Overcoming Resistance of Caco-2 Cells to 5-Fluorouracil through Diruthenium Complex Encapsulation in PMMA Nanoparticles

Inorg Chem. 2024 Jul 15;63(28):12870-12879. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c01323. Epub 2024 Jun 4.

Abstract

Drug resistance, one of the main drawbacks in cancer chemotherapy, can be tackled by employing a combination of drugs that target different biological processes in the cell, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a new paddlewheel diruthenium complex that includes 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a commonly used anticancer drug. This drug was functionalized with a carboxylate group to take advantage of the previously demonstrated release capacity of carboxylate ligands from the diruthenium core. The resulting hydrophobic complex, [Ru2Cl(DPhF)3(5-FUA)] (Ru-5-FUA) (DPhF = N,N'-diphenylformamidinate; 5-FUA = 5-fluorouracil-1-acetate) was subsequently entrapped in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles (PMMA@Ru-5-FUA) via a reprecipitation method to be transported in biological media. The optimized encapsulation procedure yielded particles with an average size of 81.2 nm, a PDI of 0.11, and a zeta potential of 29.2 mV. The cytotoxicity of the particles was tested in vitro using the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2. The IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) of PMMA@Ru-5-FUA (6.08 μM) was just slightly lower than that found for the drug 5-FU (7.64 μM). Most importantly, while cells seemed to have developed drug resistance against 5-FU, PMMA@Ru-5-FUA showed an almost complete lethality at ∼30 μM. Conversely, an analogous diruthenium complex devoid of the 5-FU moiety, [Ru2Cl(DPhF)3(O2CCH3)] (PMMA@RuA), displayed a reduced cytotoxicity at equivalent concentrations. These findings highlight the effect of combining the anticancer properties of 5-FU with those of diruthenium species. This suggests that the distinct modes of action of the two chemical species are crucial for overcoming drug resistance.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Coordination Complexes* / chemical synthesis
  • Coordination Complexes* / chemistry
  • Coordination Complexes* / pharmacology
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm* / drug effects
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Fluorouracil* / chemistry
  • Fluorouracil* / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nanoparticles* / chemistry
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate* / chemistry
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate* / pharmacology
  • Ruthenium* / chemistry
  • Ruthenium* / pharmacology

Substances

  • Fluorouracil
  • Ruthenium
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate
  • Coordination Complexes
  • Antineoplastic Agents