The preparation of a range of 1,4-dihydropyridine analogues of amlodipine has been undertaken and their calcium antagonist activities on rat aorta have been evaluated. Increasing the size of the C5 ester group dramatically reduces calcium antagonist activity, a trend which would be compatible with the carbonyl group of that ester binding to the DHP receptor. Amlodipine analogues with extended C3 ester substituents also have lower potency than amlodipine, possibly because of disruption of a favourable interaction between the protonated amino group on the 2-substituent and the DHP receptor. Replacement of the 6-methyl substituent in amlodipine by alkoxyalkyl groups or electron-withdrawing groups is also detrimental to calcium antagonist activity.

UK-68,798 increased the duration and effective refractory period of cardiac action potentials recorded in vitro from canine ventricular muscle and Purkinje fibers in a concentration dependent manner from 5 nM to 1 microM. The resting membrane potential, amplitude and maximum upstroke velocity of action potentials were unaffected by UK-68,798, indicating the selective class III antiarrhythmic properties of this agent. UK-68,798 (5 nM-1 microM) increased the effective refractory period of isolated guinea pig papillary muscles at stimulation frequencies of 1 Hz and 5 Hz without influencing the conduction velocity, further confirming that UK-68,798 is devoid of class I antiarrhythmic activity including block of the sodium channel. Studies using single voltage clamped guinea pig ventricular myocytes indicated that UK-68,798 at concentrations of 50 nM and 2 microM blocks a time-dependent K+ current, with no appreciable effects on the time-independent K+ current or the inward calcium current. UK-68,798 is therefore a highly selective K+ channel blocking agent with class III antiarrhythmic properties, a profile that holds considerable promise for the therapy of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.

A sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the specific determination of 1-(4-methanesulphonamidophenoxy)-2-[N-(4-methanesulphonamido-phenethyl)-N-methylamino]ethane (UK-68,798), a novel class III antidysrhythmic agent, in human plasma is described. Specific antisera were raised in sheep using desmesyl-UK-68, 798-succinate-ovalbumin conjugate as the antigenic hapten carrier protein. The antisera produced exhibited high specificity for UK-68, 798 compared with known metabolites from animals, other antidysrhythmic agents and co-administered drugs. Good correlation was found in a comparison of the RIA method with a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method (r = 0.997) and a 10-fold lower limit of determination was observed for the RIA method compared with the HPLC method (0.05 and 0.5 ng ml-1, respectively). The RIA method was applied to the analysis of UK-68, 798 in plasma obtained from human volunteers receiving the compound.

A series of bis(arylalkyl)amines is described and their effects on prolonging effective refractory period in isolated cardiac tissue listed. Most compounds prolonged the cardiac action potential without significantly altering the maximum rate of depolarization and may be defined as selective class III antiarrhythmic agents. It was found that a particularly advantageous structural feature was to have a methanesulfonamido moiety on both of the aryl rings. Thus, compound 16 [1-(4-methanesulfonamidophenoxy)2-[N-(4-methanesulfonamidophene thyl)-N- methylamine]ethane] was selected for further investigations. The compound is highly potent and selective class III agent which acts by blockade of cardiac potassium channels.

A series of [(2-aminoheterocycloethoxy)methyl]dihydropyridines were prepared as selective coronary vasodilators. Results showed that a wide variety of five- and six-membered heterocycles were acceptable at the 2-position of the dihydropyridine ring and in vitro potency and tissue selectivity was independent of the basicity of these heterocycles. The SAR indicated that activity was optimum when the largest ester group was placed at the 3 rather than 5 position. 2-[[2-[(3-Amino-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)amino]ethoxy]methyl]-4- (2,3-dichlorophenyl)-3-(ethoxycarbonyl)-5-(methoxycarbonyl)-6-methyl- 1,4-dihydropyridine (3b) (UK-52,831) emerged as a potent (IC50 = 6.3 X 10(-9) M) and tissue-selective calcium channel blocker with a duration of action greater than 7 h in the anaesthetized dog.

AbstractThe dihydropyridines (IVa) ‐ (IVh) were prepared by two methods, as shown in the scheme.

A series of dihydropyridines substituted at the 2-position by basic side chains are described and their potencies as calcium antagonists listed. One compound, 2-[(2-aminoethoxy)methyl]-4-(2-chlorophenyl)-3-ethoxycarbonyl-5- methoxycarbonyl-6-methyl-1,4-dihydropyridine (17, amlodipine) was found to be comparable in potency to nifedipine and to have an elimination half-life of 30 h in dogs. Oral bioavailability approached 100%, and hemodynamic responses were gradual in onset and long-lasting in effect. The two enantiomers have been prepared, and the bulk of the activity was found to reside with the (-) isomer, 18. X-ray crystallographic studies, carried out on a close analogue of 17, suggest the existence of a weak hydrogen bond between the side-chain oxygen and the proton on the ring nitrogen.