7-substituted actinomycin D analogs. Chemical and growth-inhibitory studies.

The synthesis and biological activity of three 7-substituted actinomycin D derivatives are reported. Three such derivatives, 7-nitro-, 7-amino-, and 7-hydroxyactinomycin D, were synthesized via new methods which were first tested successfully with a chromophore model system. Of these, 7-nitro- and 7-aminoactinomycin D were assayed for growth inhibitory activity against mammalian cells (CCRF-CEM human lymphoblastic leukemia) in vitro and against the Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma and the L1210, P1534, and P388 murine leukemias in vivo. In these systems, the inhibitory activity of the 7-substituted analogs was comparable to actinomycin D. In two bacterial systems ( (L. casei and L. arabinosus) in vitro, on the other hand, these compounds showed inhibitory profiles which are distinctly different from actinomycin D. These studies demonstrate that substitution at the 7 position, which does not interfere with DNA binding, is capable of yielding experimental antitumor agents with significant activity against a variety of tumors.