3-Methyl-2H-1-benzopyran potassium channel activators.

By aldol condensation of 4-chromanones with paraformaldehyde, 3-alkylenechromanones 10 were obtained which gave 3-alkylchromenes following reduction and dehydration. Subsequent 3-chloroperbenzoic acid oxidation produced the versatile epoxide intermediates 15, from which 3,4-epoxy-3,4-dihydro-2,2,3-trimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-6-carbonitrile (15a) was resolved into its enantiomers by entrainment. In addition to the methyl group, the benzyl, alkyloxymethyl, and 2-nitroethyl residues could be introduced in the 3-position. Treatment of 15a with 2-pyridone simultaneously gave N- and O-substituted products 19a and 20. 19a easily gave 4-(1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-1-pyridyl)chromene 21 by treatment with base. The corresponding pyrrolidinone compounds 26 and 27 were obtained by a slightly modified procedure. Reaction with 2,4-dihydroxypyridine or 3,6-pyridazinediol resulted in the exclusive formation of 4-(heterocyclyloxy)chromanols (31 and 32). Treatment of 15a with 3-amino-6-pyridazinol gave 4-(3-amino-1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-1-pyridazinyl)chromanol derivative 34 lacking an NH bridge. This could be established after methylation of the ring-nitrogen atom (----35). Trans-configurated 3-methyl-4-pyridone compound 36 was obtained by addition of methyllithium to chromene 3. Hyperpolarizing and antispasmodic or relaxing effects of the compounds were determined in organ bath studies using pig coronary arteries precontracted with acetylcholine or rabbit main pulmonary arteries precontracted with noradrenaline. In the 3-methyl series the classical pyridone and pyrrolidinone structures (9, 21, 26, 27) were only weakly active or inactive, but the corresponding 4-(heterocyclyloxy) and 4-(heterocyclylamino) derivatives (31, 32, 35) were even more potent than the demethyl analogues. In conformation/activity investigations it was found that the activity of the 4-substituted benzopyran derivatives seems to be dependent on the relative orientation of their ring systems.