Anticancer effect of a novel palladium-saccharinate complex of terpyridine by inducing apoptosis on ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in balb-C mice

Abstract

Background/Aim: [Pd(sac)(terpy)](sac)•4H2O (sac=saccharinate and terpy=2,2′:6′,2-terpyridine) is newlysynthesized palladium(II) (Pd) complex. We investigated the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of this complex on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC). Materials and Methods: EAC cells were administered to 33 Balb/c mice. Mice were divided randomly into four groups: control, cisplatin, Pd(II) complex and paclitaxel. Control group animals received 0.9% NaCl; other groups received treatments cisplatin, Pd(II) complex and paclitaxel on days 7 and 12. At day 14, animals were sacrificed. Expression of active caspase-3, p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was investigated and apoptosis was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase (TdT)-mediated nick-end labelling (TUNEL) technique. Results: Expression of p53 and PCNA were found to be decreased (p<0.0001), cells with active caspase-3 and TUNEL-positive cells were found to be increased (p<0.0001) in all treatment groups. Conclusion: Like cisplatin and paclitaxel, this Pd(II) complex has a strong anticancer activity against EAC by inducing apoptosis and suppressing proliferation in vivo.