PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - BRUCE F. CAIN AU - WILLIAM ROBERT WILSON AU - BRUCE C. BAGULEY TI - Structure-Activity Relationships for Thiolytic Cleavage Rates of Antitumor Drugs in the 4'-(9-Acridinylamino) methanesulfonanilide Series DP - 1976 Nov 01 TA - Molecular Pharmacology PG - 1027--1035 VI - 12 IP - 6 4099 - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/12/6/1027.short 4100 - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/12/6/1027.full SO - Mol Pharmacol1976 Nov 01; 12 AB - 4'-(9-Acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide (NSC 156303; m-AMSA) is an experimental broad-spectrum antitumor agent also displaying immunosuppressive and antiviral activity. In pharmacological studies this compound had a short half-life in vivo as a result of rapid chemical reaction with proteins. Interaction of m-AMSA with thiols and other nucleophiles has been studied and the reaction products characterized. The reaction of greatest biological relevance is nucleophilic attack at the acridine C-9 position by thiols. The relationships among structure, thiolysis rates, and antileukemic activity of over 50 substituted acridines have been investigated. Rapid reaction with thiols is not a prerequisite for antileukemic (L1210) activity with these agents.