Synthesis, crystal structure and antiproliferative mechanisms of 2-acetylpyridine-thiosemicarbazones Ga(III) with a greater selectivity against tumor cells.

Thiosemicarbazone Ga(III) complexes (C3-C5) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction, and they were all 1:1 ligand/Ga(III) complexes. The antiproliferative activity of these Ga(III) complexes was tested against three cancer cell lines, demonstrating that Ga(III) complexes showed about 3-10 folds more anticancer activity than their ligands alone. Importantly, thiosemicarbazones and Ga(III) complexes have a low toxicity to human fetal lung fibroblast cells (MRC-5) and exhibit a high therapeutic index for tumor cells. The results of UV-visible spectroscopy showed that the binding constant of C4 with Topo-I-DNA was significantly higher than that of L4. The Ga(III) complex (C4) caused Topo-I inhibition and distinct DNA cleavage. Moreover, Ga(III) complex and thiosemicarbazone ligand prolonged the G1 phase in NCI-H460 cell cycle, which might be depended on the ability of these compounds to affect the expression of cell cycle related proteins.