Properties of the ternary (Dien)Pt(PMEA-N7) complex containing diethylenetriamine (Dien) and the antiviral 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]adenine (PMEA). Synthesis, biological screening, acid-base behaviour, and metal ion-binding in aqueous solution

The synthesis of (Dien)Pt(PMEA-N7), where Dien = diethylenetriamine and PMEA2- = dianion of 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]adenine, is described. No useful biological activity could be discovered for this complex which is in contrast to the known antiviral properties of PMEA itself. The acidity constants of the twofold protonated H2[(Dien)Pt(PMEA-N7)]2+ complex were determined (UV spectrophotometry and potentiometric pH titration): The release of the proton from the -P(O)2(OH)- group is only slightly affected by the N7-coordinated (Dien)Pt2+ unit, whereas the acidity of the (N1)H+ site is strongly enhanced. The stability constants of the M[(Dien)Pt(PMEA-N7)]2+ complexes with the metal ions M2+ = Mg2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ were measured by potentiometric pH titrations in aqueous solution at 25 °C and l = 0.1 M (NaNO3). Application of previously determined straightline plots of log KMM(R-PO3) versus pKHH(R-PO3) for simple phosph(on)ate ligands, R-PO2-3 where R represents a non-inhibiting residue without an affinity for metal ions, proves that the primary binding site of the complex-ligand, (Dien)Pt(PMEA-N7), with all the metal ions studied is the phosphonate group; in most instances the expected stability is actually reduced by about 0.4 log units due to the N7-bounds (Dien)Pt2+ unit. Only for the Cu[(Dien)Pt(PMEA-N7)]2+ and the Zn[(Dien)Pt(PMEA-N7)]2+ systems the formation of some 5-membered chelates involving the ether oxygen atom of the -CH2-O-CH2-PO2-3 residue could be detected; the formation degrees are 52 ± 9% and 32 ± 14%, respectively. The metal ion-binding properties of (Dien)Pt(PMEA-N7) differ considerably from those of PMEA2-, yet they are relatively similar to those of pyrimidine-nucleoside 5′-monophosphates. The structures of the various complex species in solution are discussed and compared.