Morphologic evaluation of some promising A3B porphyrinic type compounds designed for theranostic applications in cancer

Abstract

• New A 3 B porphyrinic structure with pharmacological potential were investigated. • Morphologic and textural properties of A 3 B porphyrins were assessed by AFM. • A 3 B porphyrinic compounds shown fractal (self-similar) behaviour. • HT-29 colon carcinoma and U-87 glioblastoma membrane integrity not altered by A 3 B. • P and Zn(II)P similarly incorporated into tumor cells as proved by flow cytometry. The use of porphyrinic compounds for photodynamic therapy (PDT) in cancer is well documented, but the aggregation tendency in physiologically-relevant media impedes on their medical use. The present study argues for the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the evaluation of the aggregation tendency in terms of topography, self-similarity (fractal behavior) and textural properties of some promising A3B-type porphyrinic compounds, previously described by our group. It was found that the samples are isotropic and rough enough to favor cell adhesion. Despite having different aggregation tendencies, the P and Zn(II)P compounds (5 µM) were similarly incorporated into tumour cells (HT-29 human colon carcinoma and U-87 MG human glioblastoma), as demonstrated by flow cytometry data. Results suggest that there might be an aggregation, “window” that does not impede on the interaction of the investigated porphyrins with tumor cells.