PHARMACEUTICALLY ACTIVE DITHIOKETENE DERIVATIVES

Abstract: Pharmaceutically active dithioketene derivatives of the formula where R¹ and R² and n have the meanings set out above, salts and hydrates thereof and processes for the preparation of said compounds, are disclosed. The compounds are active against hepatic disorders.

Description: The present invention relates to dithioketene derivatives which possess good therapeutic and prophylactic activity against hepatic diseases, processes for the production of said compounds and pharmaceutical compositions containing them. Dialkyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)malonates and processes for the preparation thereof are disclosed in DE-A-2,625,220, 2,316,921 and Japanese Specification No. 74 39,260. Dialkyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)malonates are disclosed in Japanese Kokai 75 100,062, Japanese 75 39,666 and 74 39,260. Dithiolane derivatives, having a ketone functional group in the side chain, are disclosed in Japanese Kokai Tokyo Koho JP 59 27,887. Dithietane derivatives containing two ketone functional groups in the side chain are disclosed in Japan Kokai Tokyo Koho JP 62 158,274 and Eur. Pat. Appl. EP 234,480. Reference is also made to USSN 206,659, which was filed by the same applicant of the present invention. It is an object of the present invention to provide novel dithioketene derivatives which possess good therapeutic and prophylactic activity against hepatic disorders. Another object of the present invention is to provide pharmaceutical compositions containing said compounds for example at a dose suitable for daily administration. The present invention accordingly provides compounds of the general formula (I) in which R¹ is a straight or branched alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R² is hydrogen, a straight or branched alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, benzyl, phenyl, 4-hydroxyphenyl, halogenophenyl, 4-trifluoromethylphenyl, 2-thiazolyl, 4-methyl-2-thiazolyl, 4-phenyl-2-thiazolyl, 2-pyridyl or 1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl; and n is an integer of 1 or 2 but excluding compounds in which (i) n is 2, R¹ is ethyl and R² is benzyl; (ii) n is 2, R¹ is isopropyl and R² is benzyl; (iii) n is 2, R¹ is ethyl and R² is chlorophenol or bromophenol. In the following, "dithietan-" refers to a compound of formula (I) where n=1, and "dithiolan-" refers to a compound of formula (I) where n=2. Two particularly preferred classes of formula I are those where R¹ is methyl, ethyl, isopropyl or sec-butyl and n is 1 or 2. In one class R² is hydrogen, a straight or branched alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and in the other class R² is phenyl, a substituted phenyl or a heteroaromatic ring, but excluding compounds in which (i) n is 2, R¹ is ethyl and R² is benzyl; (ii) n is 2, R¹ is isopropyl and R² is benzyl; (iii) n is 2, R¹ is ethyl and R² is chlorophenol or bromophenol. The compounds of the invention can also be used in the form of their pharmaceutically acceptable salts and hydrates. The compounds according to the invention can be administered orally. They will, in general, be associated with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent to provide a pharmaceutical dosage form. The pharmaceutical composition can most conveniently be in the form of capsules or tablets, which may be in the form of slow releasing formulations. The composition may also take the form of a dragee or syrup. The convenient daily dose would be of the order of 100mg to 1.0g per day and the form of dosage units contains from 50mg to 200mg. The compounds of the present invention may be prepared from the reaction of an acid anhydride of formula (II) and an amine of formula (III); in which R¹ ,R² and n have the same meanings given previously and R³ is tert-butyl, lower alkoxy or benzyloxy. The reaction may be carried out by allowing the acid anhydride (II) and the amine (III) to stand in a solvent such as methylene chloride, acetonitrile or alcohol. The reaction with a weakly basic heteroaromatic amine(e.g. 2-aminopyridine, 2-aminothiazole, or 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole) can be carried out by heating the reaction mixture at 50 - 100°C in a solvent such as acetonitrile or N,N-dimethylformamide. In an alternative procedure, the compounds of the present invention can be prepared by reacting an active ester of formula(IV) with an amine of formula(III) ; wherein R¹ and n are the same as defined previously and R⁴ is 1-benzotriazolyl, N-succinimidoyl or N-phthalimidoyl. The reaction can be carried out in a solvent such as acetonitrile, methylene chloride or N,N-dimethylformamide at 10 - 100°C. The reaction with alkyl amines or aniline derivaties can readily take place at a lower temperature(10-30°C), whereas the reaction with weakly basic heteroaromatic amines requires a high temperature(50 - 100°C). In another process, the compounds of formula(I) can be prepared by reacting a monoacid of formula(V) with phosphorous pentachloride to yield an acid chloride of the monoacid which is very unstable. An amine of formula(III) is then added to the acid chloride of monoacid in the presence of pyridine or triethylamine, wherein R¹ and n are the same as defined previously. This reaction can be conducted in the presence of a solvent such as methylene chloride or acetonitrile at a temperature from 0°C to -15°C. In another alternative process, the compounds of formula (I) can be prepared by reacting the compounds of formula(VI) with the compounds of formula(VII). wherein R¹ , R² and n are the same as defined previously ; and X is a halogen. The compound of formula (VI) can be obtained by the reaction of carbon disulfide with the compound of formula (VIII) in the presence of sodium hydroxide at 15-50° C in an organic solvent, e.g. N,N-dimethylformamide or acetone, wherein R¹ and R² are the same as defined previously. In order to obtain the objective compounds of formula (I), the acid chloride of formula (II) and the active ester of formula (IV) are used as an intermediate in the present invention. These intermediates are novel ones, and also constitute the present invention. These intermediates may be made by the processes described below. Acid anhydrides of formula(II), isolated in a stable form, may perpared by reacting the monoacid of formula (V) with the acid chloride of R³COOH, wherein R³ is the same as defined previously, in the presence of an organic base, e.g. triethyl amine or pyridine, at 0 - 30°C. The active ester of the formula (IV) can be prepared by reacting the monoacid of formula (V) with 1-hydroxybenzotriazole, N-hydroxysuccinimide or N-hydroxyphthalimide in the presence of a dehydrating agent such as N, N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The monoacid of formula (V) can be prepared by hydrolyzing one ester group of formula (IX) using the corresponding alcohol as a solvent at ambient temperature ; wherein R¹ and n are the same as defined previously. The starting material of formula(VIII) may be prepared by the reaction of alkyl malonyl chloride with the corresponding amine of formula(III). The compounds of formula(IX) can be prepared by similar methods described in the aforementioned literatures. In order to make the present invention more fully understood, the following Experiments and Examples are given. The descriptions of experiments explain the protective and therapeutic effects of the compounds. Examples are provided to illustrate the preparation of the compounds of formula (I), the starting materials and the related intermediates (Examples 1 to 12). Example 1 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate Diisopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-yilidene)malonate (10g) was added to a solution of potassium hydroxide (3.0g) in isopropyl alcohol(300ml). The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 hrs, after which water(500ml) was added to dissolve the solid. The aqueous solution was acidified with acetic acid and the solid formed was filtered. The filter cake was purified with methylene chloride to afford the titled compound as a white solid. (6.6g, 79%) m. p. : 123 - 124°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 12.30(bs,1H), 5.11(m,1H), 4.00(s,2H), 1.27(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1712, 1627 Example 2 ; Ethyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxy-acetate Diethyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)malonate was treated with a solution of potassium hydroxide in ethanol. The resultant solid was isolated and purified by the same method as in Example 1 to afford the titled compound as a white solid. (51%) m. p. : 166 - 167°C ¹H-NMR(DMSO-d₆) δ : 4.21(q,2H), 4.14(s,2H), 1.08(t,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1701, 1637 Example 3 ; Sec-butyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate Di-sec-butyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidiene)malonate was treated with a solution of potassium hydroxide in sec-butanol. The resultant solid was isolated and purified by the same method as in Example 1 to afford the titled compound as a white solid. (41%) m. p. : 80 - 82° C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃)δ : 12.28(bs,1H), 5.04(m,1H), 4.04(s,2H), 1.77(m,2H), 1.28(d,3H), 0.91(t,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1712, 1627 Example 4 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate Diisopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)malonate was treated with a solution of potassium hydroxide in isopropyl alcohol. The resultant solid was isolated and purified by the same method as in Example 1 to afford the titled compound as a white solid. (64%) m. p. : 104 - 106°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 13.25(bs,1H), 5.22(m,1H), 3.39(s,4H), 1.11(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1711, 1606 Example 5 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate Triethylamine (5.18g) was added to a solution of isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene) - 2 - carboxyacetate (10g) in methylene chloride (100ml). The mixture was cooled to 0°C, to which ethyl chloroformate (5.60g) was added dropwise and then stirred for an hour. The precipitate was removed by filtration. The filtrate was washed with water, dried and evaporated to afford the titled compound as a pale yellow oil. (10g, 81%). ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 5.06(m,1H), 4.25(q,2H), 4.05(s,2H), 1.20(t,3H), 1.15(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1783, 1706, 1654 Example 6 ; Ethyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate Following the procedure of Example 5, the titled compound was obtained as a white solid (99%) from ethyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate. m. p. : 38 - 39°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃)δ : 4.25(2q's,4H), 4.05(s,2H), 1.32(2t's,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1767, 1707 Example 7 ; Sec-butyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate Following the procedure of Example 5, the titled compound was obtained as a yellow oil (97%) from sec-butyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate. ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 5.34(m,1H), 4,32(q,2H), 4.08(s,2H), 1,72(m,2H), 1.45(t,3H), 1.34(d,3H), 0.94(t,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1783, 1705, 1652 Example 8 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate Following the procedure of Example 5, the titled compound was obtained as a yellow oil (97%) from isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate. ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 5.13(m,1H), 4.26(q,2H), 3.42(s,4H), 1.72(t,3H), 1.23(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1786, 1691 Example 9 ; Isopropyl 2 -(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene) -2-[(1-benzotriazolyl)oxycarbonyl] acetate N, N'-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (7.1g) was added to a mixture of isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate (10g) and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole(4.61g) in methylene chloride(100ml). The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 4 hrs, after which the precipitate was removed by filtration. The filtrate was concentrated to afford the titled compound as a white solid. (15g, 96%) m. p. : 146 - 148°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 8.27-7.03(m,4H), 5.18(m,1H), 4.03(s,2H), 1.27(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1709, 1655 Example 10 ; Ethyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[(1-benzotriazolyl) oxycarbonyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 9, the titled compound was obtained as a white solid (89%) from ethyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate. m. p. : 168 - 169°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 8.27-7.06(m,4H), 4.43(q,2H), 4.11(s,2H), 1.37(t,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1728, 1693 Example 11 ; Sec-butyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[(1-benzotriazolyl) oxocarbonyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 9, the titled compound was obtained as a white solid (93%) from sec-butyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate. m. p. : 143 - 144°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 8.29-7.27(m,4H), 5.02(m,1H), 4.09(s,2H), 1.70(m,2H), 1.31(d,3H), 0.92(t,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1712, 1663 Example 12 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-2-[(1-benzotriazolyl)oxycarbonyl] acetate Following the procedure of Example 9, the titled compound was obtained as a white solid (97%) from isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate. m. p. : 88 - 89°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 8.28-7.15(m,4H), 5.24(m,1H), 2.31(s,4H), 1.38(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1720, 1687 Example 13 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carbamoylacetate A solution of isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate (10g) in methanolic ammonia (60ml) was stirred at room temperature for 4 hrs. The mixture was concentrated and purified with n-hexane and ethyl ether to give the titled compound as a white solid.(5.2g, 68%) m. p. : 128 - 129°C ¹H-NMR(DMSO-d₆) δ : 7.68(bs,1H), 7.30(bs,1H), 5.13(m,1H), 4.03(s,2H), 1.37(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1675, 1647 Example 14 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(N-ethylcarbamoyl)acetate. Following the procedure of Example 13, the titled compound was obtained as a white solid (72%) from a solution of isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate in methanolic ethylamine. m. p. : 65 - 67°C ¹H-NMR(DMSO-d₆) δ : 8.42(bs,1H), 5.25(m,1H), 3.97(s,2H), 3.37(q,2H), 1.29(d,6H), 1.08(t,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1683, 1613 Example 15 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(N-benzylcarbamoyl)acetate The mixture of isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate (15g) and benzylamine (6.4ml) in methylene chloride (150ml) was stirred at room temperature for 4 hrs. The reaction mixture was then washed with dil-HCl and water to remove benzylamine. The solvent was evaporated and the residue was purified with ethyl acetate to give the titled compound as a white solid. (12.2g, 77%) m. p. : 93 - 94°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 8.82(bs,1H), 7.52(m,5H), 5.06(m,1H), 4.48(dd,2H), 3.96(s,2H), 1.28(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1669, 1615 Example 16 ; Methyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-fluorophenyl)carbamoyl]acetate A mixture of methyl 2-[N-(4-fluorophenyl)carbamoyl]acetate (10g), carbon disulfide (3.2ml) and acetone (200ml) was cooled to 5 - 10°C, to which 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide (4.2ml) was added dropwise. The mixture was stirred at same temperature for 2 hrs, then dibromomethane (4ml) was added dropwise and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hr and refluxed for 2 hrs. The solid was removed by filtration and the filtrate was poured onto ice-water. The solid formed was filtered, and dissolved in methylene chloride. The solution was washed with 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and water, then dried. The solvent was evaporated and the residue was purified with ethyl acetate and ethyl ether to give the titled compound as a white solid.(8.5g, 60%) m. p. : 141 - 142°C ¹H-NMR(CF₃COOD) δ : 7.42-7.03(m,4H), 4.15(s,2H), 3.98(s,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1685, 1622 Example 17 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-chlorophenyl)carbamoyl]acetate A solution of isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-carboxyacetate (10g) in methylene chloride (100ml) was cooled to -10°C and thereto phosphorous pentachloride (8.9g) was added portionwise and then stirred for 1 hr. To the reaction mixture pyridine (13.8ml) and 4-chloroaniline (5.45g) were added and stirred for 2 hrs. The mixture was washed with dil-HCl, 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and water and then evaporated. The residue was purified with ethyl acetate to afford the titled compound as a white solid. (8.9g, 61%). m. p. : 164 - 165°C ¹H-NMR(CF₃COOD) δ : 7.37(m,4H), 5.21(m,1H), 4.12(s,2H), 1.45(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1678 Example 18 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(N-phenylcarbamoyl)acetate A solution of isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate (10g) and aniline (3.6ml) in methylene chloride (100ml) was stirred at room temperature for 8 hrs. The reaction mixture was washed with 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, dil-HCl and water and then evaporated to dryness. The residue solid was purified with ethyl acetate to give the titled compound as a white solid. (7.9g, 78%). m. p. : 115 - 116°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) : 10.52(bs,1H), 7.85-6.75(m,5H), 5.16(m,1H), 3.99(s,2H), 1.34(s,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1671 Example 19 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 18, the titled compound was prepared as a white solid (67%) from isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate and 4-aminobenzotrifluoride. m. p. : 151 - 152°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 10.78(bs,1H), 7.68(m,4H), 5.40(m,1H), 4.02(s,2H), 1.34(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1686, 1623 Example 20 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 18, the titled compound was prepared as a white solid (66%) from isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate and p-aminophenol. m. p. : 175 - 176°C ¹H-NMR(DMSO-d₆) δ : 10.20(s,1H), 9.15(s,1H), 7.40-6.73(dd,4H), 5.13(m,1H), 4.21(s,2H), 1.42(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1675, 1606 Example 21 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 18, the titled compound was obtained as a white solid (80%) from isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-2-ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate and 4-aminobenzotrifluoride. m. p. : 139 - 140°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 10.90(bs,1H), 7.82-7.65(dd,4H), 5.24(m,1H), 3.40(s,4H), 1.42(d,2H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1679, 1631 Example 22 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(2-thiazolyl)carbamoyl]acetate The solution of isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate (10g) and 2-aminothiazole(4.0g) in methylene chloride (100ml) was stirred at room temperature for 24 hrs. The reaction mixture was washed with 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and water and then evaporated. The residue was chromatographed on silica gel column using methylene chloride as an eluent to afford the titled compound as a white solid (6.5g, 63%). m. p. : 174 - 175°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃ / DMSO-d₆ ) δ : 11.70(bs,1H), 7.24(dd,2H), 5.29(m,1H), 4.19(s,2H), 1.29(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1675, 1621 Example 23 ; Ethyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-methyl-2-thiazolyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 22, the titled compound was obtained as a white solid (39%) from ethyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate and 2-amino-4-methylthiazole. m. p. : 218 - 219°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 11.50(bs,1H), 6.45(s,1H), 4.39(q,2H), 4.02(s,2H), 2.34(s,3H), 1.33(t,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1685 Example 24 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-methyl-2-thiazolyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 22, the titled compound was obtained as a white solid (46%) from isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate and 2-amino-4-methylthiazole. m. p. : 197 - 198°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 11.62(bs,1H), 6.44(2,1H), 5.16(m,1H), 4.06(s,2H), 2.35(s,3H), 1.43(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1678, 1627 Example 25 ; Sec-butyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-methyl-2-thiazolyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 22, the titled compound was prepared as a white solid (67%) from sec-butyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate and 2-amino-4-methylthiazole. m. p. : 153 - 154°C ¹H-NMR(DMSO-d₆)δ : 11.67(bs,1H), 6.47(s,1H), 5.01(m,1H), 4.07(s,2H), 2.35(s,3H), 1.49(m,2H), 1.29(d,3H), 0.93(t,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1675, 1624 Example 26 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-methyl-2-thiazolyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 22, the titled compound was prepared as a white solid (41%) from isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate and 2-amino-4-methylthiazole. m. p. : 161 - 162°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃ ) δ : 11.85(bs,1H), 6.64(s,1H), 5.24(m,1H), 3.37(s,4H), 2.34(s,3H), 1.42(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1668, 1623 Example 27 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(4-phenyl-2-thiazolyl)carbamoyl]acetate A solution of isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate (10g) and 2-amino-4-phenylthiazole (6.2g) in N,N-dimethylformamide (100ml) was stirred at 60°C for 24 hrs. The reaction mixture was poured onto ice-water (500ml) and the solid formed was filtered. The filter cake was dissolved in methylene chloride, and the solution was washed with 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and water and then evaporated to dryness. The residue was chromatographed on silica gel column using methylene chloride as an eluent to afford the titled compound as a white solid. (6.9g, 54%). m. p. : 225 - 226°C ¹H-NMR(CF₃ COOD) δ : 7.99-7.44(m,5H), 7.26(s,1H), 5.25(m,1H), 4.30(s,2H), 1.44(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1673 Example 28 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 27, the titled compound (38%) was obtained from isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-(ethoxycarboxycarbonyl)acetate and 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole. m. p. : 212 - 213°C ¹H-NMR(DMSO-d₆ ) δ : 9.16(s,1H), 5.20(m,1H), 4.26(s,2H), 1.33(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1676, 1625 Example 29 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(2-pyridyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 27, the titled compound (77%) was obtained from isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[(1-benzotriazolyl)oxycarbonyl]acetate and 2-aminopyridine. m. p. : 162 - 163°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃ ) δ : 11.10(s,1H), 8.72-6.93(m,4H), 5.21(m,1H), 3.99(s,2H), 1.37(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1676, 1631 Example 30 ; Ethyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(2-pyridyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 27, the titled compound (51%) was prepared from ethyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[(1-benzotriazolyl)oxycarbonyl]acetate and 2-aminopyridine. m. p. : 181 - 183°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 10.97(bs,1H), 8.52-6.72(m,4H), 4.40(q,2H), 4.01(s,2H), 1.34(t,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1676, 1628 Example 31 ; Sec-butyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(2-pyridyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 27, the titled compound (76%) was obtained from sec-butyl 2-(1,3-dithietan-2-ylidene)-2-[(1-benzotriazolyl) oxycarbonyl]acetate and 2-aminopyridine. m. p. : 118 - 119°C ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃) δ : 11.03(bs,1H), 8.53-6.74(m,4H), 5.02(m,1H), 4.05(s,2H), 1.51(m,2H), 1.31(d,3H), 0.95(t,3H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1671, 1632 Example 32 ; Isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-2-[N-(2-pyridyl)carbamoyl]acetate Following the procedure of Example 27, the titled compound was obtained as a white solid (53%) from isopropyl 2-(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-2-[(1-benzotriazolyl)oxycarbonyl]acetate and 2-aminopyridine. m. p. : 121 - 122°C ¹H-NMR(DMSO-d₆) δ : 10.61(bs, 1H), 8.59-6.79(m,4H), 5.02(m,1H), 3.37(bs,4H), 1.22(d,6H) IR (KBr) cm⁻¹ : 1666, 1629 Experiment 1 ; Protective effect against acute hepatic damage induced by carbon tetrachloride (Principle) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is a well-known hepatotoxic agent, thus widely used to produce experimental animal models for screening the potential drugs acting upon hepatic diseases. In this experiment test compounds were administered to mice prior to treatment with CCl₄ . 24 Hours after the CCl₄ treatment, the animals were sacrificed and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were determined. The hepatoprotective effect of a test compound was evaluated by the suppressive action against the increase of serum ALT induced by CCl₄. (Method) The experimental animals were divided into the normal, the CCl₄ treated and the test compound treated groups. Each group consisted of 8 mice with body weight of 20-25 grams. The test compounds were suspended in 0.2% sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC-Na) solution and administered orally at the dose of 50mg/125ml/kg body weight. Only the vehicle, 0.2% CMC-Na solution, was administered to the normal and to the CCl₄ treated group instead of the test compound suspension. 6 Hours after the drug administration, the CCL₄ solution in olive oil was administered orally to the CCl₄ treated-group and the test compound treated group at the dose of 50ul/25ml olive oil/kg body weight. The normal group was administered with olive oil only at the same dose. 24 Hours after the CCl₄ administration, blood samples were collected from the orbital sinus of the animals and the sera were monitored using an automatic blood analyzer (Gilford, SBA 300). The hepatoprotective effect of the test compounds was expressed by the suppressive percentage against the increase of serum ALT level induced by CCl₄ calculated by the following formula ; Hepatoprotectrice effect (%) = ALT level (CCl₄ group)-ALT level (test group) ALT level (CCl₄ group)-ALT level (normal group) x 100 (Results) The test results are shown in Table I. Experiment 2 ; Determination of 50% Effective Dose (ED₅₀) of test compounds (Principle) The various doses of test compounds were administered to mice, followed by the treatment with CCl₄ after 6 hours. 24 Hours after the CCl₄ treatment, the serum ALT level of the animals were determined. The hepatoprotective effect of the test compounds and the doses were plotted to form dose-response curves, from which the ED₅₀ doses of the test compounds were estimated. (Method) The experimental animals were divided into the normal, the CCl₄ treated and the test compound treated groups. Each group consisted of 8 mice with body weight of 20 - 25 grams. The test compounds were suspended in 0.2% CMC-Na solution and administered orally at a dose of 50mg, 25mg, 12.5mg or 6.25mg/125ml/kg body weight. Only the vehicle, 0.2% CMC-Na solution, was administered to the normal and to the CCl₄ treated group instead of the test compound suspension. 6 Hours later, the CCl₄ solution in olive oil was administered orally to the CCl₄ treated and the test compound treated groups at the dose of 50ul/25ml olive oil/kg body weight. The normal group was administered olive oil only at the same dose. 24 Hours after the CCl₄ administration, blood samples were collected from the orbital sinuses of the animals and the sera were obtained by centrifugation. The serum ALT activities were monitored and the hepatoprotective effect of the test compounds were calculated by the same method as described in experiment 1. The percentages were plotted against the corresponding doses of the test compounds to make dose-response curves, from which the 50% effective dose of test compound was estimated. (Results) The 50% effective doses (ED₅₀) of the test compounds are shown in Table II. Experiment 3 : Acute toxicity of test compounds Each test compound was suspended in 0.2% CMC-Na solution in various concentrations to make test suspensions. The test suspensions were administered orally to male ICR mice (10 in each group) at various doses. The number of dead mice was counted for 14 days and the value of median lethal dose (LD₅₀, g/kg) was calculated by the Hitchifield-Wilcoxon method. The results are shown in Table III.

Claims: Compounds of formula (I); in which R¹ is a straight or branched alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R² is hydrogen, a straight or branched alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, benzyl, phenyl, 4-hydroxyphenyl, halogenophenyl, 4-trifluoromethylphenyl, 2-thiazolyl, 4-methyl-2-thiazolyl, 4-phenyl-2-thiazolyl, 2-pyridyl or 1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl; and n is an integer of 1 or 2 but excluding compounds in which (i) n is 2, R¹ is ethyl and R² is benzyl; (ii) n is 2, R¹ is isopropyl and R² is benzyl; (iii) n is 2, R¹ is ethyl and R² is chlorophenyl or bromophenyl. Compounds as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that R¹ represents methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, or sec-butyl. Compounds as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that R² represents methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, or sec-butyl. Compounds as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that R² represents benzyl. Compounds as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that R² represents phenyl, 4-hydroxyphenyl, fluorophenyl, chlorophenyl or 4-trifluoromethylphenyl. Compounds as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that R² represents 2-thiazolyl, 4-methyl-2-thiazolyl or 4-phenyl-2-thiazolyl. Compounds as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that R² represents 1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl. A salt or hydrate of a compound as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7. A process for preparing thioketone derivatives of the following formula(I) in which R¹ is a straight or branched alkyl group havng 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R² is hydrogen, a straight or branched alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, benzyl, phenyl, 4-hydroxyphenyl, halogenphenyl, 4-trifluoromethylphenyl, 2-thiazolyl, 4-methyl-2-thiazolyl, 4-phenyl-2-thiazolyl, 2-pyridyl or 1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl; and n is an integer of 1 or 2 which comprises (a) reacting the compound of the following formula (II) in which R¹ and n have the same meanings as in formula (I) and R³ is sec.- or tert.-butyl, a lower alkoxy having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or benzyloxy, with the compound of the following formula (III) R²NH₂ (III) in which R² has the same meaning as in formula (I); or (b) reacting the compound of the following formula (IV) in which R¹ and n have the same meanings as in formula(I) and R⁴is 1-benzotriazolyl, N-succinimidoyl, N-phthalimidoyl or arylsulfonyl, with the compound of the above formula (III) ; or (c) reacting the compound of the following formula (V) in which R¹ and n have the same meanings as in formula(I), with phosphorus pentachloride, followed by reacting with an amine of the above formula (III) in the presence of pyridine or triethylamine ; or (d) reacting the compound of the following formula (VI) in which R¹ and R² have the same meanings as in formula(I), with the compound of the following formula (VII) X(CH₂)nX (VII) in which X is a halogen and n is an integer of 1 or 2. Process for the preparation of compounds of the general formula I as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein R¹, R² and n are as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7 substantially as hereinbefore described. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmacologically effective amount of a compound, salt or hydrate as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8, in association with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent. Compound, salt or hydrate as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8 for use as an active therapeutic or prophylactic agent against hepatic damage.

Inventors: CHAE, JEONG SEOK, KIM, CHOONG SUP, LEE, JEONG WON, LEE, JONG WOOK, PARK, JAE GIL, YOO, HO SEONG
Applicants: YUHAN CORPORATION, LTD.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: C07D339
IPC codes: C07D339, A61K31, C07D409, C07D417, C07D331, A61P1