Effect of a new synthesized palladium phenanthroline complex on human chronic myeloid leukemia cell line-K562

Background: Due to the increasing incidence of cancer and toxicity of cisplatin, there have been many attempts to find new complexes with greater potency and less toxicity. Palladium (II) complexes can induce cell death and serve as good anticancer drugs with less toxicity than platinum (II) complexes. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the anti-cancer properties of a new synthetic complex of palladium [Pd (2-foran-2-yl) 1H-imidazo–[4, 5–f] (1, 10-phenanthroline)] and cell death mechanism induced by this complex in human chronic myeloid leukemia cell line-K562. Methods: This experimental study was conducted in the Vital Macromolecules laboratory of Kharazmi University in 2014. The K562 cells were cultured in the RPMI-1640 medium and were treated with different concentrations of the Pd (II) complex for 24 and 48 hours. Cell viability was measured using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The mechanism of cell death induced by this complex was analyzed by flow cytometery using Annexin V and propidium iodide. Findings: In the MTT assay, the Cc50 value (50% Cytotoxicity Concentration) of the Pd (II) complex was 95 and 86 μM after 24 and 48 hours, respectively. The analysis of results for Annexin V antibody indicated that the cell death induced by the Pd (II) complex was mainly apoptosis. Conclusion: With regards to the results, it seems that this Pd complex and its analogues can be considered as a new drug for cancer treatment in the future