The synthesis of a series of 1-amino-substituted pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole derivatives, based on the substitution of corresponding 1-chloroellipticines, is reported. The cytotoxic properties on tumor cells grown in vitro, the in vivo acute toxicity of the most potent in vitro cytotoxic compounds, and the antitumor properties toward the L1210 leukemia system are described. No correlation between the apparent association constant to DNA and the in vitro cytotoxicity or the in vito antitumor efficiency could be observed in this series. 9-Hydroxylated derivatives were more cytotoxic in vitro than the corresponding 9-methoxylated compounds. However, their antitumor efficiencies on the in vivo experimental systems do not confirm the advantage of demethylation. The presence of a [(dialkylamino)alkyl]amino side chain at the 1 position of ellipticines increases the antitumor potency: 1-[[3-(diethylamino)propyl]amino]-5,11-dimethyl-6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole (5) is a very potent antitumor compound (% ILS of 134 on the L1210 leukemia system).

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Starting from 2-(2-aminoethyl)-6-methoxy-1-methylcarbazole, ethyl 9-methoxy-5-methyl-6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole-1-carboxylate was obtained through a three-step sequence. This compound and its 6-methyl derivative react with (dialkylamino)alkylamines to provide various 9-methoxy-5-methyl-6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole-1-(N-substituted carboxamides) whose boron tribromide demethylation afforded corresponding 9-hydroxy-1-(N-substituted carbamoyl)-olivacines. The same pathway but starting from 2-(2-aminoethyl)-6-methoxy-1,4-dimethylcarbazole led to ethyl 9-methoxy-5,11-dimethyl-6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole-1-carboxylate which did not normally react with amines. It provided either the recovered starting material at 120 degrees C or 9-methoxyellipticine resulting from an unexpected decarboethylation in a steel vessel at 180 degrees C. Biological testing of the newly obtained 1-carbamoylolivacine derivatives showed that 9-hydroxylated compounds displayed high cytotoxicity for cultured L1210 and colon 38 cells (IC50 range 5-10 nM) and good antitumor activity in vivo in the P388 leukemia and colon 38 models when administered by the iv route. The most active compound in these series is 9-hydroxy-5,6-dimethyl-1-[N-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]carbamoyl]-6H- pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole which was selected for further evaluation on murine solid tumors and for toxicological studies.

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Kondensation des D‐Arabinofuranosylthioimidates (I) mit den Hydrazinopyridinen (II) und (IV) bzw. dem Hydrazinopyrazin (VI) gibt die C‐a‐Arabinofuranosylnucleoside (IIIa), (Va), (Vb) bzw. (VIIa), die durch Folgereaktionen in die Derivate (IIIb),(Vc)‐(Vg) bzw. (VIIb)‐(VIIe) übergeführt werden (Strukturuntersuchungen).