COORDINATION OF COPPER(II) BY AMIKACIN - COMPLEXATION EQUILIBRIA IN SOLUTION AND OXYGEN ACTIVATION BY THE RESULTING COMPLEXES

Protonation and copper(II) co-ordination properties of amikacin (A) we re studied in solution by potentiometry, and NMR, UV/VIS, CD and EPR s pectroscopies. Mononuclear, tetragonal and five-co-ordinate complexes of stoichiometries ranging from Cu(H(3)A) to CuH(-2)A were found. The effects of amikacin on copper(II) binding by physiological copper(II) carriers, histidine and albumin, and facilitation of oxidation of 2'-d eoxyguanosine by copper(II)-amikacin complexes were also investigated. The results indicate that complexation of Cu-II by amikacin should no t be expected to affect copper(II) homeostasis in blood, but may contr ibute to the intracellular activity of the drug.