Synthesis and toxicity assessment of Fe3O4 NPs grafted by ∼ NH2-Schiff base as anticancer drug: modeling and proposed molecular mechanism through docking and molecular dynamic simulation

Drug Deliv. 2020 Dec;27(1):1201-1217. doi: 10.1080/10717544.2020.1801890.

Abstract

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have been synthesized using chain length of (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane for cancer therapy. First, we have developed a layer by layer functionalized with grafting 2,4-toluene diisocyanate as a bi-functional covalent linker onto a nano-Fe3O4 support. Then, they were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X-ray powder diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and VSM techniques. Finally, all nanoparticles with positive or negative surface charges were tested against K562 (myelogenous leukemia cancer) cell lines to demonstrate their therapeutic efficacy by MTT assay test. We found that the higher toxicity of Fe3O4@SiO2@APTS ∼ Schiff base-Cu(II) (IC50: 1000 μg/mL) is due to their stronger in situ degradation, with larger intracellular release of iron ions, as compared to surface passivated NPs. For first time, the molecular dynamic simulations of all compounds were carried out afterwards optimizing using MM+, Semi-empirical (AM1) and Ab-initio (STO-3G), Forcite Gemo Opt, Forcite Dynamics, Forcite Energy and CASTEP in Materials studio 2017. The energy (eV), space group, lattice parameters (Å), unit cell parameters (Å), and electron density of the predicted structures were taken from the CASTEP module of Materials Studio. The docking methods were used to predict the DNA binding affinity, ribonucleotide reductase, and topoisomerase II.

Keywords: MTT assay; Synthesis; computational methods; molecular docking; nanocarrier.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival
  • Chemistry, Pharmaceutical
  • Computer Simulation*
  • DNA / metabolism
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / metabolism
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Ferric Compounds / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Magnetite Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Propylamines / chemistry
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Ribonucleotide Reductases / metabolism
  • Schiff Bases / administration & dosage
  • Schiff Bases / pharmacology*
  • Silanes / chemistry
  • Surface Properties
  • Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate / chemistry
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Ferric Compounds
  • Magnetite Nanoparticles
  • Propylamines
  • Schiff Bases
  • Silanes
  • Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate
  • DNA
  • Ribonucleotide Reductases
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type II
  • amino-propyl-triethoxysilane

Grants and funding

We thank Semnan University of Medical Sciences for supporting this study.