Interaction of iron-bleomycin with catecholamines.

1. Catecholamines were found to reduce Fe(III)-bleomycin to the ferrous state. Aminochrome, an oxidation product of catecholamine, rapidly appears in the reaction solution. 2. The purple colour of Fe(III)-catecholamine is also detected in the reaction solution, suggesting that iron is transferred from bleomycin to catecholamine. 3. Gel filtration studies confirm that catecholamines are able to take up iron from the iron-drug complex.