Sixteen aromatic amines and azo-derivatives were studied. They were: benzidine; 2-acetylaminofluorene; 3'-methyl-p-dimethylaminobenzene; o-aminoazo-toluene; p-dimethylaminoazobenzene; 2,4-diamino-toluene; 4,4'-oxydianiline; 2,4-diaminoanisole; 4,4'-methylenedianiline; 2-naphthylamine; Auramine O; Rhodamine B; Ponceau MX; 1-naphthylamine; p-aminoazobenzene and aniline. The compounds were examined for their capability to induce alkaline DNA fragmentation in rat liver after treatment in vivo, for their mutagenicity in the Salmonella strains TA 98 and TA 100, for their acute toxicity and for their carcinogenicity in mice and rats. For each parameter a quantitative potency index was established, and the correlation existing amongst the different parameters investigated. Only mutagenicity in the strain TA 98 was slightly correlated with carcinogenic potency (r = 0.408). DNA fragmentation and toxicity were not correlated with carcinogenicity. A significant correlation was found between DNA fragmentation and toxicity (r = 0.539). No correlation was found between DNA fragmentation and mutagenicity. The lack of correlation between DNA fragmentation and carcinogenicity is in contrast with previous results obtained with a family of hydrazine derivatives (12) and a group of nitrosocompounds (22). For these two groups of chemicals correlation between DNA fragmentation and carcinogenicity existed, but not between carcinogenicity and mutagenicity in the Ames' test. It is suggested that short term tests can perform very differently for different classes of chemicals.

Three derivatives of angelicin (1) [4'-methyl-, 4,4'-dimethyl-, and 4',5-dimethylangelicin (2a-c)] have been prepared with the aim of obtaining new agents for the photochemotherapy of psoriasis. These compounds form a complex in the dark with DNA that shows an affinity for the macromolecule higher than that of the parent angelicin (1). A correlation between their octanol/water partition coefficients and the association constants of the complexes has been observed. Compounds 2a-c photobind to DNA to a much higher extent than 1 and also more effectively than 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), taken as reference compound. When activated with UV-A, the three compounds strongly inactivate T2 phage and inhibit epidermal DNA synthesis in mice. Moreover, they show a mutagenic activity markedly lower than that of 8-methoxypsoralen on Escherichia coli wild-type strain. Due to its lack of skin phototoxicity, its low mutagenic activity, and its antiproliferative activity, 2c was chosen for clinical evaluation. It proved to be effective in clearing psoriasis in two patients.

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