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Mioc M, Mioc A, Racoviceanu R, Ghiulai R, Prodea A, Milan A, Barbu Tudoran L, Oprean C, Ivan V, Șoica C. The Antimelanoma Biological Assessment of Triterpenic Acid Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28010421. [PMID: 36615613 PMCID: PMC9823439 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28010421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
One of several promising strategies for increasing the bioavailability and therapeutic potential of high-lipophilic biologically active compounds is gold nanoparticle formulation. The current study describes the synthesis and biological antimelanoma evaluation of three triterpen-functionalized gold nanoparticles, obtained using our previously reported antimelanoma benzotriazole-triterpenic acid esters. Functionalized gold nanoparticle (GNP) formation was validated through UV-VIS and FTIR spectroscopy. The conjugate's cytotoxic effects were investigated using HaCaT healthy keratinocytes and A375 human melanoma cells. On A375 cells, all three conjugates demonstrated dose-dependent cytotoxic activity, but no significant cytotoxic effects were observed on normal HaCaT keratinocytes. GNP-conjugates were found to be more cytotoxic than their parent compounds. After treatment with all three GNP-conjugates, 4,6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining revealed morphological changes consistent with apoptosis in A375 melanoma cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed that the triterpene-GNP conjugate treated A375 melanoma cells had a fold change increase in Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) expression and a fold change decrease in B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression. In A735 melanoma cells, high-resolution respirometry studies revealed that all three GNP-conjugates act as selective inhibitors of mitochondrial function. Furthermore, by examining the effect on each mitochondrial respiratory rate, the results indicate that all three conjugates are capable of increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), an apoptosis trigger in cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Mioc
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Alexandra Mioc
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Roxana Racoviceanu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Roxana Ghiulai
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
- Department of Pharmacology-Pharmacotherapy, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Alexandra Prodea
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Andreea Milan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timişoara, Romania
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Lucian Barbu Tudoran
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory "Prof. C. Craciun", Faculty of Biology & Geology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Electron Microscopy Integrated Laboratory, National Institute for R & D of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Camelia Oprean
- Department of Chemistry and Toxicology, OncoGen Centre, County Hospital 'Pius Branzeu', Blvd. Liviu Rebreanu 156, 300736 Timisoara, Romania
- Department of Drug Analysis, Food and Environmental Chemistry, Legislation, Management and Pharmaceutical Marketing, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Viviana Ivan
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Faculty of Medicine, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Codruța Șoica
- Research Centre for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluation, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
- Department of Pharmacology-Pharmacotherapy, "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
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