title: In vitro cytotoxicity and differential cellular sensitivity of derivatives of diamino acids. II. N1-methyl, N1-allyl, N1-(2-chloroethyl) and N1-propargyl nitrosoureas.
abstract: The in vitro cytotoxicity and differential cellular sensitivity of a series of new N1-methyl, N1-allyl, N1-2-chloroethyl and N1-propargyl nitrosourea derivatives of diamino acids were determined in the National Cancer Institute's primary antitumor drug screen. The compounds tested showed an in vitro anticancer activity similar to commercialized nitrosoureas such as CCNU, BCNU, MeCCNU, chlorozotocin, streptozotocin and PCNU. The alkylating moiety of the nitrosoureas seems to play a role in the general selectivity of our compounds. The N1-methyl and N1-2-chloroethyl nitrosourea derivatives are more selective for central nervous system cell lines, the N1-allyl nitrosourea derivatives are more selective for lung cancer cell lines and the N1-propargyl nitrosoureas are more selective for leukemia cell lines.
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dulude
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salvador
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallant
mesh_terms: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino / Q000633:toxicity*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D002460:Cell Line; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia; D008175:Lung Neoplasms; D008782:Methylurea Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008782:Methylurea Compounds; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds