Antitumor chemotherapy. XIV. Cytotoxic activity of compounds possessing an ethylenic double bond substituted at the α and β positions with an electron attracting group
The authors have previously shown that molecules possessing an ethylene double bond, activated by one or 2 electron attracting substituents, show a cytotoxic activity which must be connected with the addition of a cellular nucleophil to their double bond. This correlation has been extended to N alkylmaleinimides and different compounds with paraquinonine structure. The compounds examined possess a distinct cytotoxic antitumor activity which is, however, inferior to that of α nitro stilbenes and β nitro styrenes, the simplified analogs of aristolochic acid.