Cytotoxicity and DNA binding studies of several platinum (II) and palladium (II) complexes of the 2,2'-bipyridine and an anion of 2-pyridinecarboxylic/2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid.
Four water soluble complexes of the type [M(bpy)(a-x)]NO3, where M is Pd(II) or Pt(II), bpy is 2,2-bipyridine, and a-x is anion of 2-pyridinecarboxylic acid or 2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid, have been found to bind calf thymus DNA, possibly through hydrogen binding. [M(bpy)(2-py)]NO3 complexes (2-py is an anion of 2-pyridinecarboxylic acid) show I.D.50 values smaller than cisplatin whereas [M(bpy)(2-pyz)]NO3 complexes (2-pyz is an anion of 2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid) show I.D.50 values larger than cisplatin against P388 cancer cells.