Thiosemicarbazone Derivatives as Inhibitors of Amyloid-β Aggregation: Effect of Metal Coordination

Inorg Chem. 2020 May 18;59(10):6978-6987. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c00467. Epub 2020 May 5.

Abstract

Three thiosemicarbazone derivatives, namely 4-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde 4,4-dimethylthiosemicarbazone (HL1), 4-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (HL2), and 4-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde 4-methylthiosemicarbazone (HL3), have been synthesized and characterized. The three palladium(II) complexes 1-3 were prepared respectively from HL1, HL2, and HL3. The crystal structures of two coordination compounds, namely Pd(L2)2 (2) and Pd(L3)2 (3), were obtained, which showed the expected square-planar environment for the metal centers. The ligand HL3 and the Pd(II) complexes 1-3, which are stable in buffered solutions containing up to 5% DMSO, exhibit remarkable inhibitory properties against the aggregation of amyloid-β, reducing the formation of fibrils. HL1, HL3, 2, and 3 display IC50 values (i.e., the concentrations required to reduce Aβ fibrillation by 50%) below 1 μM, lower that of the reference compound catechin (IC50 = 2.8 μM). Finally, in cellulo studies with E. coli cells revealed that the palladium(II) compounds are significantly more efficient than the free ligands in inhibiting Aβ aggregation inside bacterial inclusion bodies, thus illustrating a beneficial effect of metal coordination.

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Coordination Complexes / chemical synthesis
  • Coordination Complexes / chemistry
  • Coordination Complexes / pharmacology*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Escherichia coli / cytology
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Platinum / chemistry
  • Platinum / pharmacology*
  • Protein Aggregates / drug effects
  • Thiosemicarbazones / chemistry
  • Thiosemicarbazones / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Coordination Complexes
  • Protein Aggregates
  • Thiosemicarbazones
  • Platinum