1a and 1b were also analyzed by X-ray crystallography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Brian O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Patrick
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C517173:Ruthenium(III) maltolato-nitroimidazole