Synthesis and SAR development of novel P2X7 receptor antagonists for the treatment of pain: part 2.

Novel P2X(7) antagonists were developed using a purine scaffold. These compounds were potent and selective at the P2X(7) receptor in human and rodent as well as efficacious in rodent pain models. Compound 15a was identified to have oral potency in several pain models in rodent similar to naproxen, gabapentin and pregabalin. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) development and results of pain models are presented.

Synthesis and SAR development of novel P2X7 receptor antagonists for the treatment of pain: part 1.

Structure-activity relationship (SAR) efforts around our initial lead compound 1 led to the identification of potent P2X(7) receptor antagonists with improved pharmacokinetic profiles. These compounds were potent and selective at the P2X(7) receptor in both human and rodent. Compound (entry 31) exhibited oral efficacy in the rat MIA and CCI pain models.

3-(Arylsulfonyl)-1-(azacyclyl)-1H-indoles are 5-HT(6) receptor modulators.

Novel 3-(arylsulfonyl)-1-(azacyclyl)-1H-indoles 6 were synthesized as potential 5-HT(6) receptor ligands, based on constraining a basic side chain as either a piperidine or a pyrrolidine. Many of these compounds had good 5-HT(6) binding affinity with K(i) values <10nM. Depending on substitution, both agonists (e.g., 6o: EC(50)=60nM, E(max)=70%) and antagonists (6y: IC(50)=17 nM, I(max)=86%) were identified in a 5-HT(6) adenylyl cyclase assay.

Benzimidazolin-2-stannylenes with N,N'-alkyl (Me and Et) and Lewis base functional groups.

Symmetrically and unsymmetrically N,N'-substituted benzimidazolin-2-stannylenes with sterically nondemanding alkyl (Me and Et) and Lewis base functional groups (-(CH2)nOMe, -(CH2)nNMe2; n=2, 3) have been synthesized by the transamination reaction between suitably substituted o-phenylenediamines and Sn[N(SiMe3)2]2. The N,N'-dimethyl-substituted stannylene 3 exists in the solid state as a bimolecular aggregate which is held together by strong intermolecular Sn...N interactions leading to three-coordinated tin atoms. The benzimidazolin-2-stannylenes with N,N'-(CH2)nOMe substituents (5, n=2; 6, n=3) exhibit weak intramolecular Sn...O interactions in solution. Benzannulated stannylenes with N,N'-(CH2)nNMe2 substituents (7, n=2; 8, n=3) are again dimers which exhibit both intramolecular Sn...NMe2 and intermolecular Sn...N interactions, which leads to tri- or tetracoordinated tin atoms. Some unsymmetrically N,N'-substituted benzimidazolin-2-stannylenes have also been synthesized. The molecular structures of 3, 5, and 8 and the relation between the chemical shift recorded for the tin atoms and the solvent (C6D6 or THF-d8) used for recording 119Sn NMR spectra will be discussed.

Unsymmetrically N,N'-substituted saturated carbenes: synthesis, reactivity and preparation of a rhodium(I) carbene complex.

A versatile synthesis of unsymmetrically N,N'-substituted saturated carbenes is described. The novel racemic imidazolidin-2-ylidenes rac-5 have been synthesized by reductive desulfurization of the corresponding imidazolidin-2-thiones rac-4. The thiones were prepared in two reaction steps from aldimines and secondary amines. Three different substituents at N1, N3 and C4 of the five-membered N-heterocyclic ring can be introduced by choice of suitable aldimines and secondary amines. The dimerization behaviour (diaminocarbene/enetetramine equilibrium) for the unsymmetrically N,N'-substituted imidazolidin-2-ylidenes has been investigated by NMR spectroscopy. Unsymmetrically N-iPr and N-iBu substituted N-heterocyclic carbenes undergo a slow dimerization, whereas N-tBu substituted derivatives are stable as monomeric carbenes indefinitely. The carbene ligand rac-5d has been coordinated to rhodium(I) to give the square-planar rhodium carbene complex [Cl(cod)Rh(rac-5d)]rac-6d which has been characterized by an X-ray diffraction analysis.

Spirocyclic diaminocarbenes: synthesis, coordination chemistry, and investigation of their dimerization behavior.

Nonaromatic, "saturated", spirocyclic N-heterocyclic diaminocarbenes 11 can be obtained from spirocyclic imidazolidin-2-thiones 10 by reductive desulfurization with potassium. The unsymmetrically N,N'-substituted spirocyclic imidazolidin-2-thiones were obtained by reaction of ketimines 9 with lithium N-butyl-N-lithiomethyldithiocarbamate (6). 13C NMR spectroscopy revealed that the unsymmetrically N,N'-substituted spirocyclic imidazolidin-2-ylidene 11 a undergoes a slow, acid-catalyzed dimerization to give the enetetramine 11 a=11 a, which exists in two isomeric forms (syn and anti). This reaction is reversible under special circumstances. Carbenes of type 11 react with [W(CO)6] to yield air-stable carbene complexes of type [W11(CO)5] (14). The molecular structures of two derivatives 14 a and 14 b were established by X-ray crystallography and show clear distortion of the five-membered N-heterocyclic ring, caused by the spirocyclic molecular structure of the carbene ligands of type 11.

Novel cyclopropyl beta-amino acid analogues of pregabalin and gabapentin that target the alpha2-delta protein.

As part of a program aimed at generating compounds with affinity for the alpha(2)-delta subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels, several novel beta-amino acids were prepared using an efficient nitroalkane-mediated cyclopropanation as a key step. Depending on the ester that was chosen, the target amino acids could be prepared in as few as three steps. The cyclopropyl amino acids derived from ketones proved to be potent binders of the alpha(2)-delta subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels, but did not interact with the large neutral amino acid system L (leucine) transporter. Anticonvulsant effects were observed in vivo with compound 34 but only after intracerebroventricular (icv) administration, presumably due to inadequate brain concentrations of the drug being achieved following oral dosing. However, pregabalin 1 was active in the DBA/2 model after oral (and icv) dosing, supporting a hypothesis that active transport is a prerequisite for such zwitterionic species to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Unusual Formation of an Azaphospholene from 1,3,4,5-Tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene and Di(isopropyl)aminophosphaalkyne.

Intramolecular C-H insertion into the methyl group of the amino substituent of 1 is shown by density functional theory calculations to stabilize this intermediate in the formation of the novel 1:1 carbene-phosphaalkyne adduct 2. Compound 2 is formed in near quantitative yield by reaction of 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene with P≡CNiPr2 .

Element-Element Bonds. IX.(1) Structures of Tetrakis(trifluoromethyl)diphosphane and -diarsane: Experimental and Theoretical Investigations.

X-ray structure determinations of tetrakis(trifluoromethyl)diphosphane (2c, mp -82 degrees C, triclinic, P&onemacr;; Z = 1, a = 529.7(3) pm, b = 681.6(2) pm, c = 802.8(3) pm, alpha = 108.58(1) degrees, beta = 99.66(1) degrees, gamma = 103.29(1) degrees, wR2 = 0.204) and -diarsane (3c, mp -52 degrees C, monoclinic, P2(1)/c; Z = 2, a = 769.5(3) pm, b = 750.0(3) pm, c = 960.7(2) pm, beta = 105.26(1) degrees, wR2 = 0.115), both at -100(3) degrees C, reveal the molecules to adopt the trans conformation in the solid. Compared with the tetramethyl derivatives, the E-E (224.6(2)/246.3(1) pm, E = P, As) and E-C (188.3(4)/201.3(7) pm) bonds are elongated by 4.5/4.8 pm and 3.4/3.4 pm, respectively. From gas electron diffraction studies of diphosphane 2c a mixture of 85(10)% trans and 15(10)% gauche conformers can be deduced; diarsane 3c shows the trans form exclusively. The molecular parameters (E-E, 224.8(11)/245.2(6); E-C, 189.6(4)/ 201.2(4) pm) agree excellently with those determined for the crystalline state. As a result of quantum chemical calculations at Hartree-Fock and hybrid density functional levels of theory using 6-311+G basis sets, the gauche conformer of hydrazine derivative 1c and the trans conformer of diarsane 3c are clearly lowest in energy. However, for diphosphane 2c the gauche and not the trans form is found to be slightly more stable. Variations of calculated E-E and E-C bond lengths are analyzed and compared with corresponding values of the parent compounds E(2)H(4) (1a to 3a) as well as the tetramethyl derivatives 1b to 3b.