Several fused tri- and tetracyclic quinolines (I and II) with [2-methoxy-4-[(methylsulfonyl)amino]phenyl]amino or [3-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl]amino side chains were prepared, and their DNA intercalative properties, KB cytotoxicity, antitumor activity (P388 leukemia), and ability to induce topoisomerase II dependent DNA cleavage were investigated. Some compounds having both intercalative ability and KB cytotoxicity were found to be inactive in vivo. However, a positive correlation was seen between the ability to induce topoisomerase II dependent DNA cleavage and antitumor activity in vivo. The indeno- (13a), benzofuro- (21a), and benzothieno- (22a) quinoline derivatives exhibited potent antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo, comparable to those of m-AMSA. They also intercalate DNA and induce topoisomerase II dependent DNA cleavage. Extended screening of 13a showed it to be active against solid tumors such as M5076 sarcoma, B16 melanoma, and colon 38 carcinoma.

Bistropolone derivatives (4-12) containing differing lengths of linkage between the two tropolone rings were prepared and examined for their antitumor activity in in vitro (KB cell) and in vivo (leukemia P388 in mice) systems. Parent compound 3, related compounds previously prepared, and the new compounds 4-12 were evaluated for inhibitory activity against ribonucleotide reductase by indirect means to measure their effects on the dNTP pool imbalance. Present structure-activity relationship results would suggest that potently active bistropolones in vivo inhibit intracellular ribonucleotide reductase through chelating with the two irons at the two active sites of the enzyme.

The bis derivative 6 of 8-hydroxyquinoline, which, like tropolones, readily forms a chelate, was synthesized and found to have high potency (dose = 12.5 mg/kg, T/C % = 164) against leukemia P388 in mice approximately equivalent to that of the bistropolone 1b. 8-Hydroxyquinoline analogues with broad structural variation were synthesized and their structure-activity relationships followed the same pattern as in the tropolone series. In addition, the bistropolones 1a-e were tested for their ability to bind to tubulin and found to have no such property. The results of this study suggested that bistropolone and bis(8-hydroxyquinoline) derivatives must form a chelate with the metal necessary for the enzyme, such as ribonucleotide reductase, which catalyzes the DNA biosynthetic pathways.

Structural requirement for antitumor activity of tropolone derivatives 2-4 was explored. Isochroman derivatives (6-17, 20, and 23) and alpha, alpha-disubstituted compounds 26-30 were synthesized and their antitumor activities were tested. These nontroponoid derivatives were all inactive, implying that a tropolone ring is essential for the activity. Several compounds related to the monotropolone analogue 3 were synthesized. Among them, 31-33 showed significant activity, but their potencies were considerably weaker than those of binary tropolone analogues 4.

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