Cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of novel Pd(II) complexes against human leukemia cell lines in vitro

• Published in: Journal of macromolecular science. Part A, Pure and applied chemistry Pure and applied chemistry, 2017-05, Vol.54 (5), p.263-270
• Main Authors: Tekin, Neslihan, Öztürk, Kamile, Baran, Talat, Kerimoğlu, Barış, Tarhan, Mehtap, Menteş, Ayfer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Bax, Bcl-2; Biotechnology; Caspase 3; Cytotoxicity; Gene expression; Genes; In vitro methods and tests; Leukemia; Leukemias; Ligands; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; palladium (II) complexes; Strategy; Synthesis; Toxicity
• ISSN: 1060-1325; 1520-5738
• DOI: 10.1080/10601325.2017.1294449

In the investigation for alternative chemotherapeutic strategies against leukemia, Pd(II) complexes were synthesized and investigated for cytotoxic and apoptotic properties on two human leukemia cell lines (HL-60 and K562). Pd(II) complexes (Pd-5a and Pd-6a) with 5a and 6a as ligands were synthesized and characterized by 1 H-NMR and F-TIR. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was quantified using MTT method. Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase 3 gene expression levels were estimated using RT-qPCR. Here we show that Pd(II) complexes have important cytotoxic activity on human leukemia cell lines. RT-qPCR indicated that Bax and caspase 3 gene expression levels were increased after 24 h treatment with Pd-5a and Pd-6a complexes in both HL-60 and K562 cells at some selected dose. Furthermore, Bcl-2 gene expression level decreased after 24 h treatment with Pd-5a and Pd-6a complexes in K562 cells at all selected dose. In HL-60 cells, only one selected Pd-5a dose (25 µM) decreased the gene expression level of Bcl-2. The results obtained in the present investigation indicate that these two newly synthesized Pd(II) complexes have apoptotic effects at appropriate doses through caspase 3 and Bax genes and might represent a novel potentially active agents for the management of human leukemia cell lines.