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Three 10-oxa-11-deoxyprostaglandin E1 and two 10-nor-9,11-secoprostaglandin F1 analogues were prepared. The compounds were evaluated for pregnancy interruptions, oxytocin-like activity (uterine strip), and antiprostaglandin activity. One of the 10-nor-9,11-secoprostaglandin F1 analogues displayed activity as a PGE2 antagonist in the gerbil colon smooth muscle preparation.

The 13C-NMR spectra reported in these studies give direct evidence for the presence of two contributing conformers for alpha-methadol hydrochloride, alpha-acetylmethadol hydrochloride and beta-acetylmethadol hydrochloride. Indirect evidence is also available for the presence of more than one conformer for beta-methadol hydrochloride. However, in order to be more descriptive about the structures of the conformers, it is necessary to obtain 13C-NMR spectra that have a higher degree of resolution than is available from our present NMR system. Such systems are available, and plans are currently in progress to obtain 13C-NMR spectra or these compounds at high enough magnetic fields and low enough temperatures to give us the necessary data.

A carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance comparison of synthetic and biological samples was used to identify unequivocally 2-hydroxy-3-O-methyl-6beta-naltrexol as a minor naltrexone metabolite in humans. This study points up the increasing usefulness of natural abundance carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance techniques in metabolism studies.

A number of mono- and bicyclic endoperoxides were prepared and tested for antimalarial activity in search of a simplified analogue of the 5-oxygen-substituted 1,2,4-trioxane ring structure of the naturally occurring antimalarial qinghaosu. The compounds were assayed in an in vitro system for antimalarial activity against chloroquine-susceptible and chloroquine-resistant strains of P. falciparum. The most active compound in this assay was 2-[((butyloxy)-carbonyl)oxy]-1,1,10-trimethyl-6,9-epidioxy-delta 7-octalin (17a), which showed an IC50 of 100 and 57 ng/mL, respectively. For comparison, qinghaosu exhibits a mean IC50 less than 3.4 ng/mL.

The synthesis and antimuscarinic properties of 6-methyl-6-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3 alpha-ol 2,2-diphenylpropionate (1, azaprophen) are described. Azaprophen is 50 times more potent than atropine as an antimuscarinic agent as measured by the inhibition of acetylcholine-induced contraction of guinea pig ileum and is more than 1000 times better than atropine in its ability to block alpha-amylase release from pancreatic acini cells induced by carbachol. In addition, azaprophen is 27 times more potent than atropine as an inhibitor of binding of [N-methyl-3H]scopolamine to muscarinic receptors, with human IMR-30 neuroblastoma cells. The potencies of azaprophen and atropine in altering operant behavior were similar. The structural features of 1 are compared to the standard anticholinergic drugs atropine and quinuclidinyl benzilate by using energy calculations and molecular modelling studies. A modification of the pharmacophore model hypothesis for cholinergic agents is suggested.

The resolution of several antimalarial agents via pi-complex formation with alpha-(2,4,5,7-tetranitro-9-fluorenylideneaminooxy) propionic acid (TAPA) is reported. Since this represents the first use of this agent for the resolution of amines, some details of the separations are presented. The method proved successful for resolving weakly alkaline amines that did not form stable salts with common resolving acids, highly insoluble amines that did not form soluble salts with usual resolving acids, and amines that did not form crystalline salts with commonly available resolving acids. The optical isomers of several antimalarial agents were evaluated against Plasmodium berghei in the mouse. None of the optically active forms showed any significant differences. The curative activity of (+)- and (-)-primaquine against Plasmodium cynomolgi in the rhesus monkey was essentially identical; however, significant differences in toxicity were noted.

Three 4,5-disubstituted primaquine analogues were synthesized and evaluated for radical curative activity against Plasmodium cynomolgi in rhesus monkeys. One of the compounds showed moderate activity; however, none of the three compounds were as active as the lead compounds 5-methoxy-4-methylprimaquine and 4-(methoxy-methyl)-5-[m-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]primaquine.

A series of 2,4-disubstituted 8-aminoquinoline analogues were synthesized and evaluated against Plasmodium berghei in mice and Leishmania donovani in hamsters. 8-[[6-(Diethylamino)hexyl]amino]-2-ethyl-6-methoxy-4-methylquinoline (8a) possessed significant activity against L. donovani. 2-Ethyl-4-methylprimaquine (7a) was evaluated against Plasmodium cynomolgi in rhesus monkey and found to have activity equal to that of primaquine.

The circular dichroism (CD) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) spectra of (S)-5-(2'-pentyl)-2-thiobarbituric acid and several (S)-5-alkyl-5-(2'-pentyl)-2-thiobarbituric acids were obtained. The results were compared to CD and 13C NMR spectral data obtained from (S)-5-(2'-pentyl)bartituric acid and (S)-5-alkyl-5-(2'-pentyl)barbituric acids.

Etoxadrol (2a), one of the eight possible optical isomers of 2-ethyl-2-phenyl-4-(2-piperidyl)-1,3-dioxolane, was synthesized from (S,S)-1-(2-piperidyl)-1,2-ethanediol, which was obtained from cleavage of dexoxadrol (1a, (S,S)-2,2-diphenyl-4-(2-piperidyl)-1,3-dioxolane). The absolute configuration of etoxadrol hydrochloride, a phencyclidine-like compound biologically, was determined to be 2S, 4S, and 6S at its three chiral centers by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Epietoxadrol (2b), epimeric with etoxadrol at the C-2 center, was also obtained from the synthesis. This much less potent enantiomer has the 2R,4S,6S configuration. The affinity of etoxadrol to the phencyclidine binding site was found to be comparable to that of phencyclidine itself and was 35 times more potent than its epimer, epietoxadrol. Three diastereomeric mixtures were prepared that had low affinity for the phencyclidine site. In studies of the discriminative stimulus properties of these compounds, it was found that only etoxadrol substituted for the phencyclidine stimulus. With use of computer-assisted molecular modeling techniques, a hypothetical phencyclidine binding site model has been developed that, unlike our former hypothesis based on Dreiding models, correctly predicts the higher affinity of etoxadrol and the lesser affinity of epietoxadrol for the phencyclidine site.

Two isomeric sulfur-interrupted 8-amino side chain analogues of 4-methyl-5-[m-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]primaquine (2) were prepared and tested for antimalarial activity. The compounds were evaluated for blood schizonticidal activity against Plasmodium berghei in mice and radical curative activity against Plasmodium cynomolgi in rhesus monkeys. In addition, they were evaluated for causal prophylactic activity against Plasmodium berghei yoelii in mice. Both compounds were more active and less toxic than primaquine in the P. berghei screen. One of the compounds showed radical curative activity similar to primaquine but was less active than 2. One of the compounds was active at 160 mg/kg in the P. berghei yoelii screen; the other was not active.

Methods involving solvent extraction and gas-liquid chromatography have been developed for quantitative determination of certain thiobarbiturates and their major metabolites in urine. The structures of the metabolites identified were confirmed by the use of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The present analytic methods were applied to the quantitative determination of (R)-(+)- and (S)-(-)-thiopental as well as (R)-(+)- and (S)-(-)-thiamylal and their major metabolites excreted in human urine. Minor metabolites were isolated and identified.

A number of 1,2,4-trioxanes were prepared and tested for antimalarial activity in search of a simplified analogue of the naturally occurring antimalarial qinghaosu. The compounds were assayed in an in vitro system for antimalarial activity against chloroquine-susceptible and chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. The most active compounds were methyl 2-(2,4a-epidioxy-4a,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-5,5,8a-trimethyl-2H-1-benzop yra n-2-yl) acetate (3b), which showed IC20's of 96 and 39 ng/mL, respectively, and 2,4a-epidioxy-3,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-2-[2-(benzoyloxy)propyl]-5,5,8 a- trimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran (12), which showed IC50's of 24 and 99 ng/mL, respectively. For comparison, qinghaosu exhibits an IC50 of 1 ng/mL for both strains.

4(beta-Alkylvinyl)-6-methoxy-8-nitroquinolines (6) were prepared from 6-methoxy-8-nitroquinoline-4-carboxaldehyde (5) via a Wittig reaction. Stannous chloride reduction of 6 gave 4-(beta-alkylvinyl)-8-amino-6-methoxyquinolines (8), whereas catalytic reduction of 6 using Raney nickel catalyst gave 4-alkyl-8-amino-6-methoxyquinolines (7). Alkylation of 7 and 8 with 4-iodo-1-phthalimidopentane, followed by removal of the phthaloyl-protecting group with hydrazine, gave 4-alkyl and 4-(beta-alkylvinyl) derivatives of primiquine, respectively. These compounds were evaluated for antimalarial activity against P. berghei and P. berghei yoelii in mice and against P. cynomolgi in rhesus monkeys. Several of the compounds were active in the P. bergheii yoelii screen. None of the compounds showed significant activity in the other two screens.

Two metabolites of naltrexone were identified in human and rat urine following drug administration. The metabolites, 2-hydroxy-3-0-methylnatrexone and 2-hydroxy-3-0-methyl-6 beta-naltrexol, were identified by comparison of their respective gas chromatographic retention times and methane chemical ionization spectral patterns with authentic standards. The standards were obtained by chemical synthesis from naltrexone. Urinary excretion of the two metabolites was measured by single ion recording of the pseudomolecular ions of the metabolites and an internal standard. Excretion data was collected from 5 human subjects over a period of 5 days following a single dose of naltrexone. The metabolites, 2-hydroxy-3-0-methylnatrexone and 2-hydroxy-3-0-methyl-6 beta-natrexol were found to account for an average (+/- standard error) of 0.45 +/- 0.08% and 4.6 +/- 2.1% of the administered dose, respectively. An unusually long half-life of elimination of the latter metabolite (mean of 20.2 +/- 1.8 hr) was observed. Acid-hydrolysis of the samples failed to produce a significant increase of either metabolite indicating that the major protion of these metabolites is excreted in the free form.