Quantitative structure-activity relationships of colchicines against P388 leukemia in mice.

A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) was derived for colchicine and 14 analogues acting against P388 lymphocytic leukemia in mice. Twelve additional compounds were synthesized to reinforce and confirm the correlation. The final correlation indicates that there is a parabolic dependence of antitumor potency on the partition coefficient with log P0=1.17. When an amino nitrogen is present on the B ring, increased potency is favored by acylation of the nitrogen. The most potent compound of the series was the 7-fluoroacetamide analogue. Strong electron-withdrawing groups substituted at the 10 position of the tropolone ring destroy activity. Electron-releasing groups at position 10 improve potency slightly but have a limited effect.