Strong Differences in the in Vitro Cytotoxicity of Three Isomeric Dichlorobis(2-phenylazopyridine)ruthenium(II) Complexes

Abstract

The three isomeric dichlororuthenium(II) complexes α-, β-, and γ-[Ru(azpy)2Cl2] (azpy = 2-phenylazopyridine) have been investigated for their cytotoxic properties against a series of tumor-cell lines. The complex α-[Ru(azpy)2Cl2] appears to have a very high cytotoxicity (on the order of magnitude as that of the well-known antitumor complexes cisplatin), which stands in contrast to the much lower cytotoxicity of the trans-dichloro complex γ-[Ru(azpy)2Cl2] and the cis-dichloro isomer β-[Ru(azpy)2Cl2].