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Based on the known biological activity of a variety of guanidine-containing agents, several N-substituted 3,4-dihydroquinazolines were synthesized. These compounds can be considered to be rigid analogues of phenylguanidines. In anesthetized rats the compounds decreased blood pressure and were antagonists of the pressor response to norepinephrine.

A series of 1,3-benzodioxole derivatives was synthesized. We found four compounds (2,3,10 and 11 in Table IV) to have about the same order of beta-blocking activity as that of sotalol. In addition, it is of interest that some of the compounds (2-4) were found to have hypotensive activites, although they were about one-tenth of that of hydralazine. Sotalol did not produce any change in blood pressure, and propranolol raised the blood pressure.

Substituted 2-aminotetralins are potent, selective, direct-acting agonists at postjunctional alpha 1 receptors. Within this series, substituent alterations on the ring, as well as on the nitrogen, change the potency of compounds by over three orders of magnitude (EC50 = 12 to greater than 10 000 nM). It has been demonstrated experimentally that substitution at both the 5 and 8 positions of the aromatic ring produces optimum agonist potency. Removal of either substituent results in a loss of potency and efficacy relative to norepinephrine. Substitution at positions 6 and/or 7 is generally detrimental to activity. Methyl, ethyl, or dimethyl substitution on nitrogen is compatible with high agonist potency, while substitution with larger groups is not. The most potent agonist in this series is 5-(thiomethyl)-8-methoxy-2-aminotetralin, which has an EC50 of 12 nM.

A series of 1-(substituted phenoxy)-3-(tert-butylamino)-2-propanols in which the ring substituents were 3,4-dihydroxy (6f), 3- and 4-hydroxy (6g and 6h, respectively), 3-hydroxy-4-methylsulfonamido (6i), its 3,4-transposed isomer (6j), and 4-methylsulfonylmethyl (6k) was prepared and examined for beta-adrenergic agonist and/or antagonist properties. Two of these compounds, 6f and 6j, were potent beta-adrenoreceptor agonists in in vitro tests that measure a compound's ability to relax guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle and to increase the rate of contraction of guinea pig right atria. Several compounds had a dose-dependent effect. Although they produced potent beta-adrenergic agonist activity at low concentrations, 6g, 6h, and 6j antagonized the effects of a standard beta-adrenoreceptor agonist at higher concentrations. The methylsulfonylmethyl derivative 6k produced beta-adrenergic blocking effects as demonstrated by attenuation of isoproterenol-induced increases in the rate of contraction of an isolated rabbit heart preparation. On the basis of these pharmacological results, coupled with NMR spectral data, it appears that the previous suggestion that aryloxypropanolamines interact with beta-adrenocreceptors as a consequence of their ability to assume an orientation in which the benzene ring the ethanolamine moieties can be superimposed on those of corresponding adrenergic phenylethanolamines is invalid. An alternative "bicyclic" rigid conformation involving two intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the protonated form of the aryloxypropanolamines is suggested to account for the similar beta-adrenoreceptor activity of these compounds and related phenylethanolamines.

The central nervous system (CNS) activities of a number of soterenol analogs have been investigated, and several of these compounds possessed potent morphine antagonistic and anorexiant properties. The CNS activity of these compounds was enhanced by certain lipophilic [e.g., 1,1-dimethyl-2-phenethyl (43) or cyclopropyl (40 and 44)] nitrogen substituents; however, minor structural changes on either the aromatic or side-chain moieties drastically reduced central activity. Toxicity in this series was related to the inherent alpha-adrenergic stimulating component (direct or indirect).

Salbutamol, an adrenergic receptor agonist with selectivity for tracheobronchial vs. cardiac muscle, differs from the catecholamine N-tert-butylnorepinephrine in that it bears a hydroxymethyl, rather than a phenolic, group in the meta position. In a search for new bronchodilating agents with minimal cardiovascular side effects, a series of derivatives, in which this m-hydroxymethyl group is modified, was prepared. These compounds were examined for potential bronchodilator activity in an in vitro test that measures relaxation of guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle. Potential cardiac stimulant activity was evaluated in vitro by monitoring changes in the rate of contraction of spontaneously beating guinea pig right atria. Although many of these compounds retained a high degree of potency, all were less effective than salbutamol in the tracheal test. Several of the derivatives, notably ones bearing 1-hydroxyethyl (1d), 1,2-dihydroxyethyl (1f), 1-hydroxy-2-methoxyethyl (1g), and 2-hydroxy-1-methoxyethyl (1h) substituents in place of the parent's m-hydroxymethyl group, however, were considerably more selective for tracheobronchial vs. cardiac muscle in the in vitro tests utilizing guinea pig tracheal and right atrial muscle.

Replacement of the catechol 3,4-dihydroxylation pattern of certain adrenergic beta-phenethylamines by a resorcinol 3,5-dihydroxylation pattern has led to a greater selectivity of adrenergic agonist effects in certain molecules. This strategy has been applied to a series of dopaminergic agents derived from 2-aminotetralin, leading to a 5,7-dihydroxylation pattern. Traditional literature approaches to formation of a tetralin ring with this oxygenation pattern failed. A method was used which involved cyclization of 3,5-dimethoxybenzylsuccinic acid derivatives with pyridinium poly(HF) and subsequent modification of the tetralin ring. The resorcinol-derived 2-aminotetralins were less potent and less active dopaminergic agents than their catechol-derived isomers (5,6-dihydroxy and/or 6,7-dihydroxy). Certain of the subject compounds demonstrated alpha- and beta 1-adrenoceptor activating properties.

Two hydroxy-substituted benzofuranylethanolamines (9 and 10), analogues of adrenoceptor-active aryloxypropanolamines, were prepared and their beta-adrenoceptor activity was examined. Compound 9 was found to be a beta 1-selective adrenergic agonist with high intrinsic activity. Due to the rigidity of the benzofuranyl moiety of 9, its functional groups cannot be brought into the same spatial positions as those of a phenylethanolamine-type agonist like isoprenaline. This could indicate that adrenergic agonists of the aryloxypropanolamine type and of the phenylethanolamine type are differently bound to the receptor when eliciting the effect.

Replacement of the benzylic hydroxyl group of N-tert-butylnorepinephrine with a hydroxymethyl substituent affords a propanolamine homologue which retains a high degree of beta-adrenergic agonist activity. As modification of the meta substituent of catecholic ethanolamines, such as N-tert-butylnorepinephrine, often provides compounds that exert a more pronounced effect in relaxing tracheobronchial smooth muscle (beta2-adrenergic agonist) than in stimulating cardiac muscle (beta1-adrenergic response), a series of 3-tert-butylamino-2-(3-substituted 4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanols was prepared. The 3-meta substituents included HOCH2 (1b), H2NCONH (1c), MeSO2NH (1d), H (le), and NH2 (1f). These phenylpropanolamine derivatives were compared with their phenylethanolamine counterparts in in vitro tests that measure the ability of these compounds to relax spontaneously contracted guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle (a measure of potential bronchodilating activity) and to increase the rate of contraction of a spontaneously beating guinea pig right atrial preparation (an indicator of potential cardiac stimulating activity). In these tests all of the propanolamine derivatives included in the study were less potent than their ethanolamine relatives. In both series replacement of the catecholic m-hydroxyl group with the indicated substituents usually resulted in compounds with increased selectivity for tracheobronchial vs. cardiac muscle.

The enantiomers of a number of catecholamines, including (alpha S)- and (alpha R)-erythro-alpha-methylepinephrine, were evaluated for their capacity to compete for binding sites in rat forebrain homogenates with [3H]prazosin, a ligand which selectively binds to adrenergic receptors of the alpha 1 subtype. (alpha R)-erythro-alpha-Methylepinephrine is devoid of apparent biological activity, but the activity of the alpha S isomer is substantial. The latter is less active than the endogeneous catecholamines, (R)-norepinephrine and (R)-epinephrine, but the stereospecific competition for [3H]prazosin binding sites by the catecholamine isomers with the beta R configuration is additional evidence that (alpha S)-erythro-alpha-methylepinephrine may be a biologically active metabolite of L-alpha-methyl-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine.

2-Fluoro-, 5-fluoro-, and 6-fluoroisoproterenol were synthesized by reduction of the Schiff base formed between the corresponding ring-fluorinated 3,4-bis(benzyloxy)phenethanolamine and acetone, followed by reductive debenzylation in the presence of oxalic acid to yield crystalline neutral oxalates. The apparent beta-adrenergic potencies were determined in the isolated guinea pig atria. 2-Fluoro- and 5-fluoroisoproterenol were equipotent with (+/-)-isoproterenol, while 6-fluoroisoprotenol was virtually inactive. No alpha-adrenergic agonist activity (guinea pig aorta) was shown by any of the fluoroisoproterenols. Displacement of alpha- and beta-specific radioligands from isolated membrane preparations from rat brain by the fluoroisoproterenols were in agreement with the responses of the organ preparations. Thus, the apparent fluorine-induced specificity is due to specificity at the receptor binding site. The effects of fluorine substitution are discussed with regard to the apparent negative influence of the 6-fluoro substituent on the beta-agonist properties of isoproterenol, the lack of any increase in potency due to the 2-fluoro substituent, and the possibility of fluorine-induced changes in the electron density of the aromatic ring as a possible rational for the fluorine-induced specificity of both the fluoroisoproterenols and the fluoronoirepinephrines.

In an attempt to further define the role of the m-hydroxy group in adrenergic agents, 2,3-dihydroxyphenethanolamine hydrobromide and N-isopropyl-2,3-dihydroxyphenethanolamine hydrobromide were prepared. These agents are less active than norepinephrine in alpha- and beta-adrenergic in vitro tests. The synthesis and conclusions from the tests are discussed.

Regioselective syntheses of alkyl- and halogen-substituted piperazinylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrazines by novel oxidation-dehydration of [(beta-hydroxyalkyl)amino]pyrazines are described. Lanthanide shift reagent studies allowed correction of literature assignments of NMR chemical shifts and coupling constants for the imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazine ring system (e.g., J5,8 greater than J6,8). Equilibrium constants for displacement of specifically bound [3H]clonidine and [3H]prazosin from calf cerebral cortex homogenates in vitro are tabulated for reference and title compounds, and structure-affinity relationships for alpha 2- vs. alpha 1-adrenergic receptors are considered. Compound 2a, 8-(1-piperazinyl)imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazine, is equipotent with mianserin on the clonidine receptor (alpha 2) but ca. 70 times as selective as mianserin for this alpha 2-adrenergic receptor. Reduction of the imidazo ring (2,3-dihydro) lowers affinity for the alpha 2 receptor without affecting alpha 1-receptor affinity. Computer-assisted molecular modeling techniques are applied to the estimation of conformational energies of 2a and its 5-position isomer in relation to the semirigid molecule mianserin.