Antitumor activities of vanadium(IV), manganese(IV), iron(III), cobalt(II)and copper(II) complexes of 2-methylaminopyridine

The effect of Cu(II), Mn(IV), Fe(III), V(IV) and Co(II) complexes of 2-meth ylaminopyridine (L) having superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities on Eh rlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells was studied. Each of these complexes wa s intraperitoneally administered (10 mg/kg body weight for 9 days) to Swiss albino mice implanted intraperitoneally with 1 x 10(6) EAC cells. Six days after the last treatment the EAC cells were harvested using a heparinized syringe. The volume of EAC cells and EAC cell viability as well as changes in the levels of tumor cell enzyme activities of SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GSH-R) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) were tested to examine the antitumor effects of these complexes. Both tumor volume and tumor cell viability were significantly l owered in complex-treated mice. After tumor transplantation and treatment w ith the complexes, the activities of GSH-Px and GSH-R were significantly lo wered while SOD and G6PD activities were increased in EAC cells compared to their levels in EAC cells harvested from saline-treated mice. (C) 1998 Els evier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.