Synthesis and antitumor activity of triazolium-bis(triazole)-tetrachlororuthenate (III) and bistriazolium-triazolepentachlororuthenate (III). Two representatives of a new class of inorganic antitumor agents.

The synthesis of the two water-soluble heterocycle coordinated ruthenium complexes triazolium-bis(triazole) tetrachlororuthenate (III), TrH(RuTr2Cl4), and bistriazolium-triazolepentachlororuthenate (III), (TrH)2(RuTrCl5), is described. For these complexes, antitumor activity against the P 388 leukemia model was observed with T/C values of 137% to 150%, compared with 144% and 175% for 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin, respectively. These complexes belong to a new class of antitumor active ruthenium compounds with the general formulas HB(RuB2Cl4) and (HB) 2(RuBCl5). The here described complexes with B = triazole are less active than the same type of complexes with B = imidazole, which were described by us previously.