Delineation of conformational and structural features of the amikacin-Cu(II) complex in water solution by 13C-NMR spectroscopy

Structural features and oxidative stress towards plasmid DNA of apramycin copper complex

The interaction of apramycin with copper at different pH values was investigated by potentiometric titrations and EPR, UV-vis and CD spectroscopic techniques. The Cu(II)-apramycin complex prevailing at pH 6.5 was further characterized by NMR spectroscopy. Metal-proton distances derived from paramagnetic relaxation enhancements were used as restraints in a conformational search procedure in order to define the structure of the complex. Longitudinal relaxation rates were measured with the IR-COSY pulse sequence, thus solving the problems due to signal overlap. At pH 6.5 apramycin binds copper(II) with a 2 : 1 stoichiometry, through the vicinal hydroxyl and deprotonated amino groups of ring III. Plasmid DNA electrophoresis showed that the Cu(II)-apramycin complex is more active than free Cu(II) in generating strand breakages. Interestingly, this complex in the presence of ascorbic acid damages DNA with a higher yield than in the presence of H(2)O(2).

Selective kinetic determination of amikacin in serum using long-wavelength fluorimetry

A simple and rapid method for the determination of the antibiotic amikacin, involving the use of a long-wavelength fluorophor, namely indocyanine green, (ICG) is presented. The dye is oxidised by cerium(IV) in acidic medium, resulting in a sharp decrease of the fluorescence, but this fluorescence quenching is inhibited in the presence of amikacin, which can be ascribed to the formation of an ion pair between the fluorophor and the analyte. The initial rate of the system is monitored at lambda(ex): 765 nm and lambda(em): 812 nm as excitation and emission wavelengths, respectively, using the stopped-flow mixing technique, which makes the method applicable to automatic routine analysis. Each measurement is obtained in only 2-3s. The method presents a detection limit of 0.02 microg m1(-1) in standard solutions, which corresponds to 2.5 microg ml(-1) in serum samples. The precision is in the range 4.8-6%. The good selectivity of the method allows amikacin to be determined in the presence of other antibiotics, including other aminoglycoside antibiotics, in serum. The recoveries obtained from the analysis of different samples were in the range 89.4-104.7%.

NMR and EPR structural delineation of copper(ii) complexes formed by kanamycin A in water

The complexes formed by kanamycin A at three different pH values (5.5, 7.4 and 12.0) were investigated by NMR and EPR spectroscopy. Paramagnetic relaxation contributions to proton relaxation rates were measured using a combination of the TOCSY sequence with the inversion recovery experiment in order to gain signal resolution in the bulk region. Measured contributions were converted into distances and used for structural determination by restrained simulated annealing where all possible chair and boat conformations of the rings were taken into account. The interaction of the Cu(II) ion with the nitrogen of the C ring is apparent at all pH values. At higher pH also the amino group of ring A starts to be involved in the metal coordination sphere. This is accompanied by a switch in conformation of ring C. Structures are consistent with the involvement in the coordination sphere either of the 2' or 4' hydroxyl oxygens at pH 5.5 and the 5 and the 6' hydroxyl oxygens (or the ring oxygen) at pH 12.0.

In vitro oxidative activity of cupric complexes of kanamycin A in comparison to in vivo bactericidal efficacy

The interactions of copper(II) complexes of kanamycin A with oxidation-susceptible biomolecules: 2'-deoxyguanosine, plasmid DNA and yeast tRNA(Phe) were studied in both the presence and absence of hydrogen peroxide. The mixture of complex with H(2)O(2) was found to be an efficient oxidant, converting dG to its 8-oxo derivative, generating strand breaks in plasmid DNA and multiple cleavages in tRNA(Phe). Some of these reactions may play a role in toxic effects of aminoglycoside antibiotics. These complexes were screened for their antibacterial activity. The microbiological studies undertaken to compare the bactericidal action of kanamycin A alone and complexed with copper(II) ions in both neutral and oxidative environment revealed that the enhancement of bactericidal action by Cu(II) was not statistically significant.

DNA and RNA damage by Cu(II)-amikacin complex

The oxidation-promoting reactivity of copper(II) complex of aminoglycosidic antibiotic amikacin [Cu(II)-Ami] in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, was studied at pH 7.4, using 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG), pBR322 plasmid DNA and yeast tRNAPhe as target molecules. The mixtures of complex with H2O2 were found to be efficient oxidants, converting dG to its 8-oxo derivative, generating strand breaks in plasmid DNA and multiple cleavages in tRNAPhe. The complex underwent autooxidation as well, with amikacin hydroperoxides as likely major products. This reactivity pattern was found to be due to a combination of metal-bound and free hydroxyl radicals.