title: Preparation of N'-substituted anilino-N-methyl-N'nitrosoureas as candidate antitumor agents.
abstract: Various N'-substituted anilino-N-methyl-N'-nitrosoureas(2a-n) were easily prepared from the reaction of substituted phenylhydrazines (3-, 4-CH3, 3-, 4-OCH3, 3-, 4-F, 3-, 4-Cl, 4-Br, 2-, 3-, 4-NO2, 2, 4-(NO2)2 with methyl isocyanate, followed by the nitrosation with 99% HCOOH and dry sodium nitrite powder. Surprisingly of these series of analogus, the anilino-nitrosoureas substituted with electron-withdrawing nitro groups (2k-n) showed significantly low ED50 values of 1.4-3.4 micrograms/ml. In addition, none of these compounds substituted with electron-donating groups exhibited cytotoxicities.
mesh_terms: D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D007939:Leukemia L1210 / Q000473:pathology; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured