• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.595-598
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• 1998

The rate of the GSH conjugate formation, the inhibition of DNA topoisomerase-I and the cytotoxic activity against L1210 cells of the naphthoquinones showed the same order; 5,8-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DMNQ)>6-(1-hydroxyethyl)-DMNQ>2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-DMNQ; the steric hindrance of the substituents, particularly 2-substutuent, in reacting with cellular nucleophiles must be the main cause for lowering the bioactivities. Acetylation of 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-DMNQ producing 2-(acetyloxyethyl)-DMNQ potentiated the bioactivities; 2-(-hydroxyethyl)-DMNQ did not react with GSH and the enzyme, and showed $ED_{50}$ of 0.146 mg/ml for the cytotoxcity. Furthermore, the acetylation 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-DMNQ(T/C, 119%) enhanced the T/C values for the mice bearing S-180 tumor {T/C of 2-(1-acetyloxyethyl)-DMNQ, 276%]. It was assumed that the difference in bioactivities ensued by acetylation was based on the mechanism of the so-called bioreductive alkylation.