Chemistry and positive inotropic effect of pelrinone and related derivatives. A novel class of 2-methylpyrimidones as inotropic agents

The ruthenium-catalyzed C-H functionalization of enamides with isocyanates: easy entry to pyrimidin-4-ones

Ruthenium-catalyzed heteroannulation between enamides and isocyanates has been realized as a complementary approach to conventional strategies for the synthesis of pyrimidin-4-ones. High step- and atom-economy was achieved for the rapid construction of such privileged scaffolds, which are found in a multitude of pharmaceutical compounds. The generality and practicability of this transformation were reflected by the broad scope of substrates with diverse functional groups, large-scale synthesis, and late-stage diversification.

Synthesis and evaluation of the antitumor activity of highly functionalised pyridin-2-ones and pyrimidin-4-ones

The methods for selective synthesis of two novel types of compounds including pyridin-2-ones 3 and pyrimidin-4-ones 4 were developed. The antitumor bioactivity screening showed that certain compounds had potent antitumor activity.

A mathematical model for analysis of pharmacologically induced changes in the kinetics of cardiac muscle

A mathematical model of the isometric contraction of cardiac muscle is developed and utilized to characterize the inotropic and lusitropic effects of cardioactive compounds in isolated guinea pig left atria. In contrast to metrics that are based on minima and maxima of an isometric twitch and its derivative function, the entire time course of the twitch is used to quantify the kinetics of the contraction-relaxation cycle. The model relates observed tension to a time-dependent activation function that describes generation of internal force and a coupling function that determines mechanical response to the activation function. The model is structured so that it is suitable for nonlinear curve fitting to observed data. Results obtained using the model for fitting experimental data from tissues treated with different classes of cardioactive compounds agree with more qualitative results presented by other authors. Experiments using the model to fit data over an extended (90 min) time course revealed differences in the kinetic profiles of milrinone and forskolin. Computer simulations that demonstrate the effect of each model parameter on twitch kinetics are presented, and the relationships between the model and other theoretical and empirical models of cardiac muscle are discussed. The mathematical model is useful to enable a more quantitative understanding of the kinetics of cardiac muscle contraction and relaxation and identify compounds that may be selective for inotropic or lusitropic effects.

Cardiotoxicity of vasodilators and positive inotropic/vasodilating drugs in dogs: an overview

Standard toxicological studies in dogs using high doses of vasodilators and positive inotropic/vasodilating agents give rise to a species-specific cardiotoxicity. The reason may be the extreme sensitivity of the dog to the pharmacological effects of these drugs; exaggerated pharmacodynamic effects and prolonged disturbance of homeostasis mechanisms often are responsible for the observed organ lesions. An assessment of the toxicological relevance and the risk for patients taking the drugs at therapeutic doses cannot be made without taking into account their pathomechanisms and the pathophysiological basis of the exceptional reaction patterns occurring in dogs. A large series of vasodilating and positive inotropic agents are presented, their pharmacological properties are described, and toxicological effects in dogs are compared. In view of the poor correlation between the distinct cardiac lesions induced in dogs and a lack of comparable toxicity in humans, it appears desirable to reassess the adequacy of the standard toxicological approaches for these substances.

5-Acyl-6-aryl-4-nitro-3(2H)pyridazinones and related 4-amino compounds: synthesis and pharmacological evaluation

Several 4-nitro- and 4-amino-5-acyl-6-aryl-3(2H)pyridazinones were prepared and their in vitro and ex vivo antiaggregatory properties were evaluated. 4-Nitro derivatives 3 generally showed good activity in vitro towards arachidonic acid (AA)-induced human blood platelet aggregation. The 4-amino compound 4a, which has weak in vitro activity, exhibited antiplatelet activity, particularly on adenosine dephosphate (ADP)-induced aggregation ex vivo in rabbit. Moreover, the same compound was shown to be active in platelet-activating factors (PAF)-induced rat paw hyperalgesia and to be endowed with low acute oral toxicity. The 4-amino derivatives 4a-m and the other pyridazinones 5-9 administered orally to rats were also found to be more potent antiinflammatory agents than acetyl salicylic acid (ASA). Compounds 3a and 4a, tested in vitro on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages, were seen to be active in the inhibition of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and interleukin-1 activity. Structure-activity relationship studies in the series of antiaggregating pyridazinones 3 have shown the primary importance of the nitro and acetyl substituents at positions 4 and 5, respectively. Hydrophobic substituents at position 2 were also required for better activity.

Potentiation of phosphodiesterase inhibitor antithrombotic activity with alpha-2 adrenergic blockade

The antithrombotic activity of pelrinone, a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor was examined in a canine model of coronary thrombosis that uses electrical current to injure the coronary endothelium. Ninety percent of vehicle treated animals developed complete coronary occlusion and thrombus mass was 32.0 +/- 5.8 mg. In a group of animals treated with zomepirac, 10 mg/kg i.v., included as a positive control, thrombus mass was decreased to 10.3 +/- 3.3 mg and incidence of occlusion was reduced to 37.5%. Pelrinone, 5.0 mg/kg i.v. decreased the incidence of occlusion to 50%, thrombus mass to 21.3 +/- 8.3 mg and inhibited platelet aggregation to collagen, ADP and arachidonic acid by 80%, 54% and 87% of baseline, respectively. When yohimbine, an alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist, was co-administered (2.0 mg/kg at the beginning of the experiment +0.5 mg/kg halfway through the experiment) with the same dose of pelrinone, thrombus mass was decreased to 1.0 +/- 0.5 mg and none of the animals developed coronary occlusion. Yohimbine administration by itself at 2.0-3.0 mg/kg showed no evidence of antithrombotic activity (thrombus mass = 32.8 +/- 8.0 mg, incidence of occlusion = 100%). This dose of yohimbine inhibited significantly ADP-induced aggregation in the presence of epinephrine. These results demonstrate that, even though this dose of pelrinone elicited near maximal inhibition of platelet aggregation, the concurrent administration of an alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist was able to potentiate markedly the phosphodiesterase inhibitor antithrombotic activity.

A topographical model for the c-AMP phosphodiesterase III active site

With this minireview, concepts about how c-AMP and various inhibitor molecules interact with the phosphodiesterases seem to have come full-circle. It will be proposed and elaborated herein that an understanding of SAR for the newest, "second generation" PDE inhibitors is best accomplished by adopting a model that supposes that these compounds are transition state inhibitors. The analysis finds an interesting parallel with early studies where it was recognized that c-AMP adopts a trigonal bipyramid transition state during hydrolysis. The dynamic interaction of ligands with the phosphodiesterase enzymes will also be made evident when simple algebraic expressions are shown to be inadequate for predicting inhibitor potencies. The latter are apparently complicated by cooperative or synergistic relationships that occur among the various binding sites within the receptor. Finally, implications that can be derived from certain topographical features of the model are discussed relative to a range of potential therapeutic indications.