Insight into the toxic effects of cis-dichloridoplatinum(II) complexes containing 7-azaindole halogeno derivatives in tumor cells.

The cisplatin analogues cis-[PtCl2(3ClHaza)2] (1) and cis-[PtCl2(3IHaza)2] (2) (3ClHaza and 3IHaza are 3-chloro-7-azaindole and 3-iodo-7-azaindole, respectively) are quite toxic to ovarian tumor cells, with moderately better IC50 values than for cisplatin in the cisplatin-sensitive cell line A2780. We investigated potential factors which might be involved in the mechanism underlying the cytotoxic effects of 1 and 2 and compared these factors with those involved in the mechanism underlying the effects of conventional cisplatin. Our data indicate that the higher cytotoxicity of 1 and 2 originates mainly from their efficient cellular accumulation, different effects at the level of cell cycle regulation, and reduced propensity for DNA adduct repair. Studies of their reactivity toward cellular components reveal efficient binding to DNA, which is typically required for an active platinum drug. Further results suggest that 1 and 2 are capable of circumventing resistance to cisplatin induced by alterations in cellular accumulation and DNA repair. Hence, the latter two factors appear to be responsible for differences in the toxicity of 1 or 2, and cisplatin in tumor cells. The results of this work reinforce the idea that direct analogues of conventional cisplatin-containing halogeno-substituted 7-azaindoles offer much promise for the design of novel therapeutic agents.

Unique DNA binding mode of antitumor trinuclear tridentate platinum(II) compound.

The new trinuclear tridentate Pt(II) complex [Pt(3)Cl(3)(hptab)](3+) (1; hptab = N,N,N',N',N'',N''-hexakis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,3,5-tris(aminomethyl)benzene) exhibits promising cytotoxic effects in human and mouse tumor cells including those resistant to conventional cisplatin (Dalton Trans. 2006, 2617; Chem. Eur. J. 2009, 15, 5245). The present study is focused on the molecular pharmacology of 1, in particular on its interactions with DNA (which is the major pharmacological target of platinum antitumor drugs), to elucidate more deeply the mechanism underlying its antitumor effects. Results obtained with the aid of methods of molecular biophysics and pharmacology reveal new details of DNA modifications by 1. Complex 1 binds to DNA forming in the absence of proteins and molecular crowding agents mainly trifunctional intrastrand cross-links. In these DNA adducts all three Pt(II) centers of 1 are coordinated to DNA base residues, which leads to extensive conformational alterations in DNA. An intriguing aspect of the DNA-binding mode of this trinuclear Pt(II) complex 1 is that it can cross-link proteins to DNA. Even more interestingly, 1 can cross-link in the presence of molecular crowding agent, which mimics environmental conditions in cell nucleus, two DNA duplexes in a high yield--a feature observed for the first time for antitumor trinuclear platinum complexes. Thus, the concept for the design of agents capable of forming intramolecular tridentate DNA adducts, DNA-protein and interduplex DNA-DNA cross-links based on trinuclear tridentate Pt(II) complexes with semirigid aromatic linkers may result in new compounds which exhibit a variety of biological effects and can be also useful in nucleic acids research.