OCTOBER
1961
4185
COMMUNICATIONS
boxaldehyde. Its hydrochloride, formed as yellow needles, melted a t 204-205" dec. (Anal. Found for CleH16NOyHCl: C, 62.71; H, 5.53; N, 4.65.) Both I and I1 increased similarly the coronary Sir: flow in the Langendorf preparation of the excised Among the physiological activities proposed' cat heart, when 5 to 100 micrograms were introfor the flavonoids are effects upon the vascular duced into the perfusion system a t the aortic cansystems. The ability of compounds of this type to nula. The coronary dilating action compares quanform chalcones under biological conditions is also titatively very favorably with published data on significant.1s2Khellin, which contains a chromone similar action by Khellin. Doses of 5 to 10 mg./kg. nucleus, has long been used as a vasodilator, and given intravenously to the dog lowered the arterial more recently it was reported that 5,s-dimethoxy- pressure moderately. The acute oral LD50 of I in chromone derivatives possess potential coronary mice was approximately 600 mg./kg. and its acute dilating3 and tranquilizing properties4 accompanied intravenous LD50was 52 mg./kg. The acute oral by muscle relaxation actions. These facts suggested and intravenous LDboof I1were 1000 mg./kg. and 55 the possibility that &substituted acrylophen~nes~to 68 mg./kg., respectively.7 These results indicate with structures corresponding to those active chro- that the 2-hydroxy group of I is not essential for mones might also exhibit interesting pharmaco- activity, but that its omission reduces the toxicity logical activities. Consequently, a series of p-substi- slightly. A further study of the correlation between tuted acrylophenones were synthesized, and their structure and activity of the many substituted physiological properties were studied. A few of these acrylophenones synthesized seems to indicate that compounds were found to exert a powerful coronary the presence of the 3,6-dimethoxy and pyridyl vasodilating activity with low toxicity. The synthe- groups are necessary to ensure a higher degree of ses and pharmacology of two representative com- coronary dilating action. pounds are reported here. The present findings appear to provide a new approach in the search for more effective cardiovascular drugs.
p-Pyridylacrylophenones. A New Class of Active Coronary Dilating Agents
RESEARCH DIvrsioN INC. ETHICON, SOMMERVILLE, N. J.
JOHN Koo8
Received August 4, 1961
I
I1
(7) The pharmacology study of these compounds by Dr. S. Krop and associates, A. Cameron, M. L. Greame, and Condensation of 3,G-dimethoxy-2-hydroxyaceto- E. Siegmund, Ethicon Inc., is gratefully acknowledged. (8) Present address: Geigy Research Laboratories, phenone4s6 with 3-pyridinecarboxaldehyde in the Ardsley, N.Y. presence of piperidine or sodium hydroxide solution
as catalyst gave 3,6-dimethoxy-2-hydroxy-p-(3pyridyl)acrylophenone(I) as a yellow oil, the hyPhotoisomerization of drochloride of which formed red needles, m.p. 233-234 dec. (Anal. Found for Cd-ISNOgHCl: 3,5-Cycloheptadienones C, 59.47; H, 5.07; N, 4.41.) In addition, an isomer produced by cyclization of I, namely, 5,s-dimeth- &T .' oxy-2-(3-pyridyl)chromanone, was also isolated in The generality of the photoisomerization of cyclothe form of colorless, fluffy needles; m.p. 170". heptadienes to bicyclo [3.2.O]heptenes (I to 11) has (Anal. Found for CieI-II6NO4:C, 67.55; H, 5.44; N, been well established for a variety of substituted 4.80.) cycloheptadienes1V2 as well as 1,3-cycloheptadiene In order to learn whether the 2-hydroxy group (I) .Is3 Among the substituted cycloheptadienes of I was necessary for physiological activity, 2,5dimethoxy-P-(3-pyridyl)-acrylophenone (11) was which undergo this type of photoisomerization are subsequently synthesized by the analogous reaction the conjugatcd dienones eucarvone (111,R1 = CHs, of 2,5-dimethoxyacetophenone with 3-pyridinecar(1) G. J. Martin, Ann. N . Y . A c d . Sci, 61, 646 (1955). (2) G. R. Bartlett, J. Pharmacol. Exptl. Therap., 93, I I1 329 (1948). (3) G. Jongebreur, Arch. intem. pharmacodynamic, 90, (1) 0. L. Chapman and D. J. Pasto, Chem. & Id., 53 384 (1952). (1961); 0. L. Chapman, D. J. Pasto, G. W. Borden, and A. (4) J. Koo, J. Org. Chem., 26,635 (1961). A. Griswold, submitted to J. Am. Chem. SOC. ( 5 ) These compounds are analogous to chalcones with a (2) J. Rigaudy and P. Courtot, Tetrahedron Letters, No. heteroryclic in place of a phenyl group on the &position. 3, 95 (1961). (6) W. Baker, J. Chem. SOC.,1922 (1939); A. Russel and (3) W. G. Dauben and R. L. Cargill, Tetrahedron, 12, 186 J. R.Fryc, Org. Syntheses, Coll. Vol. 111,282 (1055). (1961).
