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A representative set of vanadium(IV and V) compounds in varying coordination environments has been tested in the concentration range 1 to 10(-6) mM, using transformed mice fibroblasts (cell line SV 3T3), with respect to their short-term cell toxicity (up to 36 hours) and their ability to stimulate glucose uptake by cells. These insulin-mimetic tests have also been carried out with non-transformed human fibroblasts (cell line F26). The compounds under investigation comprise established insulin-mimetic species such as vanadate ([H(2)VO(4)](-)), [VO(acetylacetonate)(2)], [VO(2)(dipicolinate)](-) and [VO(maltolate)(2)], and new systems and coordination compounds containing OO, ON, OS, NS and ONS donor atom sets. A vitality test assay, measuring the reduction equivalents released in the mitochondrial respiratory chain by intracellular glucose degradation, is introduced and the results are counter-checked with (3)H-labelled glucose. Most compounds are toxic at the 1 mM concentration level, and most compounds are essentially non-toxic and about as effective as or more potent than insulin at concentrations of 0.01 mM and below. V(V) compounds tend to be less toxic than V(IV)compounds, and complexes containing thio functional ligands are somewhat more toxic than others. Generally, ON ligation is superior in insulin-mimetic efficacy to OO or O/ NS coordination, irrespective of the vanadium oxidation state. There is, however, no striking correlation between the nature of the ligand systems and the insulin-mimetic potency in these cell culture tests, encompassing 41 vanadium compounds, the results on 22 of which are reported in detail here. The syntheses and characteristics of various new compounds are provided together with selected speciation results. The crystal and molecular structures of [[VO(naph-tris)](2)] [where naph-tris is the Schiff base formed between o-hydroxynaphthaldehyde and tris(hydroxymethyl)amine] are reported. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer Link server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00775-001-0311-5.

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We report that 1-(2-picolyl)-1,2,3-triazole (click triazole) forms stable complexes with transition-metal ions in which the coordination involves the triazole N2 nitrogen atom and the pendant 2-picolyl group. This is exemplified by model compound 1-(2-picolyl)-4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (L(x)) and its complexes with transition-metal ions of Pt(II), Pd(II), Cu(II), Ru(II), and Ag(I). The coordination was investigated experimentally and theoretically. Ligand L(x) easily reacted at room temperature with cis-[PtCl(2)(DMSO)(2)], [Pd(CH(3)CN)(4)](BF(4))(2), CuCl(2), [RuCl(mu-Cl)(eta(6)-p-cymene)](2), and AgNO(3) to give stable chelates [PtCl(2)L(x)] (1), [Pd(L(x))(2)](BF(4))(2) (2), [CuCl(2)(L(x))(2)] (3), [RuCl(eta(6)-p-cymene)L(x)]OTf (4), and [Ag(2)(L(x))(2)(NO(3))(2)] (5), respectively, in 60-98% yield. The structures of 1-5 were unambiguously confirmed by NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Density functional theory calculations were carried out in order to theoretically investigate the stabilization factors in 1-5. A comparison of the chelating properties of ligand L(x) was made with structurally similar and isomeric 1-(2-aminoethyl)-substituted 1,2,3-triazole (L(y)) and 4-(2-aminoethyl)-substituted 1,2,3-triazole (L(z)). The complexation affinity of L(x) was attributed to pi-back-donation from the metal to the pendant pyridine side arm, whereas the stability of the complexes involving L(y) and L(z) mainly originates from efficient pi-back-donation to the triazole ring.

Zinc complexes with the third-generation quinolone antibacterial drugs levofloxacin and sparfloxacin have been synthesized and characterized. The deprotonated quinolones act as bidentate ligands coordinated to zinc ion through the pyridone and a carboxylato oxygen atom. The crystal structures of [bis(aqua)bis(levofloxacinato)zinc(II)], 1, and [bis(sparfloxacinato)(1,10-phenanthroline)zinc(II)], 3, have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The biological activity of the complexes has been evaluated by examining their ability to bind to calf-thymus DNA (CT DNA) by UV spectroscopy and viscosity measurements. UV studies of the interaction of the complexes with DNA have revealed that they can bind to CT DNA probably by the intercalative binding mode which has also been verified by DNA solution viscosity measurements. The DNA binding constants have been also calculated. A competitive study with ethidium bromide (EB) showed that the complexes exhibit the ability to displace the DNA-bound EB indicating that they bind to DNA in strong competition with EB for the intercalative binding site. The interaction of the complexes with human and bovine serum albumin proteins has been studied by fluorescence spectroscopy showing that the complexes exhibit good binding propensity to these proteins having relatively high binding constant values. The biological properties of the complexes have been evaluated in comparison to the previously reported Zn(II) complexes with the first- and second-generation quinolones oxolinic acid and enrofloxacin.