Daunorubicin and doxorubicin, anthracycline antibiotics, a physicochemical and biological review.

Daunorubicin and doxorubicin, two antibiotics belonging to the anthracycline group, are widely used in human cancer chemotherapy. Their activity has been attributed mainly to their intercalation between the base pairs of native DNA. Complex formation between daunorubicin or doxorubicin with polydeoxyribonucleotides and DNAs of various base composition or chromatins has been investigated by numerous techniques.

Metabolism of daunorubicin in sensitive and resistant Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Determination by high pressure liquid chromatography.

The intracellular metabolism of daunorubicin (DNR) has been studied in sensitive and resistant Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells. The subcellular localization of metabolites has been followed by normal-phase and reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The metabolism of DNR by either sensitive or resistant EAT cells is not significant; unmetabolized DNR is always the main intracellular compound.

Location of the ethidium binding sites of high affinity in chromatin.

The influence of H1 and H5 histones proteins upon the accessibility of ethidium bromide into chromatin is studied by steady-state fluorescence anisotropy in the range of r-values ([Dye]/[Phosphate]) smaller than 0.01. This corresponds to the very strong binding process.