Comparisons of tetrachloro(d,l-trans)1,2-diaminocyclohexane-platinum(IV) biotransformations in the plasma of Fischer 344 rats at therapeutic and toxic doses.

Plasma biotransformations of tetrachloro(d,l-trans)1,2-diaminocyclohexaneplatinum(IV) (tetraplatin) were determined in vivo at both therapeutic (3 mg/kg) and toxic (12 mg/kg) doses in Fischer 344 rats. Tetraplatin was rapidly converted to dichloro(d,l-trans)1,2-diaminocyclohexaneplatinum(II) [PtCl2(dach)]. This conversion was complete at the earliest time measured (7.5 min) at the therapeutic dose, but some unreacted tetraplatin was detectable in the circulation at the toxic dose. Three other major biotransformation products were observed in plasma: (d,l-trans)1,2-diaminocyclohexaneaquachloroplatinum(II) [Pt(H2O)(Cl)(dach)]+, the Pt-methionine complex, and another biotransformation product tentatively identified as either the Pt-cysteine or Pt-ornithine complex. Several other minor plasma biotransformation products were detected. Two of these were most likely formed intracellulary from tetraplatin. Two or more other platinum complexes appeared to lack the diaminocyclohexane carrier ligand and were most likely formed intracellulary by trans-labilization of the carrier ligand. Tetraplatin, PtCl2(dach), and [Pt(H2O)(Cl)(dach)]+ all rapidly disappeared from the circulation. The other biotransformation products were persistent through at least 3 h and could be responsible for the delayed toxicity of tetraplatin. Although some minor differences were observed between tetraplatin biotransformations at the toxic vs therapeutic doses, most biotransformation products were simply present at much greater concentrations at the toxic dose than at the therapeutic dose. Thus, our data suggest that dose-dependent differences in tetraplatin toxicity are probably attributable to the amount, rather than the type, of biotransformation products present in the plasma.