The aqueous vanadium(III) (V(III)) speciation chemistry of two dipicolinate-type complexes and the insulin-enhancing effects of V-dipicolinate (V-dipic) complexes in three different oxidation states (V(III), V(IV), and V(V)) have been studied in a chronic animal model system. The characterization of the V(III) species was carried out at low ionic strength to reflect physiological conditions and required an evaluation of the hydrolysis of V(III) at 0.20 M KCl. The aqueous V(III)-dipic and V(III)-dipic-OH systems were characterized, and complexes were observed from pH 2 to 7 at 0.2 M KCl. The V(III)-dipic system forms stable 1:2 complexes, whereas the V(III)-dipic-OH system forms stable 1:1 complexes. A comparison of these complexes with the V-pic system demonstrates that a second ligand has lower affinity for the V(III), presumably reflecting bidentate coordination of the second dipic(2)(-) to the V(III). The thermodynamic stability of the [V(III)(dipic)(2)](-) complex was compared to the stability of the corresponding V(IV) and V(V) complexes, and surprisingly, the V(III) complexes were found to be more stable than anticipated. Oral administration of three V-dipicolinate compounds in different oxidation states {H[V(III)(dipic)(2)H(2)O].3H(2)O, [V(IV)Odipic(H(2)O)(2)].2H(2)O, and NH(4)[V(V)O(2)dipic]} and the positive control, VOSO(4), significantly lowered diabetic hyperglycemia in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. The diabetic animals treated with the V(III)- or V(IV)-dipic complexes had blood glucose levels that were statistically different from those of the diabetic group. The animals treated with the V(V)-dipic complex had the lowest blood glucose levels of the treated diabetic animals, which were statistically different from those of the diabetic group at all time points. Among the diabetic animals, complexation to dipic increased the serum levels of V after the administration of the V(V) and V(IV) complexes but not after the administration of the V(III) complex when data are normalized to the ingested dose of V. Because V compounds differing only in oxidation state have different biological properties, it is implied that redox processes must be important factors for the biological action of V compounds. We observe that the V(V)-dipic complex is the most effective insulin-enhancing agent, in contrast to previous studies in which the V(IV)-maltol complex is the most effective. We conclude that the effectiveness of complexed V is both ligand and oxidation state dependent.

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Ruthenium complexes are developed as substitutes for platinum complexes to be used in the chemotherapy of hematological and gynecological malignancies, such as ovarian cancer. We synthesized and screened 14 ruthenium half-sandwich complexes with bidentate monosaccharide ligands in ovarian cancer cell models. Four complexes were cytostatic, but not cytotoxic on A2780 and ID8 cells. The IC50 values were in the low micromolar range (the best being 0.87 µM) and were similar to or lower than those of the clinically available platinum complexes. The active complexes were cytostatic in cell models of glioblastoma, breast cancer, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, while they were not cytostatic on non-transformed human skin fibroblasts. The bioactive ruthenium complexes showed cooperative binding to yet unidentified cellular target(s), and their activity was dependent on reactive oxygen species production. Large hydrophobic protective groups on the hydroxyl groups of the sugar moiety were needed for biological activity. The cytostatic activity of the ruthenium complexes was dependent on reactive species production. Rucaparib, a PARP inhibitor, potentiated the effects of ruthenium complexes.

Potentiometric (pH titrations) and spectroscopic (electron paramagnetic resonance) methods have been used to determine the thermodynamic stability constants of the various VO(2+) complexes formed after the interaction of four insulin-enhancing vanadium compounds, [VO(6-mepic)(2)], cis-[VO(pic)(2)(H(2)O)], [VO(acac)(2)], and [VO(dhp)(2)], where 6-mepic, pic, acac, and dhp indicate the deprotonated forms of 6-methylpicolinic acid, picolinic acid, acetylacetone, and 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-pyridinone, with high molecular mass [human serum apotransferrin (hTf) and human serum albumin (HSA)] and low molecular mass (lactate) components of blood serum. In particular, log beta values for the formation of (VO)hTf (13.0 +/- 0.5), (VO)(2)hTf (25.5 +/- 0.5), (VO)HSA (9.1 +/- 1.0), (VO) (2) (d) HSA (20.9 +/- 1.0), cis-VO(dhp)(2)(hTf) (25.5 +/- 0.6), cis-VO(dhp)(2)(HSA) (25.9 +/- 0.6), (VO)hTf(lact) (14.5 +/- 0.8), (VO)(2)hTf(lact)(2) (28.5 +/- 0.8), (VO)hTf(pic) (15.6 +/- 0.8), and (VO)(2)hTf(pic)(2) (30.4 +/- 0.8) were determined. The values of the stability constants were used to compare the calculated composition of ternary and quinary systems with that recently proposed by some of us through electron paramagnetic resonance and density functional theory methods (Sanna et al. in Inorg. Chem. 49:174-187, 2010) and to predict the distribution of VO(2+) ion in blood serum when one of the four insulin-enhancing vanadium compounds studied, [VO(carrier)(2)], is administered.

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The reaction of 5-carboalkoxypicolinic acid (5 ROpicH, R=Me, Et, iPr, sBu; 1 a-d) with vanadyl sulfate yielded the complexes [VO(H(2)O)(5 ROpic)(2)], 2 a-d, with H(2)O and one of the picolinato ligands in the equatorial positions, and the second picolinate occupying equatorial (N) and axial (O) positions. Reaction of 1 a with [NH(4)][VO(3)] yielded [NH(4)][VO(2)(5 MeOpic)(2)], [NH(4)]-3, in which the N functions of the picolinates are trans to the doubly bonded, cis-positioned oxo groups. Complexes 1 a.H(2)O, 1 b, 1 c, 2 a.3.5 H(2)O and [NH(4)]-3.4 H(2)O have been structurally characterised. A detailed pH-potentiometric solution speciation analysis of the system VO(2+)-1 a revealed a dominance of VO(5 OMepic)(2) between pH 2 and 6, with the same coordination pattern, evidenced by EPR spectroscopy, as in the crystalline solid state. In ternary systems containing physiological concentrations of the low molecular mass biogenic binders (B) lactate, oxalate, citrate or phosphate, ternary species of general composition VO(5 MeOpic)B dominate at physiological pH, with citrate being the most effective competitor for picolinate. All of the complexes trigger glucose uptake and degradation by simian virus modified mice fibroblasts at non-toxic concentrations (<100 microM), with 2 a, [VO(2)(pic)(2)](-) and [VO(2)(dipic)](-) being at least as effective as insulin. Vanadium uptake by the cells is most effective in the case of 2 a. 2 a also effectively inhibits free fatty acid release by rat adipocytes treated with epinephrine, thus mimicking the inhibition of lipolysis by insulin.

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In order to estimate the impact of the low molecular mass (l.m.m.) VO() binders of blood serum on the potentially insulin-enhancing drug [VO(DHP) 2 ] [DHP = 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H )-pyridinone], the speciation in the binary system VO()-DHP and in the ternary systems VO-DHP-ligand B (B = oxalate, lactate, citrate or phosphate) was studied by pH-potentiometry at 25.0 ЊC and at an ionic strength I = 0.2 mol dm Ϫ3 (KCl). The binding modes of the complexes formed were determined by spectroscopic (electronic absorption and EPR) techniques. DHP was found to form stable mono and bis complexes via the coordination of (O,O) chelate(s). Through displacement of the oxo group of VO(), the tris complex is also formed, especially at a high excess of ligand. The results in the ternary systems demonstrate that, at physiological pH, none of the B ligands can compete with DHP; [VO(DHP) 2 ] therefore seems to remain almost completely intact, even in the presence of citrate, the strongest competitor among these B ligands. These findings indicate that, for DHP, unlike maltol or picolinic acid, ternary complex formation and thus transformation reactions with the l.m.m. binders of biofluids, is almost negligible. From among the three carrier molecules, only DHP can efficiently compete with serum transferrin for binding of VO().