Binding of transferrin-iron by adriamycin at acidic pH

It is shown that adriamycin is able to chelate iron released from iron-loaded serum transferrin in the pH range from 6.5-4.1. The kinetics of iron transfer to free adriamycin and to adriamycin covalently attached to the transferrin has been determined. The results show that adriamycin, if introduced into intracellular acidic compartments, could function as acceptor for transferrin-iron.