The relationship between the electrospray ionization behaviour and biological activity of some phosphino Cu(I) complexes.
Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was usefully employed for the characterization of three phosphino copper(I) complexes of medicinal interest. This technique revealed that the original [CuL(4)](+) pro-drugs (L = hydrophilic tertiary phosphine) underwent dissociation with production of coordinative unsaturated [CuL(3)](+) and [CuL(2)](+) species, which represented key intermediates for the activation of potential biological properties. The more favoured was the displacement of the ligands from the [CuL(4)](+) parent complex, the more favoured was in turn the possibility for the metal ion to directly interact with biological substrates, including pharmacological targets related to cancer proliferation. An inverse correlation between the stability and the cytotoxic activity of the three copper(I) complexes investigated has been clearly established.
Tisato
Francesco
F
CNR Istituto di Chimica Inorganica e delle Superfici, Corso Stati Uniti 4, I 35127 Padova, Italy.
Refosco
Fiorenzo
F
Porchia
Marina
M
Tegoni
Matteo
M
Gandin
Valentina
V
Marzano
Cristina
C
Pellei
Maura
M
Papini
Grazia
G
Lucato
Lara
L
Seraglia
Roberta
R
Traldi
Pietro
P
D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
D011355:Prodrugs; D003300:Copper