The hydrothermal reaction of 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid (H3L) and lead and nickel nitrates produced a heterometallic polymer [Pb6Ni(mu3-OH)8(La)2]n containing heptanuclear [Pb6Ni(mu3-OH)8]6+ units and a homometallic complex {[Pb(Lb)(H2O)].(H2O)0.25}n consisting of one-dimensional lead-oxide chains: evidently, the La and Lb ligands resulted from in situ hydroxyl-directed dinitration of L ligand during the hydrothermal reaction.