Nitric oxide release from a photoactive water-soluble ruthenium nitrosyl. Biologicaleffects

This research presents the synthesis and characterization of the photochemical nitric oxide (NO) precursor Ru(salenCO(2)H)(NO)Cl (1, salenCO(2)H=N,N'-ethylenebis(3,3'-bis-carboxylsalicylideneiminato). This water-soluble ruthenium nitrosyl releases NO upon photolysis with a quantum yield that is pH dependent owing to the nitrosyl to nitrite conversion of that axial ligand at higher pH. Also described are the water, oxygen, and thermal stability of 1 and the cytotoxicity and the vascular relaxivity properties of 1 in the dark and under photolysis. [GRAPHICS] .