Potential antitumor agents. 23.(1) Cytotoxic and differentiating activity of compounds related to hexamethylenebisacetamide.

The synthesis of potential differentiating agents related to hexamethylenebisacetamide (HMBA) is reported. 1,6-Bis(3,3-dimethyl-2-oxo-2,3-dihydroindol-1-yl)hexane (4) and 1,6-bis(4-carbamoyl-thiazol-2-yl)hexane (9) were not soluble enough to allow biological testing. For this reason the dipotassium salt (10) of 1,6-bis(4-carboxy-thiazol-2-yl)hexane (11) was prepared. The salt 10, tested in the human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line (RMZ) and in the murine Friend erythroleukemia cells (MEL), proved more cytotoxic than HMBA, but was devoid of differentiating activity. Compounds 4, 9, 10 and 11, tested on HeLa cells (in vitro) and on Ehrlich ascites (in vivo) did not show antitumor activity.