Interaction of DNA-intercalating antitumor agents with adrenoceptors.

The interaction between some examples of mononuclear and binuclear DNA-intercalating antitumor agents and alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors has been studied using radioligand-binding assays. Competition for 125I-BE 2254, [3H]rauwolscine, and (-)-[3H]dihydroalprenolol binding was used to assess affinity for alpha 1-, alpha 2-, and beta-adrenoceptor-binding sites, respectively. Two homologous series of alkyl-linked diacridines and diquinolines were found to interact poorly with beta-adrenoceptors, with only the largest members having appreciable affinity. By contrast, these compounds bind strongly and in a complex manner to alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptors. The affinity of diacridines for both alpha-adrenoceptor classes has a parabolic dependence on alkyl chain length with the hexyl and pentyl derivatives being the most potent at the alpha 1- (Ki = 11.5 +/- 2.3 nM) and alpha 2- (Ki = 143 +/- 26 nM) binding sites, respectively. The dependence of inhibition constants on linker chain length for the diquinolines is more complicated, with the ethyl- and heptyl-linked dimers having the greatest affinity for each alpha subclass. There is a nadir in affinity for the pentyl and butyl ligands and an increase in dissociation constant for octyl and longer homologues. Thus, the ethyl diquinoline has Ki values of 6.6 +/- 1.2 and 110 +/- 14 nM for the alpha 1- and alpha 2- adrenoceptors, respectively, and, correspondingly, the heptyl derivative has values of 39 +/- 4 and 51 +/- 1 nM. These findings are discussed with respect to a model of the alpha-adrenoceptor in which the radioligand-binding site is situated in a trench or cleft, surrounded by a flat surface bounded by walls. Daunomycin was found to have no affinity for adrenoceptors of any type and mitoxantrone similarly fails to interact with alpha 2- and beta-adrenoceptors, but binds to the alpha 1 subclass with an inhibition constant (Ki) of 3930 +/- 420 nM. Bisantrene also has no affinity for beta-adrenoceptors but binds to alpha 1- and alpha 2- adrenoceptors with Ki values of 145 +/- 24 and 2310 +/- 430 nM, respectively. Among the mononuclear acridine drugs studied, only nitracrine shows detectable interaction with beta-adrenoceptors (Ki = 760 +/- 50 nM). This compound, like bisantrene, has high affinity for the alpha 1-adrenoceptor (Ki = 131 +/- 17 nM) and moderate affinity for the alpha 2 subclass (Ki = 2180 +/- 500 nM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)