Search

We have previously reported that compounds dimethyl-substituted on the phenyl ring of N-n-propyl-3-phenylpiperidines (PPEs) have a high (nM) affinity and selectivity toward the D(4) dopamine receptor (D(4) DAR) with m,p-dimethyl PPE (1) having the highest affinity and selectivity. In the present paper we have investigated the role of the methyl substitution by the synthesis of monomethylated (2a-c) and nonmethylated (2d) PPEs followed by the characterization of their biological properties using receptor binding assays. Our findings reveal that the methyl substitution of the phenyl ring is not necessary for a high and selective binding affinity to the D(4) DAR. Moreover, we have also synthesized cyclohexylpiperidines (CHPEs, 3a-d), which all showed higher binding affinities for the D(4) DAR than their aromatic counterparts. These results indicate that a pi-pi type interaction of the phenyl ring of PPEs with the D(4) DAR might not be essential, whereas a simple hydrophobic attraction between the cyclohexyl substituent of CHPEs and a hypothesized lipophilic pocket of the receptor might be crucial. Furthermore, functional assays indicate that 3d, as well as 1, are partial agonist at the D(4) DAR and therefore might represent new pharmacological tools to investigate the role of D(4) DAR activation in the control of cognitive functions and emotional states in health and disease.

Some new oxime ethers of types 7 and 8, in which the methyleneaminoxy group, C=N-O, of oxiconazole 6 is in an inverted atomic sequence, were synthesized and tested for their antifungal activities. Among them, the type 7 compounds, such as the N-ethoxy-morpholino-substituted derivatives 7l-o (Table 1), showed good antifungal properties against the Candida strains tested, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values similar to those of the reference drug 6. A remarkable result was obtained with these types of azoles, which had shown a cidal character against Candida albicans, while the reference drug oxiconazole was only fungistatic in the same tests. This fact may be seen from a comparison of the MIC values with those of the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values for most of the type 7 compounds assayed that have shown differences between the MIC and the MFC, which are lower than three double diluitions. A simple molecular modeling of the P450 14-alpha-sterol demethylase from C. albicans (Candida P450DM) was built in order to understand how the structural differences between type 7 compounds and oxiconazole 6 can induce different antifungal profiles. The results of this work seem to confirm that it is possible to reverse the atomic sequence of the methyleneaminoxy group, C=N-O, of 6, obtaining new imidazoles possessing good antifungal properties.

The (E)-[2-(4-Methylsulphonylphenyl)-1-cyclopentenyl-1-methyliden](methyloxy)amine (5) and (arylmethyloxy)amines (6-12) were designed in order to verify the effects on the biological properties of the substitution of an aryl of selective diarylcyclopentenyl cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors of type 3 with a methyleneaminoxymethyl moiety (MAOMM). Compounds 5-12 were tested in vitro for their inhibitory activity towards COX-1 and COX-2 by measuring prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in U937 cell lines and activated J774.2 macrophages, respectively. The compound with the highest in vitro activity towards COX-2 (9) was also assayed in vivo for its antiinflammatory activity by means of the carrageenan-induced paw edema test in rats. Some of the new compounds showed an appreciable in vitro COX-2 inhibitory activity, with IC(50) values in the microM (6,7,9,10,11) range. Compound 9 also exhibited an appreciable in vivo activity (29% inhibition at a dose of 30 mg kg(-1)) when administered intraperitoneally. The structural parameters of 9 were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis.

The 5,6- (5a) and 6,7-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydrospiro[naphthalen-1 (2H)-3'-piperidine] (6a) and their N-isopropyl derivatives (5b and 6b), DDSNPs, were synthesized. These compounds can be viewed as the result of the combination of the structure of the 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-piperidine 2a or 2b, with the structure of the corresponding 1-(aminomethyl)-5,6-dihydroxy-(3a or 3b) or 1-(aminomethyl)-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (4a or 4b), 1-AMDTNs. The new compounds (5a, b and 6a, b) were assayed for their alpha and beta adrenergic properties by means of binding experiments and functional tests and the results were compared with those obtained for catecholamines 1a, b and the previously described 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)piperidine (3-DPP; 2) and 1-AMDTNs (3, 4). Comparison of the affinity and activity data of novel derivatives with those of reference compounds 2, 3 and 4 shows a general low ability of DDSNPs 5 and 6 to interact with both alpha and beta- adrenoceptors.

The synthesis of the two enantiomers of 3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-1-propylpiperidine 1, a potent and selective D4 dopaminergic ligand, was performed. The 3-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)- 1-propylpiperidine with the R configuration showed an affinity for the D4 receptors 6-fold higher than the corresponding enantiomer with the S configuration. Furthermore, the (R)-1 enantiomer proved to be highly selective for D4 receptors with respect to D2-D3 receptors, with a Ki ratio higher than 25,000, while the (S)-1 enantiomer was about 100-fold less selective than the (R)-1 one.

Some monocyclic beta-lactam derivatives of type 3 (MAOAs) in which the leaving group (LG) on the C(4) is a methyleneaminoxy moiety, were synthesised and tested in vitro and in vivo for their inhibitory activity towards human leukocyte elastase (HLE). Some compounds showed an appreciable in vitro inhibitory activity against this enzyme. Effects on the anti-HLE activity due to the nature of the substituents R and R(1) present on their LG were observed and rationalised by means of molecular modelling techniques. The results of in vivo pharmacological tests indicated that MAOAs, while showing an inhibitory activity on the haemorrhage induced by HLE, did not exhibit any effects due to the R and R(1) substituents.

3-Phenylpiperidines (PPEs) have been thoroughly investigated in view of their interesting dopaminergic activity, and the N-n-propyl substitution has been suggested as the most effective among several PPEs differently substituted on the phenyl ring. In previous studies, we found that the dimethyl substitution on the phenyl ring of N-unsubstituted PPEs provided compounds active toward alpha2-adrenergic receptors (alpha2-ARs), which proved to possess interesting selectivity properties. The high degree of homology between the binding domains of alpha2-ARs and D4-dopaminergic receptors (D4-DARs) prompted us to verify whether this kind of substitution on the aromatic ring might prove to be active against retinal DARs of the D4 subtype. On the basis of these premises, we synthesized the dimethylphenyl-substituted PPEs 4a-f, in which an n-propyl chain is present on the aminic nitrogen. Radioligand binding assays on bovine retina and striatum membranes for D1-like and D2-like DARs indicated that PPEs 4a, 4b, and 4f possess a high affinity and selectivity for the D4-DAR subtype of bovine retina.

In an attempt to change the beta-adrenergic properties of completely aliphatic 3-(methyleneaminoxy)propanolamine derivatives, from antagonist to agonist, while still retaining the beta 2-selectivity, we described, in a previous paper, the synthesis of a series of such derivatives possessing a hydroxy or methoxy group linked to the aliphatic substituent present on the oximic carbon. However, pharmacological tests indicated that these compounds maintain the competitive antagonism on beta receptors. In this paper, the synthesis and the results of functional tests on isolated preparations are reported for a new series of 3-(substituted-benzylideneaminoxy)propanolamine derivatives in which either the hydroxy or the methoxy group is linked to a phenyl ring present on the oximic carbon. The results obtained are then discussed, taking into account the conformational and reactivity properties of these compounds, determined by means of theoretical calculations.

The N-isopropyl- and N-t-butyl-substituted 1-[o-(3-amino-2-hydroxypropoxy)benzylideneaminoxy]-3-amino-2-propa nols (7a,b) and their meta (8a,b) and para (9a,b) isomers, in which a single aromatic ring is substituted both by the oxypropanolaminic chain of (aryloxy)propanolaminic beta-adrenergic antagonists (AOPAs) and the [(methyleneamino)oxy]propanolaminic chain of [(methyleneamino)oxy]-propanolaminic beta-blocking drugs (MAOPAs), were synthesized and assayed for their beta-adrenergic activity by functional tests on isolated preparations. Compounds 7-9 represent a new type of molecular duplication of beta-adrenergic drugs, formally deriving from the sharing of the aromatic portions of two different pharmacophoric subunits, namely the (aryloxy)propanolaminic portion of AOPAs and the [(benzylideneamino)oxy]propanolaminic portion of aryl-substituted MAOPAs. The pharmacological results showed that the beta-blocking activity of compounds 7-9 is closely related to the way in which the two subunits are linked by the aromatic nucleus: the activity decreases on passing from the ortho-compounds (7a,b) to the meta (8a,b) and then to the para (9a,b) isomers. A comparison of this activity trend with those found for series of both beta-blocking AOPAs and aryl-substituted MAOPAs seems to indicate that compounds 7-9 can be considered more as AOPAs substituted on the phenyl ring by a [(methyleneamino)oxy]propanolaminic chain rather than as aromatic MAOPAs substituted on the same phenyl moiety by an oxypropanolaminic portion.

A series of beta-aminoxypropionic acids (AOPAs) had previously been designed and synthesised as analogues of antiinflammatory arylacetic acids (ArAAs) in which the Ar portion is substituted by the (methyleneaminoxy) methyl moiety (C = NOCH2, MAOMM). Most of these AOPAs had exhibited a significant antiinflammatory and antiaggregating activity. This paper reports the synthesis of a new series of beta-aminoxypropionic acids (SAOPAs) which include the saturated (methylaminoxy)methyl moiety (CHNH-OCH2, SMAOMM) in the place of the MAOMM present in AOPAs. The antiinflammatory activity of SAOPAs was evaluated by the carrageenan-induced paw edema method and the antiaggregating activity was evaluated by means of tests using arachidonic acid (AA) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) as the aggregating agents. Two SAOPAs were evaluated for their capacity to inhibit the cyclooxygenase enzyme by measuring the malondialdehyde (MDA) produced by incubation of sodium arachidonate with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). The pharmacological results showed that the saturation of the iminic double bond led to a reduction or even the disappearance of the antiaggreganting activity, whereas it did not induce any evident changes in the antiinflammatory activity. Theoretical studies were carried out in order to compare the conformation and the molecular reactivity of SAOPAs with those of AOPAs.

Previous studies in the field of beta-adrenergic drugs had supported the hypothesis of the existence of a bioisosterism between the [(methyleneamino)oxy]methyl moiety (C = NOCH2, MAOMM) of type B beta-blocking drugs and the aryl (Ar) of type A beta-blocking agents. In the MAOMM, however, the carbon of the CH2 linked to the oximic oxygen possesses a hybridization (sp3) and a geometry different from those of the corresponding carbon of Ar which possesses an sp2 hybridization. Furthermore, in the MAOMM, in its preferred conformation, the unsaturated portion (C = N) is situated in a spatial area which does not correspond exactly to the area occupied by Ar. The formal inversion of the atomic sequence C = NOCH2 of the MAOMM leads to a different type of group, the [(methyloxy)imino]methyl moiety (CH2ON = C, MOIMM), which, in the E configuration, appears to present greater steric and electronic analogies with an Ar, with respect to the MAOMM. On the basis of these observations, some completely aliphatic (E)-N-(3-amino-2- hydroxypropylidene)(alkyloxy)amino derivatives of type C (11a,b and 12a, b) were synthesized, the their beta-adrenergic properties were compared with those of the corresponding [(methyleneamino)oxy]-methyl isomers of type B (19a, b and 20a, b). The similar beta-adrenergic properties of 11, 12 and 19, 20 evaluated in vitro both by radioligand binding assays and by functional tests on isolated preparations, are discussed on the basis of considerations regarding the spatial correspondences and electronic analogies between the MOIMM and the MAOMM.

In previous papers dealing with the study of the conformations and the biopharmacological activity of conformationally restrained analogs of sympathomimetic catecholamines (NE and ISO), proposals were advanced for the three-dimensional molecular models A, B, and C; these models provided information about the steric requirements for the direct activation of alpha 1, alpha 2,beta 1, and beta 2 adrenoceptors, respectively. The 1-(aminomethyl)-6,7-dihydroxyisochromans 11 and 12 and the 1-(aminomethyl)-5,6-dihydroxyisochromans 13 and 14 (1-AMDICs) are two different types of semirigid analogs of NE and ISO. The alpha 1, alpha 2, beta 1, and beta 2 adrenergic properties of the 1-AMDICs 11-14 were evaluated in vitro, both by radioligand binding assays and by functional tests on isolated preparations, and were compared with those of their parent compounds (NE and ISO). The results of a conformational study carried out by means of both 1H NMR spectrometry and theoretical calculations indicated that, in these 1-AMDICs, the presumed active groups (aryl moiety, amine nitrogen and benzylic ethereal oxygen) are in a spatial relationship corresponding to the one found for NE and ISO in their preferred conformations, which also proved to be the pharmacophoric conformation in the models A-C. By means of a comparison of the stereostructures of the 1-AMDICs 11-14 with their biopharmacological properties, it was possible to obtain a further definition of the model B with respect to the activation of the alpha 2 adrenoceptors; the superimposition of the 1-AMDICs 11 and 12 with the molecular model C made it possible to detect an area of the beta-adrenergic receptors which might hinder the fit of adrenergic drugs that are analogs of catecholamines with these receptors.

The alpha 1-, alpha 2-, beta 1-, and beta 2-adrenergic properties of the 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)morpholines 3 and 4 (2-DPMs), of the 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-piperidinols 5 and 6 (3-DPPs), and of the trans-2-amino-5,6-dihydroxytetrahydronaphthalen-1-ols 7 and 8 and the trans-2-amino-6,7-dihydroxytetrahydronaphthalen-1-ols 9 and 10 (2-ADTNs) were evaluated in vitro both by radioligand binding assays and by functional tests on isolated preparations and compared with those of norepinephrine (NE, 1) and isoprenaline (ISO, 2). Through a comparison of the stereostructures of the compounds examined with their biopharmacological properties, it was possible to revise previously proposed molecular models for the direct activation of alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors. The revised models (A-C) provided information about the conformational requirements of adrenergic drugs, which substantially fit in with the results of several published studies involving conformationally-restricted adrenoceptor agonists. The different position of the catecholic hydroxyl groups in model B, which refers to the alpha 2 receptors, and in model C, which refers to the beta receptors, confirms the importance of the rotameric position of the aromatic ring of catecholamines in the interaction with the alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptor.

The substituted 3-aminoxyproprionyl (VII) and 3-aminoxy-(E)-2-methoxyiminopropionyl monobactams (VIII) which possess the monocyclic beta-lactam nucleus of aztreonam (IX) were synthesized by reaction of triethylammonium (3S, 4S)-3-amino-4-methyl-2-oxo-1-azetidinsulfonate with the aminoxy acids X and XI, respectively. Compounds VII and VIII were assayed in vitro for their antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, whether producers of beta-lactamases or otherwise. Both types of compounds (VII and VIII) exhibited a poor antibacterial activity towards Gram-positive bacteria, comparable to that of aztreonam. On the contrary VII and VIII proved to be practically inactive against Gram-negative microorganisms, towards which aztreonam exhibits a high degree of activity.

Previous experimental and theoretical studies carried out on the mechanism of action of adrenergic drugs have shown that the (methyleneaminoxy)methyl moiety (C = NOCH2, MAOMM) can be considered as a "bioisostere" of an aryl group (Ar). On this basis, a series of substituted beta-aminoxypropionic acids (AOPAs) were synthesized as analogues of antiinflammatory arylacetic acids (ArAAs), in which the Ar portion is substituted by the MAOMM, with the aim of evaluating whether any antiinflammatory activity could be obtained from this class of drugs after the substitution of the Ar with the MAOMM. The antiinflammatory activity of the AOPAs synthesized was determined by carageenan-induced rat paw edema, using diclofenac as the reference drug. The pharmacological data showed that most of the AOPAs examined exhibit a significant antiinflammatory activity, which in the case of the (E)-3-(benzylideneaminoxy)propionic acid (7q) is very close to that of the reference drug. Structural and theoretical studies were carried out in order to compare the conformation and the molecular reactivity of the AOPAs with those of the ArAAs. Pharmacological results showed that the ArAAs also generally exhibit an antiinflammatory activity after the substitution of the Ar with the MAOMM, thus supporting the hypothesis of a bioisosterelike relationship between these two moieties in this class of NSAIDs.

Some totally aliphatic 3-(acyloxy)propanolamines were synthesized with the aim of testing whether beta-blocking activity could be obtained from this class of drugs, even in the absence of an aromatic group. The significant and, in most cases, competitive beta-blocking activity shown by the compounds under examination, together with the results of a theoretical study in which their reactivity was compared with that of other adrenergic beta-blocking drugs, seems to confirm a hypothesis previously advanced on the basis of knowledge about the action mechanism of adrenergic beta-blocking drugs and of the results of structural studies. It was also possible to suggest some considerations about the role played by the (acyloxy)methyl portion of 3-(acyloxy)propanolamines in eliciting their adrenergic beta-blocking activity.

The 3-[(2-ethoxyphenoxy)methyl]piperidine derivatives 3-5 were synthesized and screened as potential antidepressant agents by the reserpine interaction test in mice and the evaluation of reuptake inhibition of biogenic amines in pig brain synaptosomal fractions. In addition, their anticonvulsant activity, tested by pentyleneetrazole antagonism, and approximate acute toxicity were evaluated. In vivo and in vitro tests showed that compounds 3 and 5 possess a biological activity comparable to that of the antidepressant drug viloxazine.

Several (E)- and (Z)-N-alkyl-alpha,beta-dimethylcinnamamides variously substituted on the phenyl group were synthesized from their corresponding acids and characterized through their NMR spectra. The compounds were tested to determine the relationship existing between their action on the CNS and the activity exhibited by the corresponding amides unsubstituted on the phenyl, previously studied. Substitution with the same group always had the same effects on the biological activity of the (E)-N-alkyl-alpha,beta-dimethylcinnamamides selected; these effects mainly regarded anticonvulsant activity which is the most noteworthy action of these compounds. This activity was reduced by electron-donating substituents and increased by electron-withdrawing ones. In the Z series the p-phenyl substitution with a halogen reduced or suppressed the CNS stimulant activity exhibited by the parent compounds.

In order to obtain a better understanding of the effects that structural parameters have on the changes of adrenergic activity when 1-aryl-2-aminoethanol derivatives are converted into their corresponding 2-arylmorpholine cyclic analogues, we synthesized 1-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-aminoethanol derivatives 5-7 and their morpholine analogues 8-10. The preferred conformation of amino alcohols and their cyclic analogues have been determined through an H NMR and IR study. Compounds 5 and 6 showed both alpha-stimulating and alpha-blocking activity on rat vas deferens, the effect depending on the concentration employed; on the same isolated tissue, N-isopropyl derivative 7 and the morpholine analogues 8-10 exhibited only alpha-blocking activity. As for the beta-adrenergic activity, only the open-chain compound 7 possessed a moderate blocking effect on isolated guinea pig atria. The results of this work seem to indicate that the changes of pharmacological activity involved in the transformation of the adrenergic drugs into their morpholine analogues are influenced more by characteristic features of the aromatic moiety than by the ethanolamine or propanolamine structure of the drugs.

The (E)- and (Z)-m-(trifluoromethyl)-alpha, beta-dimethylcinnamamides and some of their N-alkyl derivatives were prepared and pharmacologically tested as anticonvulsant agents in order to verify if a ring substituent, like the m-CF3 group, different from a halogen but possessing the same electronic effect could lead to equally active compounds. Some (E)-m-(trifluoromethyl)-alpha-methyl- and -non-methyl-substituted-cinnamamides were also prepared and tested. In the alpha, beta-dimethyl series the results show that the m-CF3 group leads to products more active than the ones unsubstituted on the phenyl ring but still less active than the p-halogen-substituted compounds previously studied. In the alpha-methyl and non-methyl-substituted series, the trend shows the m-CF3 group being able to produce less toxic and, in some cases, more active products than the previously studied amides.

Some (alpha-hydrazinobenzyl)cephalosporins, I (R = Me, CH2OAc, Cl) and II (R = Me, CH2OAc), structurally related (formula; see text) to cephalexin, cephaloglycin, and cefaclor have been prepared and evaluated in vitro for their antimicrobial activity. The synthesis involves the condensation of the chloride hydrochloride III (R = H or Me) with the 7-aminocephem derivatives IV. The hydrazino compound I (R = Cl), an analogue of cefaclor, resulted in being the most active compound of the series.

Some beta-aminoxypropionyl penicillins (3) and cephalosporins (4 and 5), planned on the basis of the hypothesis that the (methyleneaminoxy)methyl group (greater than C = NOCH2) could be a "bioisoster" of either aryls or other aromatic groups, were synthesized and assayed for their antimicrobial properties. Compounds 3-5, tested on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, both sensitive to enzyme inactivation and otherwise, exhibited an activity trend that was not substantially different from that of the corresponding phenylacetamido derivatives taken as terms of comparison.