Synthesis and antitumor activity of a new mixed-ligand complex di-n-butyl-(4-chlorobenzohydroxamato)tin(IV) chloride

Reaction of di-n-butyltin(IV) dichloride with 4-chlorobenzohydroxamic acid at 1:1 ratio yielded a new mixed-ligand diorganotin(IV) complex, di-n-butyl-(4-chlorobenzohydroxamato)tin(IV) chloride(DBDCT). It was fully characterized by IR, 1H, 13C, 119Sn NMR spectra and single crystal X-ray analysis. In DBDCT, the tin atom is five-coordinated in a trigonal bipyramidal geometry. DBDCT exhibited strong in vitro cytotoxic activity toward human immature granulocyte leukemia (HL-60), human salivary-gland carcinoma (SGC-7901), human henrietta carcinoma (Hela) and human urinary bladder (T24) cell lines which, in some cases, were equal to, or even higher than those of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) (cisplatin, DDP), the widely clinically used drug. The further in vivo antitumor tests of DBDCT towards the transplantation tumor models of sarcoma carcinoma (S180), hepatocellular carcinoma (H22) and Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma (EAC) on mice were carried out via injection intraperitoneally with cisplatin as positive contrast drug. The results showed that DBDCT displayed in vivo antitumor activity against the hepatocellular carcinoma H22 and sarcoma carcinoma S180 which were close to those of cisplatin, meanwhile, the survival-extending rates at middle dose and high dose on mice Ehrlich’s ascites tumor EAC were higher than those of cisplatin, and there was a good dose-effect relationship.