Synthesis, anticonvulsant, sedative and anxiolytic activities of novel annulated pyrrolo[1,4]benzodiazepines.

Four new pentacyclic benzodiazepine derivatives (PBDTs 13-16) were synthesized by conventional thermal heating and microwave-assisted intramolecular cyclocondensation. Their anticonvulsant, sedative and anxiolytic activities were evaluated by drug-induced convulsion models, a pentobarbital-induced hypnotic model and an elevated plus maze in mice. PBDT 13, a triazolopyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepin-8-one fused with a thiadiazolone ring, exhibited the best anticonvulsant, sedative and anxiolytic effects in our tests. There was no significant difference in potency between PBDT 13 and diazepam, and we proposed that the action mechanism of PBDT 13 could be similar to that of diazepam via benzodiazepine receptors.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity testing of new amido-substituted triazolopyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBDT) derivatives.

A series of amido-substituted triazolopyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBDT) derivatives was synthesized from isatoic anhydride, and their cytotoxicity against the MRC-5 and Mahlavu cell lines was evaluated. The results suggest that compound PBDT-7i with the meta-trifluoromethylbenzoyl substituent can selectively inhibit the growth of Mahlavu cells and has low toxicity towards MRC-5 cells.

Further exploration of antimicrobial ketodihydronicotinic acid derivatives by multiple parallel syntheses.

A synthetic reexamination of a series of ketodihydronicotinic acid class antibacterial agents was undertaken in an attempt to improve their therapeutic potential. A convenient new synthesis was developed involving hetero Diels-Alder chemistry producing 74 new analogs in a multiple parallel synthetic manner and these were examined in vitro for their antimicrobial potential. Several compounds demonstrated significant broad-spectrum activity against clinically derived bacterial strains but previously known 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-6-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-4-pyridone-3-carboxylic acid (7) remained the most potent compound in this class. Cross-resistance with ciprofloxacin supported a commonality of mode of action. Permiabilization of Escherichia coli cells by polymyxin B significantly enhanced potency with these agents suggesting that poor cellular uptake was primarily responsible for the disappointing activity against bacteria that some of the analogs exhibited.

Formal total syntheses of the (-)-salicylihalamides A and B from D-glucose and L-rhamnose.

[reaction: see text] Two formal total syntheses of the (-)-salicylihalamides, based on chiral pool approaches, are reported. D-glucose and L-rhamnose were used to prepare advanced intermediates 23 and 54, which can be converted in three or four steps, respectively, to the target compounds. The synthesis of 23 from a known D-glucose-derivative was accomplished in 12 steps and 17% overall yield, and the synthesis of 54 from a known L-rhamnose-derivative was done in nine steps and 6% overall yield. A key step in the synthesis was a ring-closing metathesis reaction to prepare the macrocyclic ring system. It was demonstrated that the phenolic protecting group was critical for inducing the preferential formation of the desired E isomer. It was further shown that the protecting group at the C13 hydroxyl group had no significant influence on the E:Z ratio during the ring-closing metathesis reaction.

Enantiospecific formal total syntheses of (-)-salicylihalamides A and B from D-glucose and L-rhamnose.

[reaction: see text] Two formal chiral pool syntheses of the (-)-salicylihalamides A and B were achieved from commercially available 1,2,5,6-diacetone-d-glucose and l-rhamnose.