Highly photocytotoxic glucosylated silicon(IV) phthalocyanines. Effects of peripheral chloro substitution on the photophysical and photodynamic properties

Two novel glucoconjugated silicon(IV) phthalocyanines (compounds 3 and 4) have been prepared and examined for their photophysical and biological properties. With two axial 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranose substituents linked to the silicon center through the tetraethylene glycol chain, both compounds are highly soluble and remain nonaggregated in N,N-dimethylformamide. The dichloro-substituted phthalocyanine 4 exhibits a weaker fluorescence emission and higher efficiency to generate singlet oxygen compared with the nonchlorinated counterpart 3 as a result of the heavy atom effect. Both compounds are highly photocytotoxic against HT29 human colorectal carcinoma and HepG2 human hepatocarcinoma cells, particularly the nonchlorinated phthalocyanine 3, of which the IC₅₀ values are as low as 6 nM. The lower photodynamic activity of the chlorinated derivative (IC₅₀ = 17-21 nM) can be attributed to its higher aggregation tendency in the biological media, leading to a lower efficiency to generate reactive oxygen species inside the cells. Fluorescence microscopic studies have also revealed that compound 3 has a high and selective affinity to the lysosomes, but not the mitochondria, of HT29 cells. © 2007 American Chemical Society.