Comment on "Delivering a photosensitive transplatin prodrug to overcome cisplatin drug resistance" by H. Song, W. Li, R. Qi, L. Yan, X. Jing, M. Zheng and H. Xiao, Chem. Commun., 2015, 51, 11493.

Consistency of literature results with the transformation of trans-diamminedichloridoplatinum(ii) (transplatin) into cis-diammine-dichloridoplatinum(ii) (cisplatin) under UVA irradiation claimed in the article recently published in this journal is questioned on the basis of previous and new experimental data.

Effect of geometric isomerism in dinuclear platinum antitumor complexes on DNA interstrand cross-linking.

The requirement for novel platinum antitumor drugs led to the synthesis of dinuclear bisplatinum complexes. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the biological activity of this new class of platinum cytostatics, modifications of natural DNA and synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide duplexes by dinuclear bisplatinum complexes with equivalent monofunctional coordination spheres, represented by the general formula [{cis-PtCl(NH(3))(2)}(2)(H(2)N-R-NH(2)](2+) (1,1/c,c), in which R is a linear alkane chain, butane or hexane, were studied by various biochemical and molecular biology methods. The results indicated that the major adducts of 1,1/c,c complexes in DNA ( approximately 90%) were interstrand cross-links preferentially formed between guanine residues. Besides 1,2 interstrand cross-links (between guanine residues in neighboring base pairs), 1,3 or 1,4 interstrand cross-links were also possible. In the latter two long-range adducts, the sites involved in the cross-links were separated by one or two base pairs. 1,2, 1,3, and 1,4 interstrand cross-links were formed with a similar rate and were preferentially oriented in the 5' --> 5' direction. In addition, the DNA adducts of these complexes inhibited DNA transcription in vitro. Thus, the binding of the 1,1/c, c complexes modifies DNA in a way that is distinctly different from the modification by the antitumor drug cisplatin. In addition, there are significant differences between the dinuclear 1,1/c,c and 1,1/t, t isomers. The results of this work are consistent with the hypothesis and support the view that platinum drugs that bind to DNA in a fundamentally different manner can exhibit different biological properties including the spectrum and intensity of antitumor activity. The intracellular DNA binding of the dinuclear compounds is compared to the results presented here. It has been suggested that differences in cross-link structure may be an important factor underlying their different biological efficiencies.

DNA interactions of new antitumor aminophosphine platinum(II) complexes.

Mechanistic studies are presented of a novel class of aminophosphine platinum(II) complexes as potential anticancer agents. These new agents, which have demonstrated activity against murine and human tumor cells including those resistant to cisplatin are cis-[PtCl2(Me2N(CH2)3PPh2-P)2] (Com1) and cis-[PtCl(C6H11NH(CH2)2PPh2-N,P)(C6H11NH(CH2) 2PPh2-P)] (Com2). We studied modifications of natural and synthetic DNAs in cell-free media by Com1 and Com2 by various biomedical and biophysical methods and compared the results with those obtained when DNA was modified by cisplatin. The results indicated that Com1 and Com2 coordinated to DNA faster than cisplatin. Bifunctional Com1 formed DNA adducts coordinating to single adenine or guanine residues or by forming cross-links between these residues. In comparison with cisplatin, Com1 formed the adducts more frequently at adenine residues and also formed fewer bidentate lesions. The monofunctional Com2 only formed DNA monodentate adducts at guanine residues. In addition, Com1 terminated DNA synthesis in vitro more efficiently than cisplatin whereas Com2 blocked DNA synthesis only slightly. DNA unwinding studies, measurements of circular dichroism spectra, immunochemical analysis, and studies of the B-Z transition in DNA revealed conformational alterations induced by the adducts of Com1, which were distinctly different from those induced by cisplatin. Com2 had little influence on DNA conformation. It is suggested that the activity profile of aminophosphine platinum(II) complexes, which is different from that of cisplatin and related analogs, might be associated with the specific DNA binding properties of this new class of platinum(II) compounds.

DNA modifications by a novel bifunctional trinuclear platinum phase I anticancer agent.

The DNA-binding profile of a novel, trinuclear platinum Phase I clinical agent (BBR3464) is summarized. The structure of BBR3464 is best described as two trans-[PtCl(NH3)2] units linked by a tetra-amine [trans-Pt(NH3)2{H2N(CH2)6NH2}2]2+ unit. The +4 charge of BBR3464, the presence of at least two Pt coordination units capable of binding to DNA, and the consequences of such DNA binding are remarkable departures from the cisplatin structural paradigm. The chemical and biological features argue that the drug should be considered the first clinical representative of an entirely new structural class of DNA-modifying anticancer agents. The high charge on BBR3464 facilitates rapid binding to DNA with a t1/2 of approximately 40 min, significantly faster than the neutral cisplatin. The melting temperature of DNA adducted by BBR3464 increased at low ionic strength but decreased in high salt for the same rb. This unusual behavior is in contrast to that of cisplatin. BBR3464 produces an unwinding angle of 14 degrees in negatively supercoiled pSP73 plasmid DNA, indicative of bifunctional DNA binding. Quantitation of interstrand DNA-DNA cross-linking in plasmid pSP73 DNA linearized by EcoRI indicated approximately 20% of the DNA to be interstrand cross-linked. While this is significantly higher than the value for cisplatin, it is, interestingly, lower than that for dinuclear platinum compounds such as [{trans-PtCl(NH3)2}2H2N(CH2)6NH2]2+ (BBR3005) where interstrand cross-linking efficiency may be as high as 70-90%. Either the presence of charge in the linker backbone or the increased distance between platinating moieties may contribute to this relatively decreased ability of BBR3464 to induce DNA interstrand cross-linking. Fluorescence experiments with ethidium bromide were consistent with the formation of long-range delocalized lesions on DNA produced by BBR3464. The sequence preference for BBR3464 on plasmid DNA was determined to the exact base pair by assaying extension of the polynucleotide by VentR(exo+) DNA polymerase. Strong sequence preference for single dG or d(GG) sites was suggested. The presence of relatively few blocks on DNA in comparison to either cisplatin or BBR3005 was indicative of high sequence selectivity. The following appropriate sequence where stop sites occur was chosen: [sequence: see text] molecular modeling on 1,4 interstrand (G'30 to G33) and 1,5 intrastrand (G33 to G29) cross-links further confirmed the similarity in energy between the two forms of cross-link. Finally, immunochemical analysis confirmed the unique nature of the DNA adducts formed by BBR3464. This analysis showed that antibodies raised to cisplatin-adducted DNA did not recognize DNA modified by BBR3464. In contrast, DNA modified by BBR3464 inhibited the binding of antibodies raised to transplatin-adducted DNA. Thus, the bifunctional binding of BBR3464 contains few similarities to that of cisplatin but may have a subset of adducts recognized as being similar to the transplatinum species. In summary, the results point to a unique profile of DNA binding for BBR3464, strengthening the original hypothesis that modification of DNA binding in manners distinct from that of cisplatin will also lead to a distinct and unique profile of antitumor activity.

DNA modifications by antitumor trans-[PtCl2(E-iminoether)2].

Recent findings that an analogue of clinically ineffective transplatin, trans-[PtCl2(E-iminoether)2], exhibits antitumor activity has helped reevaluation of the empirical structure-antitumor activity relationship generally accepted for platinum(II) complexes. According to this relationship, only the cis geometry of leaving ligands in the bifunctional platinum(II) complexes, should be therapeutically active. Global modifications of natural DNAs in cell-free media by trans-[PtCl2(E-iminoether)2] were studied through various molecular biophysical methods and compared with modifications by cis-[PtCl2(E-iminoether)2], transplatin, cisplatin, and monofunctional chlorodiethylenetriamineplatinum(II) chloride. Thus, the results of this study have extended our recent finding, indicating that the prevalent lesion occurring in double-helical DNA on its modification by trans-[PtCl2(E-iminoether)2] is a monofunctional adduct at guanine residues. The modification by trans-[PtCl2(E-iminoether)2] has been found to induce local distortions in DNA, which have a character differing fundamentally from those induced by both clinically ineffective or antitumor platinum complexes tested in this study. The different character of alterations induced in DNA by the adducts of trans-[PtCl2(E-iminoether)2] and transplatin has been suggested to be relevant to the unexpected observation that the new complex with leaving chloride groups in trans position exhibits antitumor efficacy. In addition, the results support the idea that platinum drugs that bind to DNA in a manner fundamentally different from that of cisplatin can exhibit altered biological properties, including differing spectra and intensities of antitumor activity.

DNA interactions of bifunctional dinuclear platinum(II) antitumor agents.

Modifications of natural DNA in a cell-free medium by dinuclear bisplatinum complexes with equivalent coordination spheres, represented by the general formula [¿trans-PtCl(NH3)2¿2(H2N-R-NH2)]2+, where R is a propane or hexane, were studied by various methods of biochemical analysis or molecular biophysics. These methods include binding studies by means of differential-pulse polarography, measurements of melting curves with the aid of absorption spectrophotometry, measurements of CD spectra, ELISA with specific antibodies that recognize DNA modified by platinum complexes, interstrand cross-linking assay employing gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions and mapping of DNA adducts by means of transcription assays. The results indicated that the major adduct of [¿trans-PtCl(NH3)2¿2(H2N-R-NH2)]2+ in DNA was an interstrand cross-link which was formed with a relatively short half-time (approximately 1 h). At least some types of these interstrand cross-links induced local denaturational changes in the DNA. The results of analyses of interactions of [¿trans-PtCl(NH3)2¿2(H2N-R-NH2)]2+ with linear DNA at relatively higher levels of the modification could be interpreted to mean that these dinuclear platinum complexes were also capable of intrastrand-cross-link formation between adjacent base residues in DNA. However, these intrastrand adducts of [¿trans-PtCl(NH3)2¿2(H2N-R-NH2)]2+ distorted DNA conformation in a way different from the DNA intrastrand adducts of cisplatin. In addition, the DNA adducts of the dinuclear platinum complexes inhibited DNA transcription in vitro. The length of the aliphatic linker chain affected the DNA-binding mode of [¿trans-PtCl(NH3)2¿2(H2N-R-NH2)]2+ and the resulting conformational changes in DNA. The extensive analysis of DNA interactions with [¿trans-PtCl(NH3)2¿2(H2N-R-NH2)]2+ described in this communication has provided further experimental support for previous suggestions [Farrell, N. (1991) in Platinum and other metal coordination compounds in cancer chemotherapy (Howell, S. B., ed.) pp. 81-91, Plenum Press, New York] that the binding of the dinuclear platinum complexes modifies DNA in a way that is different from the modification by antitumor cisplatin. Thus, the results of this work are consistent with the hypothesis that platinum drugs that bind to DNA in a manner fundamentally different from that of cisplatin can exhibit altered biological properties, including a different spectrum and intensity of antitumor activity.

Superhelical torsion controls DNA interstrand cross-linking by antitumor cis- diamminedichloroplatinum(II).

Negatively supercoiled, relaxed and linearized forms of pSP73 DNA were modified in cell-free medium by cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin). The frequency of interstrand cross-links (ICLs) formed in these DNAs has been determined by: (i) immunochemical analysis; (ii) an assay employing NaCN as a probe of DNA ICLs of cisplatin; (iii) gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. At low levels of the modification of DNA (<1 Pt atom fixed per 500 bp) the number of ICLs formed by cisplatin was radically enhanced in supercoiled in comparison with linearized or relaxed DNA. At these low levels of modification, the frequency of ICLs in supercoiled DNA was enhanced with increasing level of negative supercoiling or with decreasing level of modification. In addition, the replication mapping of DNA ICLs of cisplatin was consistent with these lesions being preferentially formed in negatively supercoiled DNA between guanine residues in both the 5'-d(GC)-3' and the 5'-d(CG)-3' sites. Among the DNA adducts of cisplatin the ICL has the markedly greatest capability to unwind the double helix. We suggest that the formation of ICLs of cisplatin is thermodynamically more favored in negatively supercoiled DNA owing mainly to the relaxation of supercoils.

Interaction of alkaline phosphatase with cytochrome c.

Alkaline phosphatase (AP) a protein which exhibits long-lived phosphorescence lifetime and ferricytochrome c as a phosphorescence quenching agent were examined. The excitation of the tryptophan triplet state resulted in cytochrome c reduction confirming long-range electron transfer as the quenching mechanism. The rate of electron transfer was not related to the length of the illumination interval; an additional reaction between the two proteins leading to cytochrome c reduction was detected. The reaction which proceeded in the dark was not sensitive to oxygen, was dependent on pH, and on the AP to cytochrome c ratio. At optimum 68 +/- 4% of the total cytochrome c could be reduced due to the presence of AP. On incubation of the two proteins the conformation of cytochrome c was altered as was evidenced by its decreased reducibility by ascorbate, by the disappearance of the absorption band at 695 nm, by the appearance of the new band at 620-640 nm, and by a change in circular dichroism spectra witnessing a structural alteration in the vicinity of the heme cleft. This was characterized by a profound increase in positive elipticity at 400 nm and by a reversible change in the magnitude of negative elipticity at 417 nm. The reaction was not significantly affected by the addition of sulfhydryl-binding and metal-complexing agents.

DNA adducts of antitumor trans-[PtCl2 (E-imino ether)2].

It has been shown recently that some analogues of clinically ineffective trans-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (transplatin) exhibit antitumor activity. This finding has inverted the empirical structure-antitumor activity relationships delineated for platinum(II) complexes, according to which only the cis geometry of leaving ligands in the bifunctional platinum complexes is therapeutically active. As a result, interactions of trans platinum compounds with DNA, which is the main pharmacological target of platinum anticancer drugs, are of great interest. The present paper describes the DNA binding of antitumor trans-[PtCl(2)(E-imino ether)(2)] complex (trans-EE) in a cell-free medium, which has been investigated using three experimental approaches. They involve thiourea as a probe of monofunctional DNA adducts of platinum (II) complexes with two leaving ligands in the trans configuration, ethidium bromide as a probe for distinguishing between monofunctional and bifunctional DNA adducts of platinum complexes and HPLC analysis of the platinated DNA enzymatically digested to nucleosides. The results show that bifunctional trans-EE preferentially forms monofunctional adducts at guanine residues in double-helical DNA even when DNA is incubated with the platinum complex for a relatively long time (48 h at 37 degrees C in 10 mM NaCIO(4). It implies that antitumor trans-EE modifies DNA in a different way than clinically ineffective transplatin, which forms prevalent amount of bifunctional DNA adducts after 48 h. This result has been interpreted to mean that the major adduct of trans-EE, occurring in DNA even after long reaction times, is a monofunctional adduct in which the reactivity of the second leaving group is markedly reduced. It has been suggested that the different properties of the adducts formed on DNA by transplatin and trans-EE are relevant to their distinct clinical efficacy.

Correlation between cytotoxicity and DNA binding of polypyridyl ruthenium complexes.

The cytotoxicity of chloropolypyridyl ruthenium complexes of structural formulas [Ru(terpy)-(bpy)Cl]Cl, cis-[Ru(bpy)2Cl2], and mer-[Ru(terpy)Cl3] (terpy = 2,2':6'2"-terpyridine, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl) has been studied in murine and human tumor cell lines. The results show that mer-[Ru(terpy)Cl3] exhibits a remarkably higher cytotoxicity than the other complexes. Moreover, investigations of antitumor activity in a standard tumor screen have revealed the highest efficiency for mer-[Ru(terpy)Cl3]. In a cell-free medium, the ruthenium complexes coordinate to DNA preferentially at guanine residues. The resulting adducts can terminate DNA synthesis by thermostable VentR DNA polymerase. The reactivity of the complexes to DNA, their efficiency to unwind closed, negatively supercoiled DNA, and a sequence preference of their DNA adducts (studied by means of replication mapping) do not show a correlation with biological activity. On the other hand, the cytotoxic mer-[Ru(terpy)Cl3] exhibits a significant DNA interstrand cross-linking, in contrast to the inactive complexes which exhibit no such efficacy. The results point to a potential new class of metal-based antitumor compounds acting by a mechanism involving DNA interstrand cross-linking.

DNA interactions of antitumor platinum(IV) complexes.

Modifications of natural DNA and synthetic double-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides by cis-diamminedichloro-trans-dihydroxyplatinum(IV) (oxoplatin) were studied by means of ELISA, Maxam-Gilbert footprinting techniques, HPLC of enzymically digested DNA, and transcription assay. It was found that oxoplatin can bind DNA directly without addition of a reducing agent. In addition, the antibodies elicited against DNA modified by cisplatin were not competitively inhibited by DNA modified by oxoplatin. However, DNA containing the adducts of oxoplatin became a strong inhibitor of these antibodies, if it was subsequently treated with ascorbic acid, which is a reducing agent. These results were interpreted to mean that oxoplatin can form DNA adducts containing the platinum moiety in the quadrivalent state. The direct irreversible binding of the platinum(IV) drug is, however, slow as compared to the reaction of its platinum(II) counterpart. It was also found that oxoplatin preferentially binds to guanine residues and can form DNA intrastrand and interstrand cross-links containing platinum(IV). The DNA adducts containing platinum(IV) can inhibit in vitro transcription by a prokaryotic DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. We find that the platinum(IV) complex binds to DNA at similar sites as its platinum(II) counterpart. On the other hand, the DNA adducts containing the platinum(II) or platinum(IV) analogues differ in the number of ligands and the formal charge on their platinum center. We suggest that these differences could be responsible for distinct conformational features and stability of DNA modified by platinum(II) or platinum(IV) complexes.

Conversion of DNA adducts of antitumour cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II). Immunochemical analysis.

Polyclonal antibodies that bind selectively to DNA modified by antitumour cisplatin and its analogues were isolated. The reactivity of the antibodies with the epitope was enhanced by thermal denaturation of DNA that had been modified by cisplatin before its denaturation. On the other hand, denaturation of DNA before its modification resulted in considerably less reaction of the antibodies. The conversion of monofunctional cisplatin-DNA adducts to bifunctional lesions increased the capability of the modified DNA to competitively inhibit the antibodies. The double-helical oligonucleotides containing a unique bifunctional adduct formed by cisplatin at the d(GG) site cross-reacted with the antibodies in contrast to the oligonucleotide containing a single monofunctional adduct formed at the d(G) site. In addition, poly(dG-dC) . poly(dG-dC) modified by cisplatin did not react with the antibodies. It was concluded that the antibodies recognized monodentate lesions, intrastrand cross-links between two purine nucleosides separated by one or more nucleosides and interstrand cross-links negligibly. The antibodies apparently recognized a chemical nature of the bifunctional adduct formed between two adjacent purines and not an unusual conformational feature of DNA resulting from the formation of this adduct. The antibodies were used to analyse the adducts formed by cisplatin on DNA of cultured cells exposed to this drug. During the subsequent incubation of the already exposed cells in the drug-free medium, a part of the bifunctional adducts of cisplatin was completely removed from DNA or transformed to the adducts not recognized by the antibodies.

Biophysical analysis of DNA modified by 1,2-diaminocyclohexane platinum(II) complexes.

Modification of DNA and double-stranded deoxyoligonucleotides with antitumour 1,2-diamino-cyclohexanedinitroplatinum(II) (Pt-dach) complexes was investigated with the aid of physico-chemical methods and chemical probes of nucleic acid conformation. The three Pt-dach complexes were used which differed in isomeric forms of the dach nonleaving ligand-Pt(1R,2R-dach), Pt(1S,2S-dach) and Pt(1R,2S-dach) complexes. The latter complex has lower antitumour activity than the other two Pt-dach complexes. Pt(1R,2S-dach) complex exhibits the slowest kinetics of its binding to DNA and of the conversion of monofunctional binding to bifunctional lesions. The anomalously slow electrophoretic mobility of multimers of the platinated and ligated oligomers suggests that bifunctional binding of Pt-dach complexes to a d(GG) site within double-stranded oligonucleotides induces bending of the oligomer. In addition, chemical probing of double-helical deoxyoligonucleotides modified by the Pt-dach complexes at the d(GG) sites reveals that Pt(1R,2S-dach) complex induces more extensive conformational changes in the oligomer than Pt(1R,2R-dach) and Pt(1S,2S-dach) complexes. It is proposed that different effects of the Pt-dach complexes on DNA observed in this work arise mainly from a steric crowding of the axially oriented cyclohexane ring in the DNA adduct of Pt(1R,2S-dach) complex.

Polyclonal antibodies elicited against trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)-modified DNA and their application in nonradioactive hybridization experiments.

Polyclonal antibodies that bind selectively to adducts formed with DNA by chemotherapeutically inactive trans-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) [trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2]) were produced by immunization with calf-thymus double-helical DNA modified by trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2] at a ratio of bound platinum/nucleotide (rb) of 0.1. High selectivity was obtained by separation of the antibodies from the antiserum with the aid of affinity chromatography on a Sepharose column. The antibodies were competitively inhibited in an ELISA assay by 25 pM trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2] bound to double-helical DNA and 2.5 pM trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2] bound to denatured DNA (rb = 0.1). The conversion of monofunctional adducts, formed on DNA at the early stage of its interaction with trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2], to bifunctional lesions, decreased the ability of the modified DNA to competitively inhibit these antibodies. They did not cross-react with unmodified, denatured DNA, but they reacted with diethylenetriamine-chloroplatinum(II)-chloride-modified double-helical DNA and with double-helical DNA treated with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) for a short time (10 min). The results of this work best fit a model in which one of the major antigenic determinants of double-helical DNA modified by trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2] is the platinum atom coordinated in a monodentate or bidentate manner with non-paired nucleotide residues or perhaps a short segment of single-stranded DNA which occurs around the platination site. Nucleic acids modified by trans-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2] can be used as immuno-probes in hybridization experiments.

Biophysical studies of the complexes of polyriboguanylic acid with brominated and chlorinated polyribocytidylic acids.

Conformation of double-stranded complexes of polyriboguanylic acid with halogenated polyribocytidylic acid [poly(C)] was studied with the aid of differential pulse polarography, terbium fluorescence and circular dichroism spectrometry. It was shown that halogenation at C(5) of cytosine residues in poly(C) disturbed the ordered structure of the double-helical complex. In addition, this halogenation does not improve antiviral activity of the polynucleotide complex studied in the system of vesicular stomatitis virus and the cell culture of chicken embryos. It was concluded that the regularity of the secondary structure of synthetic RNAs might play an important role in the mechanism of biological activity of these biomacromolecules.

[Detection of hybridization probes using antibodies to DNA adducts with cis- and trans-diaminodichloroplatinum (II). I. Immunochemical characteristics of DNA modified by cis- and trans-diaminodichloroplatinum (II)]. / Detektsiia gibridizatsionnykh zondov s pomoshch'iu antitel k adduktam DNK s tsis- i trans-diamindikhlorplatinoi (II). I. Immunokhimicheskaia kharakteristika DNK, modifitsirovannoi tsis- i trans-diamindikhlorplatinoi (II).

Rabbit antisera elicited against calf thymus DNA modified cis- and trans-diaminedichlorplatinum II (DDP) [Pt/nucleotide ratio - 0.1] contain antibodies specific for Pt-modified DNA immunogen. A specific antibody against DNA-cisDDP and DNA-transDDP was obtained by affinity chromatography. In the ELISA, 3.10(-1 6) mol Pt per micrograms DNA was determined. The epitope structure was determined by using DNA modified with cisDDP and transDDP.

Biophysical studies of the modification of poly(rG) . poly(rC) by cisplatin. Relations to the biological activity of the complex.

The integrity of the double-stranded complex polyriboguanylic.polyribocytidylic acid [poly(rG).poly(rC)] modified by antitumour cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II)(cis-DDP) was studied with the aid of differential pulse polarography and terbium fluorescence measurement. The modification was made to level corresponding to rb = 0.05 (rb is defined as the number of platinum atoms covalently bound per one nucleotide residue). Two modes of the modification of the polynucleotide complex were employed: The action of cis-DDP on poly(G) before formation of the complex with poly(C) and on the complex already formed from non-modified polynucleotides. It was shown that in the latter case modification disordered the integrity of the complex only negligibly. while in the former case the modification resulted in a noticeably more extensive disturbance of the double-stranded polynucleotide complex. Moreover, the modification of the complex (after its formation) at rb = 0.02 led to improved interferon-inducing and antiviral activity of poly(rG).poly(rC) tested on mice infected by influenza virus. It was suggested that the combined effects of interferon-inducing and antiviral activities of poly(rG).poly(rC) and antiviral activity of cis-DDP may result in an increased effect over and above what may be expected from the actions of the two modalities separately.

The effect of second generation platinum cytostatics on mammalian cell proliferation.

The effect of three second generation platinum complexes on proliferation of tumor cells (HeLa, C6) and nontumor cells (LEP) was studied, and compared with that of cis-DDP. The highest activity, comparable with cis-DDP, was exhibited by oxoplatinum. CBDCA was somewhat less active in this system, but had a greater effect on both lines of tumor cells than on nontumor cells. Cell proliferation was inhibited least of all by CHIP(IV). The differences observed are discussed from the point of view of the structure and oxidation state of the platinum complexes.

Effects of five platinum complexes (cis-DDP, trans-DDP, CHIP IV, CBDCA, oxo-Pt) on the induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and chromosomal aberrations in Vicia faba root-tip cells.

In a population of plant meristematic cells of Vicia faba the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), incidence of chromosomal aberrations and mitotic activity of cells was evaluated after short-term treatment (1 h) with antitumour active platinum complexes cis-DDP, CHIP IV, CBDCA, oxo-Pt and antitumour inactive trans-DDP. It was found that the action of platinum compounds in equimolar concentration 3.33 microM increases the level of SCEs 1.3 to 6.4-fold. The maximum effect in terms of SCE formation was observed after cis-DDP. Comparison of the incidence of SCEs and chromosomal aberrations in plant cells demonstrated that the tested drugs had a greater effect on SCE formation than on chromosomal aberration induction. Inhibition of mitotic activity correlated with the total cytogenetic damage to chromosomes of Vicia faba cells.

The effect of platinum derivatives on interfacial properties of DNA.

The interaction of DNA modified by the binding of various platinum compounds with an electrically charged mercury surface was studied by means of linear sweep voltammetry. It was found that DNA and its adducts with antitumour active cis-diammine-dichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) on the one hand and antitumour inactive trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (trans-DDP) and diethylenetriaminechloroplatinum(II) chloride (dien-Pt) on the other were unwound due to their adsorption on the negatively charged mercury surface polarized to the potentials of a narrow region around -1.2 V (vs. saturated calomel electrode). The modification of DNA by bifunctional platinum compounds (cis- and trans-DDP) resulted in a substantial lowering of the extent of this interfacial conformational rearrangement, the modification by trans-DDP being more effective. The modification of DNA by monofunctional dien-Pt influenced the unwinding of DNA on the mercury surface only negligibly. It has been concluded that in particular interstrand cross-links induced by platinum compounds in DNA are responsible for the effect of these drugs on the extent of the interfacial unwinding of DNA. This conclusion is in good agreement with the view that among the lesions induced in DNA by platinum compounds, the interstrand cross-links are of less significance from the point of view of the antitumour efficacy of these inorganic drugs.