Cytotoxic and proapoptotic effects of new Pd(II) and Pt(II)-complexes with 3-ethanimidoyl-2-methoxy-2H-1,2-benzoxaphosphinin-4-ol-2-oxide.

The new palladium (II) and platinum (II) complexes 2 and 3 with 3-ethanimidoyl-2-methoxy-2H-1,2-benzoxaphospinin-4-ol-2-oxide 1 were synthesized and their physicochemical and pharmacological properties were determined. The cytotoxic effects of these complexes were examined on the two human leukemia cell lines, HL-60 and NALM-6. Pd-complex 2 and Pt-complex 3 exerted significant cytotoxic activity. The effects exhibited by these two complexes were comparable to those reported for cis-platin and carboplatin. On the other hand, ligand 1 was not cytotoxic. As determined by caspase-3 activity assay, compounds 2 and 3 differed slightly in their mode of induction of the programmed cell death.