Lanthanide complexes of D-penicillamine: formation constants, spectral and thermal properties

A Review on Coordination Properties of Thiol-Containing Chelating Agents Towards Mercury, Cadmium, and Lead

The present article reviews the clinical use of thiol-based metal chelators in intoxications and overexposure with mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb). Currently, very few commercially available pharmaceuticals can successfully reduce or prevent the toxicity of these metals. The metal chelator meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) is considerably less toxic than the classical agent British anti-Lewisite (BAL, 2,3-dimercaptopropanol) and is the recommended agent in poisonings with Pb and organic Hg. Its toxicity is also lower than that of DMPS (dimercaptopropane sulfonate), although DMPS is the recommended agent in acute poisonings with Hg salts. It is suggested that intracellular Cd deposits and cerebral deposits of inorganic Hg, to some extent, can be mobilized by a combination of antidotes, but clinical experience with such combinations are lacking. Alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA) has been suggested for toxic metal detoxification but is not considered a drug of choice in clinical practice. The molecular mechanisms and chemical equilibria of complex formation of the chelators with the metal ions Hg2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ are reviewed since insight into these reactions can provide a basis for further development of therapeutics.

Mercury(II) penicillamine complex formation in alkaline aqueous solution

The complex formation between mercury(II) and penicillamine (H(2)Pen = 3,3'-dimethyl cysteine) in alkaline aqueous solutions (pH approximately 2) has been investigated with extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and 199Hg NMR spectroscopy. By varying the penicillamine concentration (C(H(2)Pen) = 0.2-1.25 M) in approximately 0.1 M Hg(II) solutions, two coexisting major species [Hg(Pen)2](2-) and [Hg(Pen)3](4-) were characterized with mean Hg-S bond distances 2.34(2) and 2.44(2) A, respectively. The [Hg(Pen)2](2-) complex with two deprotonated penicillamine ligands forms an almost linear S-Hg-S entity with two weak chelating Hg-N interactions at the mean Hg-N distance 2.52(2) A. The same type of coordination is also found for the corresponding [Hg(Cys)2](2-) complex in alkaline aqueous solution with the mean bond distances Hg-S 2.34(2) A and Hg-N 2.56(2) A. The relative amounts of the [Hg(Pen)2](2-) and [Hg(Pen)3](4-) complexes were estimated by fitting linear combinations of the EXAFS oscillations to the experimental spectra. Also their (199)Hg NMR chemical shifts were used to evaluate the complex formation, showing that the [Hg(Pen)3](4-) complex dominates already at moderate excess of the free ligand ([Pen(2-)] > approximately 0.1 M).