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A series of 8'-substituted N-(endo-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-1-isopropyl-2-oxo-1, 2-dihydro-3-quinolinecarboxamides were synthesized. The 5-HT4 receptor agonistic activity was evaluated using the isolated guinea pig ileum preparation. Of the compounds synthesized, N-(endo-8-(3-hydroxypropyl)-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-1-isopropyl-2-oxo-1, 2-dihydro-3-quinolinecarboxamide (15a, TS-951) exhibited the most potent serotonin 5-HT4 receptor agonistic activity. This compound had a high affinity for the serotonin 5-HT4 receptor althought it had no affinities for other broad spectrum receptors. Furthermore, it remarkably enhanced gastrointestinal motility in conscious fed dogs without unfavorable effects that non-selective serotonin 5-HT4 receptor agonist has. TS-951 may be useful in improving gastrointestinal dysfunction.

An efficient and practical procedure for the synthesis of esonarimod, (R,S)-2-acetylthiomethyl-4-(4-methylphenyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid (1), a new antirheumatic drug, has been developed. The intermediate, 2-methylene-4-(4-methylphenyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid (2), was prepared by Friedel-Crafts acylation of toluene with itaconic anhydride (3) in the presence of aluminum trichloride and nitrobenzene in 63% yield without silica gel column purification. Compound 1 was prepared by Michael addition of 2 with thioacetic acid (4) in 74% yield. Overall, 1 was obtained in 47% yield from 3. The structures and synthetic mechanisms of by-products (five compounds) of 2 were also clarified.

We have developed esonarimod, (+/-)-2-acetylthiomethyl-4-(4-methylphenyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid, as a new antirheumatic drug. Now we describe herein the preparation of the enantiomers of (+/-)-deacetylesonarimod, the pharmaceutically active metabolites of esonarimod, and comparison of their antirheumatic activities. No significant difference has been observed between the two enantiomers. In a pre-clinical study of esonarimod, other metabolites were detected in rat blood or urine. We also synthesized these compounds as authentic samples to analyze the human metabolites in clinical studies of esonarimod.

A series of N-azabicycloalkyl-1-alkyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-3-quinolinecarboxamides were synthesized and tested for serotonin 5-HT4 receptor-stimulating effects in the regulation of electrically-evoked contraction in guinea pig muscle. Among them, N-azabicycloalkyl-1-isopropyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-3-quinolinecarboxamide (8c, 9c, 10c, 11c, 12c) exhibited potent serotonin 5-HT4 receptor-stimulating activity. The most potent compound, N-(endo-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1 oct-3-yl)-1-isopropyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-3-quinolinecarboxamide (8c, ED50 = 36.3 nMi), was seven times as active as cisapride, while 8c had no affinity for 5-HT1A, 5-HT1D, D2, muscarinic M2 or muscarinic M3 receptors even at 10 microM. Compound 8c stimulated digestive tract motility in conscious fed dogs (1.0 mg/kg p.o.).

Two new flavanones, I and VII, and daidzein were isolated from Guang-Dou-Gen (the root of Sophora subprostrata CHUN et T.CHEN). Fom the spectral data and comparison with sophoranochromene and its derivative, the structure of I was established as 2-[{3'-hydroxy-2', 2'-dimethyl-8'-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)} chroman-6'-yl]-7-hydroxy-8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) chroman-4-one. The structure of VII was formulated from the spectral data and biogenetic speculation as 2-[{2'-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-7'-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-2'3'-dihydrobenzofuran}-5'-yl]-7-hydroxy-8-(3-mehtyl-2-butenyl) chroman-4-one.

Two new flavanones were isolated from Guang-Dou-Gen (the root of Sophora subprostrata CHUN et T.CHEN) and their structures were established from their spectral data and comparison with the corresponding synthesized derivatives as 4', 7-dihydroxy-6, 8-bis(3-methyl-2-butenyl)flavanone (I), and 2-[(7'-hydroxy-2', 2'-dimethyl-2H-benzopyran)-6'-yl]-7-hydroxy-8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)chroman-4-one (XI).

To investigate the anti-ulcer activity of the isoprenyl chalcone, sophoradin, which is present in a Chinese crude drug, Guang-dou-gen (the root of Sophora subprostrata), 30 related chalcones (1-30) were newly synthesized by condensation between substituted acetophenones and benzaldehydes, and their anti-ulcer activities were examined using Shay's pylorus-ligated rats, and water-immersed and restraint stress rats. Twenty-seven chalcones were substituted with isoprenyl or isoprenyloxyl groups and two with geranyloxyl groups (13, 30), with or without a carboxymethoxyl group, and one chalcone was substituted with allyloxyl group (14). All the chalcones were found to be effective by both methods. Several chalcones (2, 3, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 22), each having more than one isoprenyloxyl group, exhibited high inhibitory ratios by both methods. In particular, 2', 4'-dihydroxy-3'-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-4-(3-methyl-2-butenyloxy) chalcone (2), 2'-hydroxy-4, 4'-bis (3-methyl-2-butenyloxy) chalcone (10), and 2'-carboxymethoxy-4, 4'-bis (3-methyl-2-butenyloxy) chalcone (15) exhibited very high inhibitory ratios (70-100%) by both methods, and were as potent as sophoradin.

Five dihydrochalcone derivatives, 2'-carboxymethoxy-4, 4'-bis (3-methyl-2-butenyloxy) dihydrochalcone (M-6-b), 2', 4-bis (carboxymethoxy)-4'-(3-methyl-2-butenyloxy) dihydrochalcone (M-2), 2', 4-bis (carboxymethoxy)-4'-(3-carboxy-2-butenyloxy) dihydrochalcone (M-1-a), 2', 4-bis (carboxymethoxy)-4'-(3-hydroxymethyl-2-butenyloxy) dihydrochalcone (M-1-b), and 2'-carboxymethoxy-4-hydroxy-4'-(3-methyl-2-butenyloxy) dihydrochalcone (M-4-b), which are the main metabolites in rats of a new anti-ulcer drug "sofalcone"(2'-carboxymethoxy-4, 4'-bis (3-methyl-2-butenyloxy) chalcone) were synthesized and the anti-ulcer activities of the major metabolites in humans, M-6-b, M-2, and M-1-a, were examined by Shay's and Takagi's methods and also by the use of rats with histamine-induced ulcer. The most active compound was M-6-b, which showed activity equal to or slightly weaker than that of sofalcone.