DNA interaction studies of a platinum (II) complex containing an antiviral drug, ribavirin: the effect of metal on DNA binding.

The water-soluble Pt (II) complex, [PtCl (DMSO)(N(4)N(7)-ribavirin)]· H(2)O (ribavirin is an antiviral drug) has been synthesized and characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods. The binding interactions of this complex with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were investigated using fluorimetry, spectrophotometry, circular dichroism and viscosimetry. The complex binds to CT-DNA in an intercalative mode. The calculated binding constant, K(b), was 7.2×10(5) M(-1). In fluorimetric studies, the enthalpy (ΔH<0) and entropy (ΔS>0) changes of the reaction between the Pt (II) complex with CT-DNA showed hydrophobic interaction. In addition, CD study showed stabilization of the right-handed B form of CT-DNA. All these results prove that the complex interacts with CT-DNA via intercalative mode of binding. In comparison with the previous study of the DNA interaction with ribavirin, these results show that platinum complex has greater affinity to CT-DNA.