In vitro Antitumor Activity, Intracellular Accumulation, and DNA Adduct Formation of cis-[((1R, 2R)-1,2-Cyclohexanediamine-N, N')bis(myristato)] Platinum (II) Suspended in Lipiodol

SM-11355, cis -[((1 R ,2 R )-1,2-cyclohexanediamine- N , N' )bis(myristato)] platinum (II), is a lipophilic platinum complex under clinical development that targets primary hepatocellular carcinoma using Lipiodol as a carrier. SM-11355 was compared with cisplatin (CDDP) using an in vitro evaluation system capable of examining the release characteristics and the cytotoxicity of drugs suspended in Lipiodol. SM-11355 suspended in Lipiodol (SM-11355/Lipiodol) and CDDP suspended in Lipiodol (CDDP/Lipiodol) showed cytotoxic activity against rat ascites hepatoma AH-109A cells in a dosedependent manner. Their IC₅₀ values following 7-day exposure were 22.3 and 0.40 μg/ml, respectively. Following the subsequent 7-day exposure, from day 7 to day 14 after preparation of the suspension, SM-11355/Lipiodol showed an almost equivalent activity, but CDDP/Lipiodol did not show any activity at all. SM-11355/Lipiodol showed a sustained release into the culture medium over the course of a 14-day exposure. Following the exposure to CDDP/Lipiodol, the platinum concentration in the medium was at its maximum on the first day and remained constant thereafter. Intracellular platinum uptake and formation of platinum-DNA adducts were dependent on the release characteristics of each drug suspension. For SM-11355/Lipiodol, the drug release, intracellular drug uptake, and formation of platinum-DNA adducts over the course of the subsequent 7-day exposure were similar to those observed during the first 7 days. DPC, one of the compounds released from SM-11355/Lipiodol, was taken up by cells and showed formation of platinum-DNA adducts. Thus, this study suggests that SM-11355/Lipiodol may release active platinum compound(s) that bind to nuclear DNA and mediate the cytotoxic activity of SM-11355/Lipiodol.