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The platinum drugs cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin are highly utilized in the clinic and as a consequence are extensively studied in the laboratory setting. In this study, we examined the literature and found a significant number of studies (11 - 34%) in prominent cancer journals utilizing cisplatin dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). However, dissolving cisplatin in DMSO for laboratory-based studies results in ligand displacement and changes the structure of the complex. We examined the effect of DMSO on platinum complexes, including cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin, finding that DMSO reacted with the complexes, inhibited their cytotoxicity and their ability to initiate cell death. These results render a substantial portion of the literature on cisplatin uninterpretable. Raising awareness of this significant issue in the cancer biology community is critical, and we make recommendations on appropriate solvation of platinum drugs for research.

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Reactions between various apo and metal-bound forms of human serum transferrin (80 kDa) and the recombinant N-lobe (40 kDa) with [Pt(en)Cl(2)] or cis-[PtCl(2)(NH(3))(2)] have been investigated in solution via observation of [(1)H,(15)N] NMR resonances of the Pt complexes, [(1)H,(13)C] resonances of the eCH(3) groups of the protein methionine residues, and by chromatographic analysis of single-site methionine mutants. For the whole protein, the preferred Pt binding site appears to be Met256. Additional binding occurs at the other surface-exposed methionine (Met499), which is platinated at a slower rate than Met256. In contrast, binding of similar Pt compounds to the N-lobe of the protein occurs at Met313, rather than Met256. Met313 is buried in the interlobe contact region of intact transferrin. After loss of one chloride ligand from Pt and binding to methionine sulfur of the N-lobe, chelate-ring closure appears to occur with binding to a deprotonated backbone amide nitrogen, and the loss of the other chloride ligand. Such chelate-ring closure was not observed during reactions of the whole protein, even after several days.

Although the encouraging antitumor activity of [PtCl(2)(cis-1,4-DACH)] (1; DACH = diaminocyclohexane) was shown in early studies almost 20 years ago, the compound has remained nearly neglected. In contrast, oxaliplatin, containing the isomeric 1(R),2(R)-DACH carrier ligand, enjoys worldwide clinic application as a most important therapeutic agent in the treatment of colorectal cancer. By extending the investigation to human chemotherapy-resistant cancer cells, we have demonstrated the real effectiveness of 1 in circumventing cisplatin and oxaliplatin resistance in LoVo colon cancer cells. The uptake of compound 1 by the latter cells was similar to that of sensitive LoVo cells. This is not the case for all other compounds considered in this investigation. Interaction with double-stranded DNA, investigated by a biosensor assay and by quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical geometry optimization of the 1,2-GG intrastrand cross-link, does not show significant differences between 1 and oxaliplatin. However, the DNA adducts of 1 are removed from repair systems with lower efficiency and are more effective in inhibiting DNA and RNA polymerase.

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