Radiosensitization by acetohydroxamic acid derivatives of 3-nitropyrazole.

A series of acetohydroxamic acid derivatives of 3-nitropyrazole were synthesized and evaluated as radiation sensitizing agents in vitro to test the hypothesis that any increase in sensitizing efficiency over that predicted from electron affinity considerations would be proportional to the rate of isocyanate (R--N = C = O) liberation subsequent to a Lossen rearrangement. EMT-6/Ro cells were exposed to the drugs for 1 h prior to irradiation under aerobic and hypoxic conditions. Sensitizer enhancement ratios (SER) were determined for each compound, and corresponding C1.6 values were plotted as a function of reduction potential (E 1/2). Substitution of acetohydroxamates at the N-1 position of the parent nitropyrazole produced a series of compounds with sensitizing potentials exceeding (9- to 50-fold) those predicted based on their electron affinities. While the current studies do not rule out isocyanate involvement in the enhanced sensitization, they suggest that the enhanced sensitizing ability was not directly proportional to the rate of the Lossen rearrangement. The data suggest that the addition of an acetohydroxamic acid side chain can effectively enhance the sensitizing ability of electron-affinic compounds in excess of that associated with redox potential.