ESR study of the chemical damage in the direct radiolysis of DNA by 60Co gamma and 5.6 Mev protons: the effect of the mono and bifunctional complexation to Pt(II)

It has been shown that Pt(II) is capable of acting as a scavenger of electrons in the radiolysis of DNA. This reaction may be expected to occur also in cells in the absence of radiation coupled with redox processes. The close analogy between the radiolytic behaviour of CDDP (active drug) and of Ptdien (inactive drug) demonstrates that electron transfer to Pt(II) centres is not important in the antiblastic action of active Pt(II) drugs. The enhancement of the cell radiosensitivity induced by CDDP can be interpreted in terms of a diversion of the radiolytic mechanism towards species other than TH. which are more effective in determining strand breakages