ENHANCED FORMATION OF REACTIVE SPECIES FROM CIS-DIAMMINE-(1,1-CYCLOBUTANEDICARBOXYLATO)-PLATINUM(II) (CARBOPLATIN) IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN-FREE RADICALS

Experiments were designed to investigate the influence of oxygen free radicals on the rate of conversion of the anticancer drug cis-diammine-(1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylato)platinum(II) (CBDCA) to reactive species able to bind to DNA. A system containing the Fe-EDTA chelate and ascorbate was used to generate free radicals. The rate of drug conversion to by-products, during incubation in chloride-free phosphate buffer at 37-degrees, was determined by HPLC analysis and found to be approximately 10 times faster in the presence of the free radical generating system, compared to CBDCA alone. The hydroxyl radical scavenger, mannitol, was able to reduce the rate of CBDCA conversion significantly, while an enhancing effect was observed in the presence of superoxide dismutase. The platinum containing species, which are formed in the presence of free radicals, were demonstrated to react with isolated salmon sperm DNA. The rate of platinum binding to DNA during incubation of CBDCA in the presence of the Fe-EDTA/ascorbate system was markedly enhanced. No effect on platinum binding to DNA during incubation with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) in the same experimental conditions was observed, thus excluding an increased susceptibility of DNA itself to binding of platinum, due to DNA damage induced by free radicals. These findings support the hypothesis that the increased conversion of CBDCA, previously observed in our laboratory, which occurs in the presence of hemoglobin could be mediated by a Fenton-like reaction resulting in oxygen free radical production, thus providing potential clues to improvements in the clinical use of this drug.