Several 2-alkylcarbamoyl-1-alkylvinylbenzo[b]furans were designed to find a selective leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor antagonist. 2-(2-Alkylcarbamoyl-1-alkylvinyl)benzo[b]furans having a substituent group at the 3-position, 4-(2-alkylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl)benzo[b]furans having a substituent group at the 3-position, and 7-(2-alkylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl)benzo[b]furans and 3-(2-alkylcarbamoyl-1-alkylvinyl)benzo[b]furans were prepared and evaluated for LTB4receptor (BLT1 and BLT2) inhibitory activities. (E)-3-Amino-4-[2-[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylcarbamoyl]-1-methylvinyl]benzo[b]furan ((E)-17c) showed potent and selective inhibitory activity for BLT2. On the other hand, (E)-7-(2-diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl)benzo[b]furan ((E)-27a) showed potent inhibitory activity for both BLT1 and BLT2.
Variable benzo[b]furan derivatives having (E)- and (Z)-2-alkylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl groups at the 2-, 4- and 5-positions and a carboxylpropoxy or (1-phenyl)ethoxy group at the 7-position were prepared to find novel and selective leukotriene B4
(LTB4) receptor antagonists. (E)-2-(2-Diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl)-7-(1-phenylethoxy)benzo[b]furan (4v) showed selective inhibition to the human BLT2 receptor (hBLT2). On the other hand, (E)-2-acetyl-4-(2-diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl)-7-(1-phenylethoxy)benzo[b]furan (7v) inhibited both human BLT1 receptor (hBLT1) and hBLT2. The (E)-2-(2-diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl) group lay on approximately the same plane as the benzo[b]furan ring, whereas the (E)-4-(2-diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl) group had the torsion angle (45.7°) from the benzo[b]furan ring plane. However, the (Z)-(2-alkylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl)benzo[b]furans were inactive. The inhibitory activity depended on the conformation of the 2-diethylcarbamoyl-1-methylvinyl group.