Cascade polymer complexes, process for their production and pharmaceutical agents containing said complexes

A cascade polymer complex containing

• a) a complexing ligand of formula I
• A—{X—[Y—(Z—<W—KW>Z)y]x}a (I),
• in which
• A stands for a nitrogen-containing cascade nucleus of base multiplicity a,
• X and Y independently of one another, stand for a direct bond or a cascade reproduction unit of reproduction multiplicity x or y,
• Z and W, independently of one another, stand for a cascade reproduction unit of reproduction multiplicity z or w,
• K stands for the radical of a complexing agent,
• a stands for a number from 2 to 12,
• x, y, z and w, independently of one another, stand for a number 1 to 4, and
• terminal amino groups are optionally acylated,
• provided that at least two reproduction units are different and that
• 16≦a·x·y·z·w≦64,
• holds true for the product of the multiplicities,
• b) at least 16 ions of an element of atomic numbers 20 to 29, 39, 42, 44 or 57-83 and,
• c) optionally cations of inorganic and/or organic bases, amino acids or amino acid amides
• wherein at least one of cascade reproduction units X, Y, Z and W, independently of one another, is selected from the group consisting of
• E,
• in which
• U1 stands for Q1 or E,
• U2 stands for Q2 or E with
• E meaning the group
• in which
• o stands for a number from 1 to 6,
• Q1 stands for a hydrogen atom or Q2,
• Q2 stands for a direct bond,
• U3 stands for a C1-C20 alkylene chain which optionally is interrupted by 1 to 10 oxygen atoms, 1 to 2 —NR2—(CO)q radicals, 1 to 2 phenylene radicals, 1 to 2 phenylenoxy radicals or combination thereof, and optionally is substituted by 1 to 2 oxo, thioxo, carboxy, C1-C5 alkylcarboxy, C1-C5 alkoxy, hydroxy or C1-C5 alkyl groups, in which
• q stands for numbers 0 or 1 and
• R2 stands for a hydrogen atom, a methyl or an ethyl radical, which optionally is substituted with 1-2 hydroxy or 1 carboxy group(s),
• L stands for a hydrogen atom or the group
• V stands for methine group
• in which case
• U4 means a direct bond or group M and U5 has one of the meanings of U3 or
• V stands for group
• in which case
• U4 and U5 are identical and mean the direct bond or group M where M stands for a C1-10-alkylene chain which optionally is interrupted by 1 to 3 oxygen atoms and optionally is substituted with 1 to 2 oxo groups,
• wherein complexing agent radical K bound to the terminal nitrogen atoms of the last generation of reproduction unit W stands for a radical of formula IA or IB
• in which
• R1 independently of one another, stand for a hydrogen atom or a metal ion equivalent of atomic numbers 20-29, 39, 42-44 or 57-83,
• R2 stands for a hydrogen atom, a methyl or an ethyl radical which optionally is substituted with 1-2 hydroxy or 1 carboxy group(s),
• R3 stands for a —CH2—CH(OH)—U6—T or —CH2—CO—U7 group,
• U6 stands for a straight-chain, branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-C20 alkylene group optionally containing 1-5 imino, 1-3 phenylene, 1-3 phenylenoxy, 1-3 phenylenimino, 1-5 amide, 1-2 hydrazide, 1-5 carbonyl, 1-5 ethylenoxy, 1 urea, 1 thiourea, 1-2 carboxyalkylimino, 1-2 ester groups, or 1-10 oxygen, 1-5 sulfur or 1-5 nitrogen atom(s);
• and optionally substituted by 1-5 hydroxy, 1-2 mercapto, 1-5 oxo, 1-5 thioxo, 1-3 carboxy, 1-5 carboxyalkyl, 1-5 ester, 1-3 amino group(s) or combinations thereof, and the phenylene groups that are optionally contained can be substituted by 1-2 carboxy, 1-2 sulfo or 1-2 hydroxy groups,
• U7 stands for a direct bond or radical —NR2—U6—T,
• T stands for a —CO—α, —NHCO—α or —NHCS—α group,
• α stands for the bonding site to the terminal nitrogen atoms of the last generation, of reproduction unit W and
• r stands for numbers 0, 1, 2 or 3,
• provided that at least two, in the case of divalent metals, or three, in the case of trivalent metals, of substituents R1 stand for a metal ion equivalent of the above-mentioned elements and that optionally other carboxyl groups are present in the form of their salts with inorganic bases, organic bases, amino acids or amino acid amides.