The synthesis and antitumor activity of metal complexes of amine–carboxyborane adducts

The amine carboxyborane metal complexes, tetrakis - μ - (trimethylamine – boranecarbo - xylato)acetonitrile dicopper(II) and bis-μ- (morpholine–boranecarboxylato)zinc(II) dihydrate demonstrated cytotoxic activity against human Tmolt₃, HeLa-S³ and MB-9812 cell growth.Tetrakis-μ-(trimethylamine–boranecarboxylato)-acetonitrile dicopper(II) and bis - μ - (morpholine – boranecarboxylato)zinc (II) dihydrate inhibited L₁₂₁₀ DNA, RNA and protein syntheses, with greatest inhibitory effects on DNA synthesis. The reduction in DNA synthesis correlates well with inhibition of de novopurine synthesis and the key enzymes involved in this pathway, i.e. IMP dehydrogenase and PRPP amido transferase. These compounds were also observed to induce DNA strand scission but did not appear to intercalate between base pairs of DNA, alkylate bases or cause cross-linking of the strands of DNA. Tetrakis-μ-(trimethylamine – boranecarboxylato)acetonitrile dicopper(II) also demonstrated the ability to inhibit L₁₂₁₀ DNA topoisomerase II activity. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.