Evaluation of 1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-dimethylaminomethyl-1-nonen-3-one hydrochloride effect on nucleic acid and protein syntheses using murine leukemia L-1210 cells.

Several Mannich bases derived from conjugated styryl ketones were shown to have potent cytotoxicity toward murine leukemia L-1210 cells and Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells in culture. The most cytotoxic derivative, (E)-1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-dimethylaminomethyl-1-nonen-3-one hydrochloride, profoundly inhibited the incorporation of tritiated leucine into protein(s) and tritiated deoxythymidine into DNA at concentrations of 0.79-1.32 muM in L-1210 cells. At higher concentrations, incorporation of triated uridine into RNA and tritiated deoxyuridine into DNA was inhibited to a lesser degree. This compound failed to inhibit the enzymes thymidylate synthetase or dihydrofolate reductase up to a concentration of 10-4 M and was ineffective in retarding the growth of the Walker 256 carcinosarcoma in rats.