Analgesic dipeptide derivatives. 3. Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of o-nitrophenyl-modified analogues of the analgesic compound H-Lys-Trp(NPS)-OMe.

A series of analogues of the analgesic dipeptide derivative H-Lys-Trp(NPS)-OMe has been designed to determine the influence of the (2-nitrophenyl)sulfenyl (NPS) moiety on the activity. The syntheses and antinociceptive effects of these analogues of general formula H-Lys-Trp(R)-OMe [R = phenylsulfenyl (PS) (9); R = (2-carbomethyoxyphenyl)sulfenyl (CmPS) (10); R = (4-nitrophenyl)sulfenyl (pNPS) (11); R = (2,4-dinitrophenyl)sulfenyl (DNPS) (12); R = [2-(acetylamino)-2-carbomethoxyethyl]sulfenyl (AacCmES) (13); R = [2-(acetylamino)phenyl]sulfenyl (AacPS) (17); R = tert-butylsulfenyl (t-BuS) (23); R = (2-carbomethoxyethyl)sulfenyl (CmES) (24)] are described. Reaction of Z-Lys(Z)-Trp-OMe (3) with PS-, CmPS-, pNPS-, DNPS-, and AacCmES-Cl afforded the corresponding 2-(sulfenyl)tryptophan derivatives, which on treatment with boron-tris(trifluoroacetate)/trifluoroacetic acid or trimethylsilyl iodide in acetonitrile (Me3SiI/CH3CN) provided 9-13, respectively. Sulfenylation of 3 with NPS-Cl gave Z-Lys(Z)-Trp(NPS)-OMe, which, on catalytic hydrogenation of the nitro group using 10% Pd/C followed by acetylation of the resulting amino function and removal of the protecting Z groups, gave 17. Condensation of 2-(tert-butylsulfenyl)- and 2-[(2-carbomethoxyethyl)sulfenyl]tryptophan methyl ester, obtained by reaction of methyl 3a-hydroxy-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-b]indole-2-carboxyla te with the corresponding thiol, with Z-Lys(Z)-OSu afforded Z-Lys(Z)-Trp(t-BuS)-OMe and Z-Lys(Z)-Trp(CmES)-OMe, which on treatment with Me3SiI/CH3CN provided 23 and 24, respectively. Intracerebroventricular administration of 10 elicited a naloxone-reversible antinociceptive effect in mice similar to that of H-Lys-Trp(NPS)-OMe. No analgesia was however found with the phenylsulfenyl or acyclic sulfenyl substituted dipeptides 9, 11, and 17 or 13, 23, and 24. The Trp(DNPS)-containing analogue was neurotoxic. Structure-activity studies indicate that the role of the NPS and CmPS moieties could be related to the adoption of a preferential active conformation.