Method for inducing death of neoplastic cells using piperazine derivatives

摘要

A method for inducing cell death in neoplastic cells, includes the step of administering a compound of formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, as a primary chemotherapeutic agent or substantially contemporaneously with chemotherapy, to a patient having multidrug-resistant neoplastic cells, in an amount sufficient to induce cell death in the neoplastic cells: <IMAGE> (I) where R1 is hydroxyl, C1-4 alkoxyl, C1-4 alkylcarboxyloxymethoxyl, phenyl C1-2 alkylamino group, 2,5-pyrrolidinedione-1-alkoxyl (C1-4), or <IMAGE> wherein X1 is a chemical bond or C1-2 alkylene, X2 is hydrogen or carboxyl forming a 5-membered ring with X1 when X1 is methylene, X3 is hydrogen or C1-2 alkyl, X4 is hydrogen or C1-2 alkyl, or X3 and X4 together form a 5-membered ring, in which at least one of X2, X3, and X4 is hydrogen, R2 is C3-4 alkyl, R3 is C1-4 alkyl, <IMAGE> <IMAGE> in which n is an integer of 0 to 3.