ATIQCTPC: a nanomedicine capable of targeting tumor and blocking thrombosis in vivo

To overcome the harmful side effects, low tolerance, and undesirable outcomes of the anticancer drugs, we used ethane-1,2-diamine to bridge antitumoral (S)-3-acetyl-4-oxo-tetrahydroindolo[2,3-a]quinolizine-6-carboxylic acid (ATIQC) and tumor-targeting d-glucuronic acid, thereby providing (6S)-3-acetyl-4-oxo-N-(2-(3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxytetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-carboxamido)ethyl)-4,6,7,12-tetrahydroindolo[2,3-a]quinolizine-6-carboxamide (ATIQCTPC). Atomic force microscopy images visualized, that in serum, ATIQCTPC formed particles of height <81 nm. These particles effectively avoided phagocytosis of macrophages and were stable in blood circulation. Distribution analysis indicated that ATIQCTPC accumulated and released ATIQC in the tumor tissue through a targeting manner. Thus, the antitumor and the anti-thrombotic activities of ATIQCTPC were 100-fold higher than those of ATIQC, and ATIQCTPC was able to prevent cancer patients from suffering from thrombosis. Based on the observation that ATIQCTPC decreased serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in S180 mice, we hypothesized that this is the mechanism that ATIQCTPC utilized to slow tumor growth. Additionally, we observed that ATIQCTPC inhibited thrombosis by decreasing serum P-selectin of thrombotic rats. The intermolecular association and the hexamerization manner of ATIQCTPC were experimentally evidenced and correlated with the formation of the nanoparticles.