Lipid-based nanoparticles containing cationic derivatives of PTA (1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane) as innovative vehicle for Pt complexes: Production, characterization and in vitro studies

Abstract

The aliphatic phosphine PTA (1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane) is a promising ligand for metal complexes designed and developed as innovative inorganic drugs.In the present paper, an N-alkylated derivative of PTA, (PTAC16H33)X (X=I, C1, or X=PF6, C2) and its platinum coordination complex cis-[PtCl2(PTAC16H33)2](PF6)2, C3, were considered as components of cationic lipid nanoparticles (CLNs). Particularly, CLN1, CLN2 and CLN3 were obtained by adding derivatives C1, C2 or C3 during nanoparticles preparation, while CLN2-Pt were obtained by treating preformed CLN2 with Pt(II). It was demonstrated that CLN1, CLN2 and CLN3 can be produced with technological conventional methods. However, among the two here proposed protocols, the one based on the treatment of preformed nanoparticles appears more advantageous as compared to the other since it allows a quantitative association yield of Pt. As determined by ICP-OES, a content of P and Pt 2.2-fold and 2.5-fold higher in CLN2-Pt than in CLN3 was evidenced. For the first time was demonstrated that properly functionalized preformed nanoparticles can be efficiently used to obtain a post production Pt(II) complex while maintaining a cytotoxic activity toward cultured cells. In fact, the antiproliferative activity shown by CLN3, CLN2-Pt on the three model cancer cell lines was substantially similar and comparable to that of complex C3 in dmso solution. Thus N-alkylated-PTA derivatives in CLNs could be proposed as innovative biocompatible and water dispersible nanoparticles carrying lipophilic Pt complexes becoming an interesting and improved system with respect to dmso solution.