Structural and functional effects of benzimidazole/thioether-copper complexes with antitumor activity on cell membranes and molecular models.

Two cytotoxic copper(II) complexes with N-H and N-methylated benzimidazole-derived ligands (Cu-L(2) and Cu-L(2Me)) were synthesized and made to interact with human erythrocytes and molecular models of their plasmatic membranes. The latter consisted in lipid bilayers of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE), lipids of the types present in the outer and inner monolayers of the human erythrocyte membrane, respectively. Initial assessment of the interaction of the complexes with DMPC and DMPE consisted of X-ray diffraction studies, which showed preferential interactions with the former.