A new class of analgesic agents toward prostacyclin receptor inhibition: Synthesis, biological studies and QSAR analysis of 1-hydroxyl-2-substituted phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolines

By studying the structural similarity of analgesic imidazolines and 2-phenylnitronyl nitroxides, 20 1-hydroxyl-2-substituted phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolines (2a-t) were newly synthesized as selective antagonists of prostacyclin receptor (IP receptor). In the in vivo tail-flick assay, 2a-t (dose, 0.13 mmol/kg) receiving mice showed increased pain thresholds ranging from 20.52 +/- 7.25% to 90.94 +/- 11.97%, which were significantly higher than that ranged from 12.27 +/- 9.56% to 17.71 +/- 7.00% shown by normal saline (NS) receiving mice. In the in vivo tail bleeding assay, 2a-t (dose, 1.30 mmol/kg) receiving mice gave a bleeding time ranging from 116.3 +/- 8.0 s to 119.6 +/- 7.1 s, and NS receiving mice gave a bleeding time ranging from 116.7 +/- 7.5 s to 119.1 +/- 8.7 s, which were at a substantially equal level. These observations imply that no bleeding risk occurred even when 10-fold dose of analgesic assay was used. In the in vitro vasorelaxation assay, it was found that when the aortic strip contracted by noradrenaline (NE, final concentration, 10(-7) M) was treated with the solution of 2a-t in NS (final concentration, 5 x 10(-3) M) only lower percentage inhibitions ranged from 6.63 +/- 2.72% to 46.28 +/- 2.63% were recorded. Relatively higher concentration of 2a-t (5 x 10(-3) M) and relatively lower percentage inhibitions (13 of 20 less than 23.27 +/- 3.47%) suggest that 2a-t exhibit few vasodilation activity. To shed some light on the potential analgesic mechanisms of 2a-t, moreover, a QSAR analysis was carried out by using the multiple linear regression method. Taken altogether, the current study confirms that as selective antagonist of IP receptor 1-hydroxyl-2-substituted phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline may be a promising lead compound of analgesic agent without cardiovascular and bleeding side effects. (C) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.