In the search for new anticancer drugs. XVIII. Various mono- and bis-anthraquinone hydrazones containing the N,N;N',N'-bis(1,2-ethanediyl)phosphoric diamide moiety.

The structure-anticancer activity and the activity-lipophilicity relationship of 8 mono- and bis-anthraquinone hydrazones containing the N,N;N',N'-bis(1,2-ethanediyl) phosphoric diamide moiety were evaluated. These compounds were tested in vivo, using murine lymphocytic leukemia P388. Seven of these compounds were active and one was marginal at optimum doses. The highest activity was exhibited by the bis[N,N;N',N'-bis(1,2-ethanediyl)-[N2-(1',4',5',8'-tetrahydroxy anthracenylidene)-N1-methyl hydrazin-1-yl]]-phosphoric triamide, bis[N,N;N',N'-bis(1,2-ethanediyl)-[N2-(1',4'-dihydroxy anthracenylidene)-N1-methylhydrazin-1-yl]]phosphoric triamide and bis-[N,N;N',N'-bis(1,2-ethanediyl)-[N2-(1',4',5',8'-tetrahydroxy anthracenylidene)-N1-phenylhydrazin-1-yl]]phosphoric triamide as is evidenced by their percent T/C of 183, 175 and 172, respectively. The correlation of the anticancer activities of these compounds with their lipophilicities leads to the general hypothesis that the intercalating and alkylating capabilities of a potential drug may play only a secondary role as compared to the selective permeability of the drug through normal and cancerous membranes.