DNA interaction and electrochemical properties of bis-1-aminomethylnaphthalenes and related compounds. A correlation with their antineoplastic activity.

Bis-1-aminomethylnaphthalenes constitute a new type of molecule with antineoplastic activity. As a first approach to determine the action mechanism, the interaction degree of these compounds and some less active analogous, with calf thymus DNA, by UV spectrophotometry, and the redox performance by cyclic voltammetry was correlated with their activity on neoplastic cell lines. It suggests that the most active members interact closely with DNA but do not show any redox process at biological potentials.