title: Absence of mutagenicity of coralyne and related antileukemic agents: structural comparison with the potent carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene.
abstract: The structural similarity between antileukemic alkaloid coralyne and the carcinogenic and antineoplastic hydrocarbon 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, as well as the similarity between the antileukemic alkaloid nitidine and the carcinogenic hydrocarbon 5-methylchrysene, prompted a mutagenicity evaluation of coralyne sulfoacetate, nitidine chloride, the 8-ethyl homolog of coralyne, nitidine methosulfate, and the tetramethoxy analog of nitidine by the Ames method against the histidine-auxotroph strains of Salmonella typhimurium TA-1537, TA-1538, TA-98, and TA-100; 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene was used as a reference standard. The mutagenicity of these antileukemic compounds was either completely eliminated or drastically reduced, but the mutagenic response was generally high for 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. The results suggest that the presence of a quaternary nitrogen atom and alkoxy groups could be important in alleviating the mutagenicity of the parent mutagenic and carcinogenic hydrocarbons.
mesh_terms: D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001551:Benz(a)Anthracenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001600:Berberine Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009153:Mutagens; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D001551:Benz(a)Anthracenes; D001600:Berberine Alkaloids; D009153:Mutagens; D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; C000666:coralyne