Synthesis and dual histamine H1 and H2 receptor antagonist activity of cyanoguanidine derivatives.

Premedication with a combination of histamine H1 receptor (H1R) and H2 receptor (H2R) antagonists has been suggested as a prophylactic principle, for instance, in anaesthesia and surgery. Aiming at pharmacological hybrids combining H1R and H2R antagonistic activity, a series of cyanoguanidines 14-35 was synthesized by linking mepyramine-type H1R antagonist substructures with roxatidine-, tiotidine-, or ranitidine-type H2R antagonist moieties. N-desmethylmepyramine was connected via a poly-methylene spacer to a cyanoguanidine group as the "urea equivalent" of the H2R antagonist moiety. The title compounds were screened for histamine antagonistic activity at the isolated ileum (H1R) and the isolated spontaneously beating right atrium (H2R) of the guinea pig. The results indicate that, depending on the nature of the H2R antagonist partial structure, the highest H1R antagonist potency resided in roxatidine-type compounds with spacers of six methylene groups in length (compound 21), and tiotidine-type compounds irrespective of the alkyl chain length (compounds 28, 32, 33), N-cyano-N'-[2-[[(2-guanidino-4-thiazolyl)methyl]thio]ethyl]-N″-[2-[N-[2-[N-(4-methoxybenzyl)-N-(pyridyl)-amino] ethyl]-N-methylamino]ethyl] guanidine (25, pKB values: 8.05 (H1R, ileum) and 7.73 (H2R, atrium) and the homologue with the mepyramine moiety connected by a six-membered chain to the tiotidine-like partial structure (compound 32, pKB values: 8.61 (H1R) and 6.61 (H2R) were among the most potent hybrid compounds. With respect to the development of a potential pharmacotherapeutic agent, structural optimization seems possible through selection of other H1R and H2R pharmacophoric moieties with mutually affinity-enhancing properties.

Phenoxypropylamines: synthesis and antiulcer evaluation.

We have synthesized a number of phenoxypropylamines from N-{3-[3-(1-piperidinylmethyl)phenoxy]propyl}chloroacetamide (3). All the products have been characterized by elemental analysis, (1)H-NMR and MS. The biological activity effects of the title compounds were examined. From the biological activity results, we found that two of themshowed significant gastric acid antisecretory activity.

[(3) H]UR-DE257: development of a tritium-labeled squaramide-type selective histamine H2 receptor antagonist.

A series of new piperidinomethylphenoxypropylamine-type histamine H2 receptor (H2 R) antagonists with different substituted "urea equivalents" was synthesized and characterized in functional in vitro assays. Based on these data as selection criteria, radiosynthesis of N-[6-(3,4-dioxo-2-{3-[3-(piperidin-1-ylmethyl)phenoxy]propylamino}cyclobut-1-enylamino)hexyl]-(2,3-(3) H2 )propionic amide ([(3) H]UR-DE257) was performed. The radioligand (specific activity: 63 Ci mmol(-1) ) had high affinity for human, rat, and guinea pig H2 R (hH2 R, Sf9 cells: Kd , saturation binding: 31 nM, kinetic studies: 20 nM). UR-DE257 revealed high H2 R selectivity on membranes of Sf9 cells, expressing the respective hHx R subtype (Ki values: hH1 R: >10000 nM, hH2 R: 28 nM, hH3 R: 3800 nM, hH4 R: >10000 nM). In spite of insurmountable antagonism, probably due to rebinding of [(3) H]UR-DE257 to the H2 R (extended residence time), the title compound proved to be a valuable pharmacological tool for the determination of H2 R affinities in competition binding assays.

Inhibition of histamine-induced gastric secretion by flavone-6-carboxylic acids.

Twenty-five flavone-6-carboxylic acids were synthesized and tested as to their ability to inhibit histamine-induced gastric acid secretion in the rat. 3-Isopropoxy-4'-methoxyflavone-6-carboxylic acid (41) showed consistent oral activity while being devoid of any other noteworthy pharmacological effects. In vitro, this compound was found to be inactive as a histamine H2 antagonist, and its mode of action remains unknown.

Zwitterionic analogues of cimetidine as H2 receptor antagonists.

A series of analogues of the H2 receptor histamine antagonist cimetidine have been synthesized in which the dipolar cyanoguanidine group has been replaced by a number of zwitterionic moieties. Although none of the compounds is more effective than cimetidine in blocking histamine-stimulated tachycardia on the isolated guinea pig atrium, the activities of most of the compounds possessing rigid dipoles can be accounted for on the basis of dipole orientation relative to the common side chain and by considering the active species in each case to be the zwitterion. These findings are in general agreement with those found for analogues having conjugated groups as dipoles.

Bioisosteric prototype design of biaryl imidazolyl and triazolyl competitive histamine H2-receptor antagonists.

The structural relationship of the competitive histamine H2-receptor antagonist 3-amino-5-(2-amino-4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole (1) to the agonist histamine and to antagonists of the cimetidine type was explored by the design and synthesis of four series of bioisosterically designed prototypes. Biological data from these series was best interpreted as indicating a similarity between the imidazole moiety of histamine and cimetidine and the 2-amino-4-pyridyl moiety of 1. On the basis of this data, sequential replacement of 2-amino-4-pyridyl by 2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-5-furyl and 2-guanidino-4-triazolyl moieties led to a structurally more potent series of biaryl histamine H2-receptor antagonists. The best of these, 2-methyl-4-(2-guanidino-4-thiazolyl)imidazole (29, CP-57,361-1) was 120 times more potent as a histamine H2-receptor antagonist than 1.

Cyanoguanidine-thiourea equivalence in the development of the histamine H2-receptor antagonist, cimetidine.

In the histamine H2-receptor antagonist metiamide (2a) isosteric replacement of thione sulfur (=S) by carbonyl oxygen (=O) or imino nitrogen (=NH) affords the urea 2c and guanidine 2d which are antagonists of decreased potency. The guanidine is very basic and at physiological pH is completely protonated. However, introduction of strongly electronegative substituents into the guanidine group reduces basicity and gives potent H2-receptor antagonists, viz. the cyanoguanidine 2b (cimetidine, "Tagamet") and nitroguanidine 2e. A correspondence between the activity of thioureas and cyanoguanidines is demonstrated for a series of structures 1-4. The close correspondence between cyanoguanidine and thiourea in many physicochemical properties and the pharmacological equivalence of these groups in H2-receptor antagonists leads to the description of cyanoguanidine and thiourea as bioisosteres. Acid hydrolysis of the cyanoguanidine 2b yields the carbamoylguanidine 2f at ambient temperatures and the guanidine 2d at elevated temperatures. Cimetidine is slightly more active than metiamide in vivo as an inhibitor of histamine-stimulated gastric acid secretion and has clinical use in the treatment of peptic ulcer and associated gastrointestinal disorders.

Histamine H2 receptor antagonists. 1. Synthesis of N-cyano and N-carbamoyl amidine derivatives and their biological activities.

A large number of N-cyano amidine derivatives were prepared as potential histamine H2 receptor antagonists and evaluated for their inhibitory action on histamine-stimulated chronotropic response of isolated right atria from guinea pigs. Several selected compounds were assessed as inhibitors of gastric acid secretion induced by histamine in anesthetized dogs. Of these compounds, furan (8c) and [(diaminomethylene)amino]thiazole derivatives (16c) were found to be more potent than cimetidine in both assays. In contrast to the guanidine series, methyl substitution at the terminal nitrogen of the cyano amidines was detrimental to the activities. Furthermore, acid hydrolysis of the cyano amidines gave carbamoyl amidines, which proved to be more active than the cyano amidines, the converse of the case for guanidines. 3-[[[2-[(Diaminomethylene)amino]-4- thiazolyl]methyl]thio]-N'-carbamoylpropionamidine (16d) was the most potent of all the compounds tested and was approximately 30 times more active in vitro and 50 times more active in vivo than cimetidine.

Structure-activity, theoretical, and X-ray studies on the intramolecular interactions in a series of novel histamine H2 receptor antagonists.

The furan ring of the histamine H2 receptor antagonist 3-amino-4-[[2-[[[5-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-2-furanyl]-methyl] thio]ethyl]amino]-1,2,5-thiadiazole 1-oxide (1a) was replaced by thiophene, pyridine, benzene, and pyrrole. The relative receptor affinities of these analogues were estimated by in vitro and in vivo techniques. A theoretical model for the stacking interaction, observed by single crystal X-ray analysis of 1a, was developed, and the ability to enter into this type of interaction was estimated. The X-ray analysis of the pyridine analogue of 1a revealed no intramolecular stacking interaction. The theoretical studies were evaluated in light of the observed receptor affinities, and the relevance of the solid-state geometry of 1a to the receptor-bound geometry was assessed. It is suggested that the stacked geometry found in the X-ray structure of 1a does not represent a conformation that is relevant to that bound at the histamine H2 receptor.

Development of a new physicochemical model for brain penetration and its application to the design of centrally acting H2 receptor histamine antagonists.

A rational approach to the design of centrally acting agents is presented, based initially upon a comparison of the physicochemical properties of three typical histamine H2 receptor antagonists which do not readily cross the blood-brain barrier with those of the three brain-penetrating drugs clonidine (6), mepyramine (7) and imipramine (8). A good correlation was found between the logarithms of the equilibrium brain/blood concentration ratios in the rat and the partition parameter, delta log P, defined as log P (1-octanol/water)-log P (cyclohexane/water), which suggests that brain penetration might be improved by reducing overall hydrogen-bonding ability. This model has been employed as a guide in the design of novel brain-penetrating H2 antagonists by the systematic structural modification of representatives of different structural types of H2 antagonists. Although marked increases in brain penetration amongst congeners of cimetidine (1), ranitidine (9), and tiotidine (10) were achieved, no compound was found with an acceptable combination of H2 antagonist activity (-log KB in the guinea pig atrium greater than 7.0) and brain penetration (steady-state brain/blood concentration ratio greater than 1.0). Conversely, structural modification of N-[[(piperidinyl-methyl)phenoxy]propy]acetamide (30) led to several potent, novel compounds which readily cross the blood-brain barrier. One of these, zolantidine (SK&F 95282, 41), whose -log KB is 7.46 and steady-state brain/blood ratio is 1.4, has been identified for use in studying histaminergic H2 receptor mechanisms in brain. Comparison of delta log P values with the logarithms of the brain/blood ratios for 20 structurally diverse compounds for which data became available confirms a highly significant correlation and supports the general validity of this model.

Photoaffinity labeling of the anionic sites in Caco-2 cells mediating saturable transport of hydrophilic cations ranitidine and famotidine.

The H(2) antagonists, ranitidine and famotidine, exhibit saturable absorptive transport across Caco-2 cell monolayers and human intestine via a yet unidentified mechanism. A photoreactive derivative of famotidine has been synthesized and evaluated as a photoaffinity probe for the putative transporter protein(s). The probe irreversibly inhibited ranitidine transport across Caco-2 cell monolayers and irreversibly increased the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) after UV activation. Photoaffinity labeling was protected by a molar excess of famotidine.

Bioisosteric design of conformationally restricted pyridyltriazole histamine H2-receptor antagonists.

A process of bioisosteric drug design is described whereby, in a manner analogous to synthesis, key portions of an effector molecule are successively replaced by pharmacophores or bioisosteres. This process, when applied to histamine, leads to the competitive histamine H2-receptor antagonist prototype 3-amino-5-(2-amino-4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole (7). The biaryl nature of 7 fixes internitrogen distances, and comparison of these with histamine suggests that 7 shares structural features more in common with histamine trans rather than histamine gauche conformations. Alkylation of the prototype pyridylamino group in 7 markedly improves both histamine H2-receptor antagonist and gastric acid antisecretory activity so that the resulting agent, 3-amino-5-[2-(ethylamino)-4-pyridyl]-1,2,4-triazole (8), is more active than cimetidine.

Potential histamine H2-receptor blockers. 3- and 2-indole derivatives as immobile analogues of tautomeric forms of cimetidine.

At physiological pH, cimetidine (1a) and its analogues burimamide (1b) and metiamide (1c) exist mainly as an equilibrium mixture of tautomers. A high concentration of tautomer 2 is associated with increased H2-receptor interaction. 3-Indole derivatives (5c-f) and 2-indole derivatives (6c-f) were synthesized and tested as immobile analogues of tautomers 2 and 3, respectively. Weak competitive H2 antagonism was found in N'-cyano-N-[2-[(1H-indol-3-ylmethyl)thio]ethyl]carbamidothioic acid methyl ester (5e) and N-[2-[(1H-indol-2-ylmethyl)thio]-ethyl]-N'-methylthiourea (6c).

Studies on histamine H2 receptor antagonists. 2. Synthesis and pharmacological activities of N-sulfamoyl and N-sulfonyl amidine derivatives.

A series of N-sulfamoyl and N-sulfonyl amidines have been prepared and tested in vitro for H2 antihistamine activity on guinea pig atrium. In addition, several selected compounds were assessed as inhibitors of gastric acid secretion induced by histamine in anesthetized dogs. Structure-activity relationship studies showed that those compounds containing 2-[(diaminomethylene)amino]thiazole exhibited potent H2-receptor antagonist activity. Introduction of alkyl or aralkyl groups to the terminal nitrogen of the sulfamoyl moiety reduced biological activities. Sulfamoyl amidines were more potent in both tests than sulfonyl amidines. Of these compounds, 3-[[[2-[(diaminomethylene)amino]-4-thiazolyl]methyl]thio]- N2-sulfamoylpropionamidine (2e, famotidine) showed extremely high potency in both assays and was selected for clinical trials as an antiulcer agent. Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of famotidine gave the sulfamoyl amide 6 at room temperature and the carboxylic acid 7 at elevated temperatures. 15N NMR spectrum showed that famotidine in solution existed in only one of several possible tautomers derived from the amidine and the guanidine moieties. Nitrosation of famotidine was performed under mild condition and proved to occur on the 5-position of the thiazole ring.

Synthesis and antiulcer activity of N-substituted N'-[3-[3-(piperidinomethyl)phenoxy]propyl]ureas: histamine H2-receptor antagonists with a potent mucosal protective activity.

As an aim toward developing new antiulcer agents, new N-substituted N'-[3-[3-(piperidinomethyl)phenoxy]propyl]ureas were synthesized and evaluated for histamine H2-receptor antagonistic, gastric antisecretory, and gastric mucosal protective activities. A QSAR study showed that the most favorable N-substituents were electron-donating straight-chain alkyl groups of short length such as ethyl group from the viewpoint of dual action, i.e., gastric antisecretory and mucosal protective actions. Among the ureas studied, compounds 4, 5, and 8-10 were selected as candidates for further study.

Anti-Helicobacter pylori agents. 1. 2-(Alkylguanidino)-4-furylthiazoles and related compounds.

A series of 2-(alkylguanidino)-4-[5-(acetamidomethyl)furan-2-yl]thiazoles and related compounds were synthesized and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against Helicobacter pylori, inhibitory effect on gastric acid secretion, and histamine H2-receptor antagonist activity. Introduction of alkyl substituents on the guanidino moiety resulted in a significant increase in antimicrobial activity, which was associated with the alkyl chain length. Of the compounds obtained, the n-hexylguanidino derivative 13 demonstrated a 250-fold improvement in activity (MIC = 0.11 micrograms/mL) over the unsubstituted guanidino derivative 7. Alkyl-substituted guanidino derivatives also displayed gastric antisecretion and H2-antagonist activities. However, a simple correlation between the alkyl chain length and the activities was not found in these assays. Replacement of the guanidine with other bioisosteric groups (thiourea, urea, or (dimethylamino)methyl) resulted in loss of all activities tested. Thus the guanidino moiety was found to be essential for activity in this series of compounds.

Pseudosymmetry and bioisosterism in biaryl pyridyl competitive histamine H2-receptor antagonists.

A process of drug design has previously been described that led to the synthesis of 3-amino-5-[2-(ethylamino)-4-pyridyl]-1,2,4-triazole (4), a competitive histamine H2-receptor antagonist structurally unrelated to, but more potent than, cimetidine. A QSAR study on a subset of analogues closely related to 4 showed that gastric acid antisecretory activity increased with decreasing lipophilicity. An SAR study about 4 focused on (1) pyridine substitution compatible with both unidentate and bidentate hydrogen bonding, (2) exploration of the pseudosymmetry of 4, and (3) examination of triazole and imidazole bioisosterism. This SAR study led to a definition of the minimum structural features required for antagonist activity. The pyridylamino group is not essential for activity since replacement with a methyl group results in a decrease but not loss of activity. The triazole amino group is also not essential since replacement of the triazole amino group by methyl results in very similar activity. A triazole ring nitrogen N-1 can be replaced by a CH as in imidazole 20. The same methylimidazole in 20 when appended to a methyl pyridine as in 22 produces a competitive antagonist with Schild plot slope of unity. In summary compound 22 displays the minimum features required for antagonist activity, namely a 4-substituted pyridine appended to a 4(5)-substituted imidazole ring with single nitrogen to amidine nitrogen pair distances of 5.16 and 6.42 A.

Pyridazinones. 1. Synthesis and antisecretory and antiulcer activities of thio amide derivatives.

In an effort to develop new types of antiulcer agents, a series of novel 3(2H)-pyridazinone derivatives and related analogues was synthesized. Substituted 3(2H)-pyridazinones and their 4,5-dihydro analogues were alkylated by omega-haloalkyl cyanides at the N-2 position under phase-transfer catalytic reaction, and the nitrile group was converted to the thio amide group by treatment with hydrogen sulfide alone or with the appropriate primary or secondary amines. Various substituents were introduced on the nitrogen of thio amide, on the carbon in the side chains, and on the 3(2H)-pyridazinone ring. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for gastric antisecretory activity in the pylorus-ligated rat, and selected compounds were applied to experimental ulcer models, such as Shay's, aspirin-induced, and stress-induced ulcers in the rat. Structure-activity relationships are discussed. 3(2H)-Pyridazinones with a C-6 phenyl group and an N-2 alkyl side chain with a terminal thio amide group (48, 49, 51, and 52) were the most potent among the compounds tested.

Studies on antiulcer drugs. 7. 2-Guanidino-4-pyridylthiazoles as histamine H2-receptor antagonists with potent gastroprotective effects against nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug-induced injury.

A series of 2-guanidino-4-pyridylthiazole derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for anti-aspirin-ulcer, gastric antisecretory, and histamine-H2-receptor-antagonist activities. Several compounds showed superior anti-aspirin-ulcer activity to that of clinically used H2-antagonists in the rat. Among them, 4-[6-(acetamidomethyl)pyridin-2-yl]-2-guanidinothiazole (8) demonstrated potent inhibitory activities against gastric lesions caused by two kinds of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, aspirin and indomethacin, respectively, in addition to strong antisecretory activity. Compound 8 possessed a preventable ability for the aspirin-induced reduction of the gastric mucosal blood flow at an intragastric administration of 32 mg/kg in the rat. On the other hand, famotidine (32 mg/kg) exhibited no significant effect and ranitidine (100 mg/kg) aggravated the blood flow in this system.

Anti-Helicobacter pylori agents. 4. 2-(Substituted guanidino)-4-phenylthiazoles and some structurally rigid derivatives.

In order to find a new class of anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) agents, a series of 4-[(3-acetamido)phenyl]-2-(substituted guanidino)thiazoles and some structurally rigid analoges were synthesized and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against H. pylori. Among the compounds obtained, high anti-H. pyrori activities were observed in benzyl derivative 34 (MIC = 0.025 microg/mL) and phenethyl derivatives 35 and 36 (MIC = 0.037 microg/mL and 0.017 microg/mL). Though alkyl derivatives generally showed lower activity, the 2-methoxyethyl derivative 28 preserved significant activity (MIC = 0.32 microg/mL) and also exhibited more potent gastric antisecretory activity than ranitidine. Structural restriction by bridging between the thiazole and the phenyl rings with an alkyl chain did not improve the activity in this series.