Synthesis and biological evaluation of pyrroloiminoquinone derivatives.

Synthesis of 10 pyrroloiminoquinone derivatives is presented. The strategy is based around the elaboration of a common intermediate by reaction with primary amines. All the compounds obtained have been subjected to antiproliferative activity with three different cell lines (NCI-H460, HeLa, and HL-60). The capacity of 4 selected compounds to affect the enzymatic activity of the nuclear enzyme DNA topoisomerase II and to form the typical DNA fragmentation which occurs in the apoptotic process is discussed here.