Pre-resonance Raman spectra of adriamycin.

INTRODUCTION. Adriamycin is among the most promising of the currently available anti-cancer drugs (1). While very effective as an anti-tumor agent, it is also extremely toxic. The tumor-inhibiting properties have been shown to result from intercalation of adriamycin with DNA, inhibiting normal enzymatic "unwinding" of the DNA molecule (2). Cardiotoxicity and skeletal toxicity of adriamycin are known to be due in part to complexation of calcium, magnesium and other metal cations by the drug (3). There have been many previous studies of the kinetics and gross mechanisms of binding of adriamycin and related molecules to DNA and, to a lesser extent, to metal ions. There are few investigations of the molecular details of the binding of the drug to either DNA or metal ions. Such studies, however, can provide very useful information for the design of adriamycin derivatives of improved anti-tumor activity or lower toxicity. The most suitable environment for studying adriamycin interactions with DNA and metal ions is an aqueous solution, where