Heterocyclic congeners of PD 128,907 with a partially hydrogenated benzomorpholine moiety as potential dopamine D 3-receptor ligands

Abstract

With a straightforward seven-step synthesis, racemic perhydro[1,4]benzoxazin-6-on was synthesized in overall good yields via regioselective epoxid ring-opening to the corresponding β-aminoalcohol. The oxazine derivative was the key intermediate for the preparation of heteroaromatic analogues of the dopamine D 3-receptor preferring agonist PD 128,907. The morpholine moiety of PD 128,907 was incorporated in diazole and diazine compounds obtained by different ring closure reactions. The target compounds obtained were structurally related to non-ergot heteroaromatic dopamine agonists which display preferential activity at the D 3 receptor, e.g., quinpirole, quinerolane, or pramipexole. The five membered aminothiazole, aminoselenazole, and pyrazole derivatives showed at least one order of magnitude higher binding at the human D 3 receptor than that at the D 2L receptor. Although the novel compounds displayed K i values only in the micromolar concentration range, the most active ones showed full agonist activity in a functional assay on mitogenesis.