1,4-disubstituted anthracene antitumor agents.

Three different types of 1,4-disubstituted anthracenes were synthesized, and their cytotoxicity in a panel of tumor cells was compared with that of the corresponding 9,10-disubstituted anthracenes. The panel contained human myeloma, melanoma, colon, and lung cancer cells and sensitive and multidrug-resistant murine L1210 leukemia cells. These compounds had [[(dimethylamino)ethyl]amino]methyl, N-[(dimethylamino)ethyl]carbamoyl, and carboxaldehyde (4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)hydrazone side chains. The 1,4-diamide was more potent across the tumor panel than the corresponding 9,10-isomer, but the 1,4-diamine and the 1,4-hydrazone were less potent than their 9,10-isomers. Although the 1,4-hydrazone was active against P388 leukemia in mice, it was inactive against L1210 leukemia. Within each pair of compounds, the one with greater average potency against tumor cells gave a greater increase in the transition melt temperature of DNA.