Synthesis, DNA binding, photo-induced DNA cleavage, cytotoxicity studies of a family of heavy rare earth complexes.

As a continuing investigation of our previous studies about the influence of the different rare earth metal ions on the bioactivity, a family of heavy rare earth metal complexes, [RE(acac)3(dpq)] (RE=Tb (1), Dy (2), Ho (3), Er (4), Tm (5), Yb (6), Lu (7)) and [RE(acac)3(dppz)]·CH3OH (RE=Tb (8), Dy (9), Ho (10), Er (11), Tm (12), Yb (13), Lu (14) viz. acetylacetonate (acac), dipyrido[3,2-d:20,30-f]quinoxaline (dpq), dipyrido[3,2-a:20,30-c] phenazine (dppz)), has been synthesized and their biological activities were also investigated. On the irradiation with UV-A light of 365nm or ambient light, all complexes exhibit efficient DNA cleavage activity via the mechanistic pathway involving the formation of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical as the reactive species. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity of these complexes on HeLa cells has been examined by MTT assay, which indicate that these compounds have the potential to act as effective anticancer drugs. The results of the above biological experiments also reveal that the choice of different rare earth metal ions has little influence on the DNA binding, DNA cleavage and cytotoxicity.