Synthesis and cytotoxicity of new platinum(IV) complexes of mixed carboxylates

In order to develop new antitumor platinum(IV) complexes with highly tuned lipophilicity, a series of (diamine)Pt(IV) complexes of the formula [Pt(IV)(dach)L(3)L'] or [Pt(IV)(dach)L(2)L"(2)] (dach=trans-(+/-)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane; L=acetato, propionato; L'=acetato, propionato, valerato or pivalato; L"=trifluoroacetato) have been synthesized by electrophilic substitution of the tris(carboxylato)hydroxoplatinum(IV) complexes, [Pt(IV)(dach)L(3)OH] (L=acetato, propionato), with various carboxylic anhydrides such as acetic, trifluoroacetic, pivalic and valeric anhydrides. The present platinum(IV) complexes were fully characterized by means of elemental analyses, 1H NMR, mass and IR spectroscopies. The complexes 8 and 10, satisfying the appropriate range of lipophilicity (logP=0.18-1.54), exhibited high activity (ED(50), 5.1 and 1.3 microM, respectively) compared with other complexes, which implies that the lipophilicity is an important factor for the antitumor activity of this series of complexes.     

Synthesis and evaluation of bi-functional 7-hydroxycoumarin platinum(IV) complexes as antitumor agents

A series of bi-functional 7-hydroxycoumarin platinum(IV) complexes were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for antitumor activities. The 7-hydroxycoumarin platinum(IV) complexes display moderate to effective antitumor activities toward the tested cell lines and show much potential in overcoming drug resistance of platinum(II) drugs. In reducing microenvironment, the title compounds could be reduced to platinum(II) complex accompanied with two equivalents of coumarin units. By a unique mechanism, the 7-hydroxycoumarin platinum(IV) complex attacks DNA via the released platinum(II) compound, meanwhile it also inhibits the activities of cyclooxygenase by coumarin fragment. This action mechanism might be of much benefit for reducing tumor-related inflammation in the progress of inhibiting tumor proliferation and overcoming cisplatin resistance. The incorporation of 7-hydroxycoumarin leads to significantly enhanced platinum accumulation in both whole tumor cells and DNA. The HSA interaction investigation reveals that the tested coumarin platinum(IV) compound could effectively combine with HSA via van der Waals force and hydrogen bond.     

Synthesis,characterization, cytotoxicity,and DNA binding of some new platinum(II) and platinum(IV) complexes with benzimidazole ligands

In this study, two Pt(II) and three Pt(IV) complexes with the structures of [PtL₂Cl₂] (1), [PtL₂I₂] (2), [PtL₂Cl₂(OH)₂] (3), [PtL₂Cl₂(OCOCH₃)₂] (4), and [PtL₂Cl₄] (5) (L = benzimidazole as carrier ligand) were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against the human MCF-7, HeLa, and HEp-2 cancer cell lines. The influence of compounds 1–5 on the tertiary structure of DNA was determined by their ability to modify the electrophoretic mobility of the form I and II bands of pBR322 plasmid DNA. The inhibition of BamH1 restriction enzyme activity of compounds 1–5 was also determined. In general, it was found that compounds 1–5 were less active than cisplatin and carboplatin against MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines (except for 1, which was found to be more active than carboplatin against the MCF-7 cell line). Compounds 1 and 3 were found to be significantly more active than cisplatin and carboplatin against the HEp-2 cell line.     

Synthesis, characterization, antibacterial and cytotoxic study of platinum (IV) complexes

Platinum (IV) complexes [Pt (L)2Cl2] [where, L= benzyl-N-thiohydrazide (L1), (benzyl-N-thio)-1,3-propanediamine (L2), benzaldehyde-benzyl-N-thiohydrazone (L3) and salicylaldehyde-benzyl-N-thiohydrazone (L4)] have been synthesized. The thiohydrazide, thiodiamine and thiohydrazones can exist as thione-thiol tautomer and coordinate as a bidentate N-S ligand. The ligands were found to act in monobasic bidentate fashion. Analytical data reveal that metal to ligand stoichiometry is 1:2. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, mass, electronic and 1H NMR spectroscopic studies. In vitro antibacterial and cytotoxic studies have been carried out for some complexes. Various kinetic and thermodynamic parameters like order of reaction (n), activation energy (Ea), apparent activation entropy (S#) and heat of reaction (DeltaH) have also been carried out for some complexes.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel platinum(IV) complexes with non-functionalized acetylated carbohydrates

[PtMe3(Me2CO)3]BF4 (1) reacts in acetone with 1,2,3,4-tetraacetyl-beta-D-glucopyranose (C2), pentaacetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranose (C3), pentaacetyl-beta-D-mannopyranose (C4) and pentaacetyl-beta-D-galactopyranose (C5) to give trimethyl(carbohydrate)platinum tetrafluoroborate complexes [PtMe3L]BF4 (2-5) (2, L=C2; 3, L=C3; 4, L=C4; 5, L=C5). The platinum-carbohydrate complexes were isolated as white, air and moisture sensitive powders in moderate to good yields (26-87%), and their identities were confirmed by microanalysis, 1H-, 13C- and 195Pt-NMR spectroscopy and ESI mass spectrometry. The coordination modes of the tridentately bound carbohydrate ligands (2, OH+Oring+Oacetyl; 3, Oring+Oether+Oacetyl; 4,5, Oring+Oether+Oether where Oring is the oxygen of a pyranose ring and Oacetyl/ether is the acetyl and ether oxygen of an acetoxy substituent, respectively) were established by evaluating the chemical shifts and the 2J(Pt,H) coupling constants of the methyl ligands and by 2D-NOE experiments. Evaluation of the 3J(H,H) coupling constants shows that the pyranose rings are present in their 4C1 conformation. The results show that carbohydrates without anchoring groups and even without hydroxyl groups can coordinate to the metal center only through very weak donors such as oxygen atoms of pyranose rings and acetoxy substituents.     

Glucose-conjugated platinum(IV) complexes as tumor-targeting agents: design,synthesis and biological evaluation

A new series of glucose-conjugated Pt(IV) complexes that target tumor-specific glucose transporters (GLUTs) was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activities. All six compounds, namely, A1-A6, exhibited increased cytotoxicity that were almost six fold higher than that of oxaliplatin to MCF-7 cells. These Pt(IV) complexes can be reduced to release Pt(II) complexes and cause the death of tumor cells. Simultaneously, the glycosylated Pt(IV) complexes (30.21–91.33?μM) showed lower cytotoxicity that normal LO2 cells compared with cisplatin (5.25?μM) and oxaliplatin (8.34?μM). The intervention of phlorizin as a GLUTs inhibitor increased the IC₅₀ value of the glycosylated Pt(IV) complexes, thereby indicating the potential GLUT transportability. The introduction of glucose moiety to Pt(IV) complexes can effectively enhance the Pt cellular uptake and DNA platination. Results suggested glucose-conjugated Pt(IV) complexes had potential for further study as new anticancer agents.     

Structure and characterization of platinum(II) and platinum(IV) complexes with protonated nucleobase ligands

The reaction of H₂[PtCl₆] · 6H₂O and (H₃O)[PtCl₅(H₂O)] · 2(18C6) · 6H₂O (18C6 = 18-crown-6) with 9-methylguanine (MeGua) proceeded with the protonation of MeGua forming 9-methylguaninium hexachloroplatinate(IV) dihydrate (MeGuaH)₂[PtCl₆] · 2H₂O (1).The same compound was obtained from the reaction of Na₂[PtCl₆] with (MeGuaH)Cl.On the other hand, the reaction of guanosine (Guo) with (H₃O)[PtCl₅(H₂O)] · 2(18C6) · 6H₂O in methanol at 60 °C proceeded with the cleavage of the glycosidic linkage and with ligand substitution to give a guaninium complex of platinum(IV), [PtCl₅(GuaH)] · 1.5(18C6) · H₂O (2).Within several weeks in aqueous solution a slow reduction took place yielding the analogous guaninium platinum(II) complex, [PtCl₃(GuaH)] · (18C6) · 2Me₂CO (3).H₂[PtCl₆] · 6H₂O and guanosine was found to react in water, yielding (GuoH)₂[PtCl₆] (4) and in ethanol at 50 °C, yielding [PtCl₅(GuoH)] · 3H₂O (5).Dissolution of complexes 2 and 5 in DMSO resulted in the substitution of the guaninium and guanosinium ligands, respectively, by DMSO forming [PtCl₅(DMSO)]⁻.Reactions of 1-methylcytosine (MeCyt) and cytidine (Cyd) with H₂[PtCl₆] · 6H₂O and(H₃O)[PtCl₅(H₂O)] · 2(18C6) · 6H₂O resulted in the formation of hexachloroplatinates with N3 protonated pyrimidine bases as cation (MeCytH)₂[PtCl₆] · 2H₂O (6) and (CydH)₂[PtCl₆] (7), respectively. Identities of all complexes were confirmed by ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁹⁵Pt NMR spectroscopic investigations, revealing coordination of GuoH⁺ in complex 5 through N7 whereas GuaH⁺ in complex 3 may be coordinated through N7 or through N9. Solid state structure of hexachloroplatinate 1 exhibited base pairing of the cations yielding (MeGuaH⁺)₂, whereas in complex 6 non-base-paired MeCytH⁺ cations were found. In both complexes, a network of hydrogen bonds including the water molecules was found. X-ray diffraction analysis of complex 3 exhibited a guaninium ligand that is coordinated through N9 to platinum and protonated at N1, N3 and N7. In the crystal, these NH groups form hydrogen bonds N–HO to oxygen atoms of crown ether molecules.     

Dichloro(6-aminoethylaminopurine)platinum(II) and its hydroxy analogues: Synthesis and preliminary evaluation

The synthesis, chemical characterization and functional evaluation are reported for dichloro(6-aminoethylaminopurine)platinum(II) and dichloro(6-hydroxyethylaminopurine)platinum(II) and dichloro(6-hydroxyethylamethylaminopurine)platinum(II) (i.e. Pt(6-AEAP), Pt(6-HEAP) and Pt(6-MHEAP) new complexes of platinum(II). Certain reaction conditions favored the formation of the tripurine platinum complex, but the monopurine complex could be obtained either by hydrolysis of the tripurine or by reacting at reduced temperature and concentration. Although neither compound was as effective as cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (i.e. DDP) at reducing tumor cell viability or proliferation, both were associated with much less renal toxicity than DDP in the mouse kidney (i.e. Pt(6-AEAP):～20 × less; Pt(6-MHEAP): ～100 × less).     

Synthesis and characterization of new platinum(II) complexes containing thiazole and imidazole donors

A number of new complexes of Pt(II) of the type cis-Pt(NH₃)(L)Cl₂, where L = thiazole (Tz), 2-bromothiazole (2-Brt), benzothiazole (Bt), 2,1,3- benzothiadiazole (213-Btd), 1,2,3-benzothiadiazole (123-Btd), imidazole (Iz) and 1-methylimidazole (N-Miz) have been prepared. The complexes were characterized by infrared and UV—Vis spectroscopy, proton NMR and elemental analyses. The thiazoles and benzothiazoles were coordinated through the nitrogen heteroatom. However, both the benzothiadiazoles were coordinated through the sulfur heteroatom. Several of the complexes showed significant cytotoxic activity.     

Inhibition of peroxidase, trypsin, and alpha-chymotrypsin by platinum (II) and platinum (IV) complexes

Effects of various complexes of platinum (II) and platinum (IV) on activities of trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, and peroxidase were compared. The platinum (II) complexes were found to inhibit these enzymes, though with variable efficiency. The platinum (IV) complexes at concentrations < or = 0.2 mM efficiently inhibited peroxidase but had no effect on the proteases. An enzymatic assay was developed to measure the most effective peroxidase inhibitor (cisplatin) at concentrations of 5-50 microM in the presence of fivefold excess of its isomer (transplatin).     

Prophage induction and mutagenicity of a series of anti-tumour platinum(II) and platinum(IV) co-ordination complexes

11 platinum compounds with nitrogen donor ligands, previously tested for anti-tumour activity, were studied for induction of prophage lambda and for mutagenicity in the Ames assay, with various strains of Salmonella. The compounds included cis and trans isomers of Pt(II) and Pt(IV) complexes and were tested with and without metabolic activation. All the cis compounds elicited prophage induction, whereas the trans compounds were inactive. Mutagenicity was found only in strains containing the R factor, indicating that SOS-type repair processes are required for the conversion of initial DNA lesions into mutations. Mutation induction was also influenced by the excision-repair process. The 2 trans compounds were not, or only slightly, mutagenic; all other compounds were mutagenic in at least one strain, exhibiting a 2-20-fold increase over the spontaneous background level. Addition of liver homogenate had no significant effect on the number of mutants. One compound induced exclusively frameshift mutations. The other mutagenic compounds induced frameshift mutations as well as base-pair substitutions. 7 compounds were more mutagenic for the repair-proficient than for the repair-deficient strains; only one showed the opposite effect. This suggests that for mutagenicity testing of platinum compounds, repair-proficient strains are more sensitive indicators. The differences in response of the various strains are more sensitive indicators. The differences in response of the various strains toward the compounds suggest the formation of different DNA lesions and/or a selective action of repair processes on these lesions. In general, a good qualitative correlation was observed between prophage-inducing capacity, mutagenicity in bacterial and mammalian cells and anti-tumour activity.     

Preparation, characterization, and antitumor activity of water-soluble aminoalkanol platinum(II) complexes

A new series of highly water-soluble aminoalkanol platinum(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, conductance, IR, and 195Pt NMR. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo screening tests for antitumor activities of these complexes against L1210 murine leukemia were performed. In general, these compounds were far less cytotoxic than cisplatin and possessed only a moderate degree of antitumor activity.     

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of benzopyran-based platinum(II) complexes

A series of benzopyran-based platinum complexes of types 4 and 5 were synthesized as potential anticancer agents. The novel compounds were synthesized in several steps using simple and efficient chemistry. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their biological efficacy and showed significant in vitro cytotoxic activity in different hormone-dependent and -independent breast cancer cell lines. Docking and other molecular modeling experiments were also performed for one of the potent compounds, 5f, which showed that both the possible enantiomeric forms (5f with 3R,4R and 5f with 3S,4S) of the molecule have comparable lowest energy (for 5f with 3R,4R, −31.953 kcal/mol and for 5f with 3S,4S, −31.944 kcal/mol). The 3D QSAR was examined for the derivatives of both enantiomeric forms and a novel relationship for the 3S,4S derivatives is discussed.     

Synthesis, characterization and preliminary cytotoxicity evaluation of five lanthanide(III)-plumbagin complexes

Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, H-PLN) was isolated from Plumbago zeylanica, the anticancer traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Five new lanthanide(III) complexes of deprotonated plumbagin: [Y(PLN)₃(H₂O)₂] (1), [La(PLN)₃(H₂O)₂] (2), [Sm(PLN)₃(H₂O)₂]⋅H₂O (3), [Gd(PLN)₃(H₂O)₂] (4), and [Dy(PLN)₃(H₂O)₂] (5) were synthesized by the reaction of plumbagin with the corresponding lanthanide salts, in amounts equal to ligand/metal molar ratio of 3:1. The PLN-lanthanide(III) complexes were characterized by different physicochemical methods: elemental analyses, UV-visible, IR and ¹H NMR and ESI-MS (electrospray ionization mass spectrum) as well as TGA (thermogravimetric analysis). The plumbagin and its lanthanide(III) complexes 1-5, were tested for their in vitro cytotoxicity against BEL7404 (liver cancer) cell lines by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The five PLN-lanthanide (III) complexes 1-5 effectively inhibited BEL7404 cell lines growth with IC₅₀ values of 11.0 ± 3.5, 5.1 ± 1.3, 6.1 ± 1.1, 6.4 ± 1.3, and 9.8 ± 1.5 μM, respectively, and exhibited a significantly enhanced cytotoxicity compared to plumbagin and the corresponding lanthanide salts, suggesting a synergistic effect upon plumbagin coordination to the Ln(III) ion. The lanthanide complexes under investigation also exerted dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic activity. [La(PLN)₃(H₂O)₂] (2) and plumbagin interact with calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) mainly via intercalation mode, but for [La(PLN)₃(H₂O)₂] (2), the electrostatic interaction should not be excluded; the binding affinity of [La(PLN)₃(H₂O)₂] (2) to DNA is stronger than that of free plumbagin, which may correlate with the enhanced cytotoxicity of the PLN-lanthanide(III) complexes.     

The cellular distribution and oxidation state of platinum(II) and platinum(IV) antitumour complexes in cancer cells

The cellular distribution of platinum in A2780 ovarian cancer cells treated with cisplatin and platinum(IV) complexes with a range of reduction potentials has been examined using elemental analysis (synchrotron radiation-induced X-ray emission). The cellular distribution of platinum(IV) drugs after 24 h is similar to that of cisplatin, consistent with the majority of administered platinum(IV) drugs being reduced. Micro-X-ray absorption near-edge spectra of cells treated with cisplatin and platinum(IV) complexes confirmed the reduction of platinum(IV) to platinum(II). In cells treated, the most difficult to reduce complex, cis,trans,cis-[PtCl₂(OH)₂(NH₃)₂], platinum(IV) was detected in the cells along with platinum(II). The observations are in accordance with the relative ease of reduction of the platinum(IV) complexes used and support the requirement of reduction for activation of platinum(IV) complexes.Abbreviations en ethane-1,2-diamine - GM growth medium - PBS phosphate buffered saline - RPMI Roswell Park Memorial Institute - SRIXE synchrotron radiation-induced X-ray emission - XAFS X-ray absorption fine structure - XANES X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy     

Synthesis of new sandwich intermediate sitting-atop complexes between meso-tetraarylporphyrins and germanium(IV) chloride

GeCl₄ and meso-tetraarylporphyrins (H₂TAPP) react in chloroform solvent for formation sandwich intermediate sitting-atop (i-SAT) complexes, [GeCl₄(H₂TAP)₂]. The various spectral data (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, UV-Vis, FT-IR and elemental analysis) were used for characterization of the i-SAT complexes. In the sandwich complexes, the pyrrole rings of two porphyrin macrocycles are tilted up and down and act as electron donors by lone pairs of pyrrolic nitrogens to germanium center of GeCl₄. The spectral results of ¹H NMR and FT-IR showed that in the i-SAT complexes, the hydrogen atoms of two pyrrolic nitrogens remained still on the porphyrin macrocycles.     

Synthesis, characterization and in vitro cytotoxicity studies of platinum(IV) complexes with thiouracil ligands

Reactions of [PtMe₃(bpy)(Me₂CO)][BF₄] (2) with the thionucleobases 2-thiouracil (s²Ura), 4-thiouracil (s⁴Ura) and 2,4-dithiouracil (s²s⁴Ura) resulted in the formation of complexes of the type [PtMe₃(bpy)(L-κS)][BF₄] (L = s²Ura, 3; s⁴Ura, 4; s²s⁴Ura, 5). The complexes were characterized by NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁹⁵Pt), IR spectroscopy as well as microanalyses. The coordination through the C4S groups (4, 5) was additionally confirmed by DFT calculations, where it was shown that these complexes [PtMe₃(bpy)(L-κS⁴)]⁺ (L = s⁴Ura, s²s⁴Ura) are about 5.8 (4b) and 3.3 kcal/mol (5b), respectively, more stable than the respective complexes, having thiouracil ligands bound through the C2X groups (X = O, 4a; S, 5a). For [PtMe₃(bpy)(s²Ura-κS²)][BF₄] (3) no preferred coordination mode could be assigned solely based on DFT calculations. Analysis of NMR spectra showed the κS² coordination. In vitro cytotoxic studies of complexes 3−5 on nine different cell lines (8505C, A253, FaDu, A431, A549, A2780, DLD-1, HCT-8, HT-29) revealed in most cases moderate activities. However, 3 and 5 showed significant activity towards A549 and A2780, respectively, possessing IC₅₀ values comparable to those of cisplatin. Cell cycle perturbations and trypan blue exclusion test on cancer cell line A431 using [PtMe₃(bpy)(s²s⁴Ura-κS⁴)][BF₄] (5) showed induction of apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, the reaction of [PtMe₃(OAc-κ²O,O′)(Me₂CO)] (6) with 4-thiouracil yielded the dinuclear complex [(PtMe₃)₂(μ-s⁴Ura_-H)₂] (7), which has been characterized by microanalysis, NMR (¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁹⁵Pt) and IR spectroscopy as well as ESI mass spectrometry. X-ray diffraction analysis of crystals yielded in an isolated case exhibited the presence of a hexanuclear thiouracilato platinum(IV) complex, possessing each three different kinds of methyl platinum(IV) moieties and 4-thiouracilato ligands. This exhibited the ability of 4-thiouracil platinum(IV) complexes to form multinuclear complexes.     

Conjugated platinum(IV)-peptide complexes for targeting angiogenic tumor vasculature

The integrins alpha vbeta3 and alpha vbeta5 and the membrane-spanning surface protein aminopeptidase N (APN) are highly expressed in tumor-induced angiogenesis, making them attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. Both integrins and APN recognize a broad range of peptides containing RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) and NGR (Asn-Gly-Arg) motifs, respectively. Here, we describe the design, synthesis, and characterization of a series of mono- and difunctionalized platinum(IV) complexes in which a conjugated peptide motif, containing RGD, (CRGDC)c, (RGDfK)c, or NGR, is appended as a "tumor-homing device" to target tumor endothelial cells selectively over healthy cells. Platinum(IV)-peptide complexes with nonspecific amino acids or peptide moieties were prepared as controls. Concentration-response curves of these compounds were evaluated against primary proliferating endothelial cells and tumor cell lines and compared to those of cisplatin, a well-described platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent. The Pt(IV)-RGD conjugates were highly and specifically cytotoxic to cell lines containing alpha vbeta3 and alpha vbeta5, approaching the activity of cisplatin. The Pt(IV)-NGR complexes were less active than Pt(IV)-RGD-containing compounds but more active than nonspecific Pt-peptide controls. Integrin alpha vbeta3 mediated, at least in part, the anti-proliferative effect of a Pt(IV)-RGD conjugate, as demonstrated by a decreased inhibitory response when endothelial cells were either (1) incubated with an excess of alpha vbeta3/alpha vbeta5-specific RGD pentapeptides or (2) transfected with RNAi for beta 3, but not beta 1, integrins. These results suggest a rational approach to improved chemotherapy with Pt(IV)-peptide conjugates by selective drug delivery to the tumor compartment.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of Germanium(IV)–polyphenol complexes as potential anti-cancer agents

Germanium (Ge) is considered to play a key role in the pharmacological effects of some medicinal plants. Here, two new Ge(IV)–polyphenol complexes were synthesized and measured for their potential biological activities. The results indicated that these Ge(IV)–polyphenol complexes possessed great anti-oxidative activities, both showing stronger hydroxyl scavenging effects than their corresponding ligands. We also demonstrated the strong intercalating abilities of Ge(IV)–polyphenol complexes into calf thymus-DNA molecules. In addition, these two Ge(IV)–polyphenol complexes showed strong proliferative inhibition effect on HepG2 cancer cells. Moreover, the morphological changes in HepG2 cells induced by Ge(IV)–polyphenol complexes were detected by atomic force microscopy. All these results collectively suggested that Ge(IV)–polyphenol complexes could be served as promising pharmacologically active substances against cancer treatment.     

Synthesis, characterization and preliminary insulin-enhancing studies of symmetrical tetradentate Schiff base complexes of oxovanadium(IV)

A series of oxovanadium(IV) symmetrical tetradentate Schiff base complexes have been isolated from the reaction of VOSO₄ with Schiff bases obtained from the condensation of 2-hydroxybenzophenone or 2-hydroxy-5-chlorosalicylaldehyde with various aliphatic diamines. The compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, ¹H NMR, infrared, electron paramagnetic resonance, electronic spectral, cyclic voltammetry and room temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements. The solution EPR spectra are consistent with square pyramidal complexes with C_4v symmetry. The IR spectra confirmed that the complexes are all monomeric except for [VO(Clsal)₂tn] which polymerizes via OV?VO linkages. The electronic spectra indicate a square pyramidal geometry in both non-coordinating and coordinating solvents except for [VO(bp₂-pn)] which appears to be octahedral in DMSO. The room temperature magnetic moments of 1.7-1.8 B.M. are normal for V(IV) d¹ configuration. Evidence for electrochemical pseudo-reversibility is presented for four of the complexes. In vitro studies revealed that two of the compounds, [VO(bp₂-en] and [VO(bp₂-tn)MeOH], significantly increased glucose uptake when compared to the basal glucose uptake in transformed and sensitized C1C12 cells, but not at the same level as insulin.