Property of a new Prussian blue-bounded iron complex able to peroxidate non-saturated fatty acids with a tendency to create conditions that may encourage ferroptosis.

Abstract

Ferroptosis is a cell death process caused by redox imbalance in the cell environment. However, the cell death pathway proves beneficial in anticancer therapy, so compounds inducing ferroptosis are sought. The paper presents a newly synthesized iron complex named FeT, composed of ferricyanide and tartrate, which seems to meet these expectations. It is relatively stable, easily soluble in water and capable of peroxidating unsaturated fatty acids. T24 bladder cells were used as model cells. Preliminary studies demonstrated a strong inhibitory effect of this compound on cell proliferation. The cytotoxicity of FeT was assessed. Independently, it initiates caspase activity, indicating the complex cellular impact of this compound. This effect is compellingly the result of FeT penetration into the cell's interior with possible direct damage to mitochondria, thus explaining the involvement of apoptosis in cell death. At the same time, after penetrating into the cell, it causes an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation and a decrease in reduced glutathione, which is interpreted as to cause ferroptosis. In turn, reducing mitochondrial potential may indicate both ferroptosis and an internal pathway to apoptosis.