Structure-activity relationships for pyrido-, imidazo-, pyrazolo-, pyrazino-, and pyrrolophenazinecarboxamides as topoisomerase-targeted anticancer agents.

Heterocyclic phenazinecarboxamides were prepared by condensation of aminoheterocycles and 2-halo-3-nitrobenzoic acids, followed by reductive ring closure and amidation. They showed similar inhibition of paired cell lines that underexpressed topo II or overexpressed P-glycoprotein, indicating a non topo II mechanism of cytotoxicity and indifference to P-glycoprotein mediated multidrug resistance. Compounds with a fused five-membered heterocyclic ring were generally less potent than the pyrido[4,3-a]phenazines. A 4-methoxypyrido[4,3-a]phenazine (IC(50)s 2.5-26 nM) gave modest (ca. 5 day) growth delays in H69/P xenografts with oral dosing.