Evaluation of Interactions of Selected Olivacine Derivatives with DNA and Topoisomerase II.

Olivacine and ellipticine are model anticancer drugs acting as topoisomerase II inhibitors. Here, we present investigations performed on four olivacine derivatives in light of their antitumor activity. The aim of this study was to identify the best antitumor compound among the four tested olivacine derivatives. The study was performed using CCRF/CEM and MCF-7 cell lines. Comet assay, polarography, inhibition of topoisomerase II activity, histone acetylation, and molecular docking studies were performed. Each tested compound displayed interaction with DNA and topoisomerase II, but did not cause histone acetylation. Compound 2 (9-methoxy-5,6-dimethyl-1-({[1-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)butan-2-yl]amino}methyl)-6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole) was found to be the best candidate as an anticancer drug because it had the highest affinity for topoisomerase II and caused the least genotoxic damage in cells.

Solution studies of some new oxamides - co-ordination behaviour towards Cu(II) ions.

The co-ordination chemistry of some new oxamides towards Cu(II) ions was studied using various techniques: potentiometry, voltammetry, spectroscopy (UV-Vis, CD and EPR) and ESI-MS spectrometry. All tested compounds chelate the copper(II) ions with formation of 1:1 and 1:2 (metal-to-ligand ratio) complexes. The Cu(II) ions are bound by 1N, 2N or 3N nitrogen donor systems. Additionally, an unusual co-ordination to amide N-atoms without additional anchoring site is suggested. The (14)N hyperfine splitting observed for the system ox6-Cu(II) above pH 10 clearly indicates the involvement of at least three N donor atoms in the copper ion binding. Moreover, the surrounding by three amide-N and one carbonyl-O stabilizes the high oxidation state of copper(III), although such complexes are very unstable in solution.