is reacted with an appropriately substituted piperazine 2 in an inert solvent such as dioxane dimethylformamide or tetrahydrofuran at ambient temperatures for about 2 5 hours to provide the final product 3 the novel substituted quinolinediones of the present invention may be readily prepared as set forth in the following reaction scheme wherein r is as hereinbefore defined str3 in accordance with the above reaction scheme 5 8 quinolinedione 4 is reacted with an appropriately substituted piperazine 2 in an inert solvent such as 1 2 dimethoxyethane dioxane or tetrahydrofuran at ambient temperatures for about 4 48 hours to provide a mixture of the 7 isomer 5 and the 6 isomer 6 the novel compounds of the present invention are highly active as antiasthmatic and antiallergic agents as will be demonstrated hereinbelow the bronchospasm of allergic asthma is a consequence of the release of mediators such as histamine and slow reacting substances from mast cells the role of mediator release in the induction of an asthmatic attack has been fully reviewed and documented see kaliner m and austen k f bronchial asthma mechanisms and therapeutics e b weiss editor little brown and company boston 163 1976 lichtenstein l m asthma physiology immunopharmacology and treatment second international symposium l m lichtenstein and k f austen editors academic press new york 51 1979 and bell s c et al annual reports in.