Cytotoxic Impact of Fluorinated Ligands in Equatorial Position of Trans-Configured Diam(m)inetetracarboxylatoplatinum(IV) Complexes

A series of thirty novel tetracarboxylatoplatinum(IV) complexes in trans-configuration featuring combinations of mixed ammine, methylamine, dimethylamine, and cyclopentylamine ligands as well as acetato/propanoato and trifluoropropanoato ligands was synthesised. The platinum(IV) complexes were characterised by one- and two-dimensional multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, 15N, 19F, 195Pt), ESI-MS, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Additional parameters such as reduction behaviour and lipophilicity were measured via NMR spectroscopy and RP-HPLC, revealing slow reduction and a broad spectrum of log kw values in line with the respective ligand combination. In order to determine structure–activity relationships, cytotoxic activity was evaluated via the MTT assay in three human cancer cell lines (CH1/PA-1, ovarian teratocarcinoma, SW480, colon adenocarcinoma, A549, non-small-cell lung carcinoma). The induction of apoptosis and necrosis was determined in SW480 cells via the flow-cytometric annexin V/PI assay. In general, a tendency of higher lipophilicity leading to higher cytotoxicity was noticed. In contrast, lipophilicity alone plays a subordinate role for the induction of apoptosis, which strongly depends on the combination of am(m)ine and trifluoropropanoato ligands.