Patent ID: 6858612

Claim:
A method for the inhibition of nitric oxide production in a mammal, comprising administering to a mammal in need of such inhibition an effective amount of a pteridine compound of the formula I X is O or NH; R 1 is hydrogen, methyl, (C 1 -C 5 )-alkanoyl, nicotinoyl or (1-methyl-3-pyridinio)carbonyl; R 2 is hydrogen or methyl; R 3 is hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, benzyl, (C 1 -C 5 )-alkanoyl, unsubstituted benzoyl, substituted benzoyl, pyridoyl, thienylcarbonyl, one of the radicals the radical R 9 R 9a N—CO—, the radical R 9 R 9a N—CS—, phenoxycarbonyl or benzyloxycarbonyl, wherein when benzoyl is substituted with a halogen, the halogen is fluorine, chlorine, or bromine; R 4 is hydrogen, (C 2 -C 5 )-alkyl, unsubstituted phenyl, substituted phenyl or the radical R 4a —CH 2 —, wherein when phenyl is substituted with a halogen, the halogen is fluorine, chlorine, or bromine; R 4a is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 4 )-alkylmercapto, the radical —S(O) m R 10 , where m is the number 1 or 2, the radical —NR 11 R 12 or the radical —OR 13 , or R 3 and R 4a together are the group —CO—O—, its carbonyl carbon atom being bonded to the 5-position of the pteridine molecule; R 5 is hydrogen or phenyl; R 6 is hydrogen; R 7 is hydrogen or methyl; R 8 is (C 1 -C 10 )-alkyl or benzyl; R 9 is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl or benzoyl; R 9a is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl; R 10 is methyl; R 11 and R 12 independently of one another are hydrogen or methyl; R 13 is hydrogen, (C 1 -C 10 )-alkyl, 2-methoxyethyl, phenyl, 3-phenylpropyl, 3-cyclohexylpropyl, (C 1 -C 5 )-alkanoyl, hydroxyacetyl, 2-amino-(C 2 -C 6 )-alkanoyl which is unsubstituted or substituted in the alkyl moiety by a phenyl radical, or ((C 1 -C 2 )-alkoxy)carbonyl; A 8 is a pharmacologically tolerable anion; or a tautomeric form or pharmacologically tolerable salt thereof with the proviso that said pteridine compound is not 6-methyltetrahydropterin or 2-amino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4(1)-pterinidone.