Molecular interactions between anticancer drugs and iodinated contrast media: An in vitro spectroscopic study

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess molecular interactions between several anticancer drugs and an iodinated contrast medium by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and ultravioletvisible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Materials and Methods: Iopamidol (IPM) was used as an iodinated contrast medium, and mitomycin C (MMC), epirubicin hydrochloride (EPI), cisplatin (CDDP), 5-fluorouracil (5FU), irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT11), gemcitabine hydrochloride (dFdC), carboplatin (CBDCA), oxaliplatin (1OHP), paclitaxel hydrochloride (TAX) and docetaxel trihydrate (TXT) were used as anticancer drugs. For FT-IR, the purified IPM was mixed stoichiometrically with each anticancer drug as well as with a combination of MMC and EPI. After measuring each separated sample and the mixtures, the spectra of the mixtures were compared with the spectra of the sum of pure samples or the combination. For UV-Vis, IPM and anticancer drugs were dissolved in pure water; subsequently for the titration experiments, the mixtures were prepared by varying the molar ratio. IR absorption corresponds to stretching vibrations between atoms having covalent bonding, whereas UV-Vis spectra depend on molecular dynamics and shapes. Both UV-Vis and IR spectra change when there are molecular interactions such as aromatic ring stacking and hydrogen bonding. Result: IPM exhibited molecular interactions with MMC, EPI, CDDP, dFdC, CBDCA, 1OHP, TAX and TXT, as well as with the combination of MMC and EPI on FT-IR. However, molecular interactions were not observed on UV-Vis. Conclusion: Several anticancer drugs have molecular interactions with IPM, which could be clinically utilized for superselective intraarterial infusion chemotherapy.