A series of Pt(IV) anticancer complexes with different reduction potentials has been investigated for their reactivity toward 5'-guanosine monophosphate (5'-GMP). The Pt(IV) complexes studied were Pt(IV)(trans-d,l)(1,2-(NH(2))(2)C(6)H(10))Cl(4) (tetraplatin, Pt(IV)(dach)Cl(4); dach = diaminocyclohexane), cis,trans,cis-[Pt(IV)((CH(3))(2)CHNH(2))(2)(OH)(2)Cl(2)] (iproplatin, Pt(IV)(ipa)(2)(OH)(2)Cl(2); ipa = isopropylamine), cis,trans,cis-[Pt(IV)(en)(OH)(2)Cl(2)] (Pt(IV)(en)(OH)(2)Cl(2); en = ethylenediamine), Pt(IV)(en)Cl(4), and cis,trans,cis-[Pt(IV)(en)(OCOCH(3))(2)Cl(2)] (Pt(IV)(en)(OCOCH(3))(2)Cl(2)). The reactivity was monitored by the decreased (1)H NMR peak intensity at 8.2 ppm due to H8 of free 5'-GMP and the increased intensity of a new peak around 8.6 ppm due to H8 of 5'-GMP bound to Pt(II). The reactivity followed the order of cathodic reduction potentials of the Pt(IV) complexes: Pt(IV)(dach)Cl(4) (-90 mV) >> Pt(IV)(en)Cl(4) (-160 mV) > Pt(IV)(en)(OCOCH(3))(2)Cl(2) (-546 mV) > Pt(IV)(ipa)(2)(OH)(2)Cl(2) (-730 mV). The most reactive complex, Pt(IV)(dach)Cl(4), showed an additional weak peak at 9.2 ppm due to H8 of the 5'-GMP bound to the Pt(IV) complex, indicating the existence of a Pt(IV) intermediate. (1)H NMR, UV/visible absorption spectra, and high-performance liquid chromatograms suggest that the final product is Pt(II)(dach)(5'-GMP)(ox5'-GMP), where ox5'-GMP is oxidized 5'-GMP. A plausible mechanism is that there is an initial substitution of one Pt(IV)/ligand by a 5'-GMP molecule, followed by a two-electron reduction, and finally a second substitution by another 5'-GMP. In the presence of excess 5'-GMP (at least 20-fold), ox5'-GMP seems to be replaced by 5'-GMP to form Pt(II)(dach)(5'-GMP)(2). UV/visible absorption spectroscopy shows that the formation of the Pt(IV) intermediate by substitution is a very slow process followed by reduction. The reduction is characterized by a relatively fast exponential decay. The addition of a small amount of cis-[Pt(II)(NH(3))(2)Cl(2)] shortened the slow formation time of the intermediate, implicating the occurrence of a Pt(II)-assisted substitution reaction. These reactions may lead to a better understanding of the anticancer activity of Pt(IV) complexes.