Cytotoxic effects of water-soluble N-heterocyclic carbene platinum(II) complexes on prostatic tumor PC3 and leukemia NB4 human cells

The purpose of this work was to study water-soluble platinum complexes as potential therapeutic agents. We used water-soluble platinum(II) complexes containing sulfonated N-heterocyclic carbene ligands (NHC), applied on two human cell models: human NB4 acute promyelocytic leukemia and PC3 prostatic cancer cells.We studied cell metabolic activity, membrane permeability to propidium iodide, cell cycle phases and induction of apoptosis.