Antitumor organometallics. II. Inhibitory effects of two diphenyl-antimony (III) dithiophosphorus derivatives on in vitro and in vivo Ehrlich ascites tumor.

(Diphenylphosphinodithioato) diphenylantimony (III), Ph2SbS2PPh2 (1) and (diisopropylphosphorodithioato) diphenylantimony(III), Ph2SbS2P(OPri)2 (2) were tested in vivo in male AKR mice and in vitro against Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Both compounds exhibited dose-dependent inhibitory effects on in vivo tumor growth and on in vitro cell proliferation, cell viability, respiration and protein synthesis. The activities of some enzymes involved in energetic metabolism (Ca-ATPase, LDH, G6Pase) were exacerbated in vitro. The inhibitory effects could be related to the imbalance between ATP-producing and ATP-consuming processes in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells and also to their cell-cycle specificities.