[Study on the interaction of Et2SnCl2(phen) with DNA].

The absorbance, fluorescence and cyclic voltammetric methods as well as agarose gel electrophoresis were used to study the interaction of the antitumor compound Et2SnCl2(phen) with DNA. The results indicate that Et2SnCl2 (phen) mainly reacts electrostatically with the phosphate backbone of DNA. There also exists an intercalation into the double-helix of DNA through the phenanthroline group of Et2SnCl2(phen). At high concentration Et2SnCl2(phen) can cause unwinding of DNA. The molecular action mechanism of Et2SnCl2(phen) with DNA was first proposed.