INHIBITION OF E-SELECTIN-MEDIATED, ICAM-1-MEDIATED, AND VCAM-1-MEDIATED CELL-ADHESION BY BENZO[B]THIOPHENE-CARBOXAMIDES, BENZOFURAN-CARBOXAMIDES, INDOLE-, AND NAPHTHALENE-2-CARBOXAMIDES - IDENTIFICATION OF PD-144795 AS AN ANTIINFLAMMATORY AGENT

It was previously reported that 3-alkoxybenzol[b]thiophene-2-carboxamides exemplified by 1, 5-methoxy-3-(1-methylethoxy)benzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamide, decreased the adherence of neutrophils to activated endothelial cells by inhibiting the upregulation of the adhesion molecules E-selectin and ICAM-1 on the surface of the endothelium. This finding is extended here to a series of 3-thiobenzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamides and also heterocyclic analogs of I, including benzofurans, indoles, and naphthalenes. The compounds that inhibited the expression of E-selectin and ICAM-1 had the same effect on the expression of VCAM-1. PD 144795, 5-methoxy-3-(1-methylethoxy)benzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamide 1-oxide (44), the sulfoxide analog of 1, was orally active in several models of inflammation. The in vitro and in vivo activity of PD 144795 resided predominately in the S-enantiomer.