It is widely accepted that platinum(IV) complexes act as prodrugs and have to be activated by reduction to the respective platinum(II) analogs. Recently it could be shown that introduction of lipophilic carboxylato ligands in the axial position leads to diaminedichloridoplatinum(IV) compounds with exceptionally high cytotoxicity. With the aim of improving the antiproliferative properties of carboplatin, a series of twenty-one novel Pt(IV) complexes, featuring the equatorial ligand sphere of carboplatin as well as lipophilic axial carboxylato ligands, was synthesized. In depth characterization is based on elemental analysis, ESI-MS, ATR-IR, and multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁵N, and ¹⁹⁵Pt) NMR spectroscopy. Their cytotoxic activity in four cell lines (CH1, SK-OV-3, SW480, and A549), lipophilicity, electrochemistry and additionally the rate of reduction in the presence of ascorbic acid were investigated. In contrast to analogous diaminedicarboxylatodichloridoplatinum(IV) compounds, the cytotoxicity of novel diaminetetracarboxylato counterparts could not substantially be increased by simply enhancing their lipophilic character. It seems that not only the reduction potential, but also the rate of reduction has a tremendous influence on the cytotoxic properties. This has to be taken into account for the development of novel anticancer platinum(IV) agents.

Octahedral platinum(IV) complexes are promising candidates in the fight against cancer. In order to rationalize the further development of this class of compounds, detailed studies on their mechanisms of action, toxicity, and resistance must be provided and structure–activity relationships must be drawn. Herein, we report on theoretical and QSAR investigations of a series of 53 novel bis-, tris-, and tetrakis(carboxylato)platinum(IV) complexes, synthesized and tested for cytotoxicity in our laboratories. The hybrid DFT functional wb97x was used for optimization of the structure geometry and calculation of the descriptors. Reliable and robust QSAR models with good explanatory and predictive properties were obtained for both the cisplatin sensitive cell line CH1 and the intrinsically cisplatin resistant cell line SW480, with a set of four descriptors.

A series of six novel bis(carboxylato)dichloridobis(ethylamine)platinum(IV) complexes was synthesized and characterized in detail by elemental analysis, FT-IR, ESI-MS, HPLC, multinuclear ((1)H, (13)C, (15)N, (195)Pt) NMR spectroscopy and in one case by X-ray diffraction. Cytotoxic properties of the complexes were evaluated in four human tumor cell lines originating from ovarian carcinoma (CH1 and SK-OV-3), colon carcinoma (SW480) and non-small cell lung cancer (A549) by means of the MTT colorimetrical assay. In addition, their octanol/water partition coefficients (log P values) were determined. Remarkably the most active (and also most lipophilic) compounds, having 4-propyloxy-4-oxobutanoato and 4-(2-propyloxy)-4-oxobutanoato axial ligands, showed IC(50) values down to the low nanomolar range.