Interactions between bleomycins and metals.

Abstract

Gel filtration showed that there are considerable differences between the metal complexes of bleomycin A2 and B2 with In, Co or Cu. Differences in the rates of formation of the complexes were also found and these effects may be due to a difference in co-ordination between the metals and the bleomycin. The co-ordination changes may cause differences in in vivo distribution of metal bleomycin complexes found in the radiodiagnosis of tumors. The ease of formation of the Cu or Co complexes is suggested as a possible mechanism for the inhibition of the attack of DNA by bleomycins.