Synthesis and antihypertensive activity of substituted trans-4-amino-3,4-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-3-ols

A series of novel substituted trans-4-amino-3,4-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-3-ols was prepared and tested for antihypertensive activity in the conscious deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)/saline treated hypertensive rat. Optimum blood pressure lowering activity requires 6-substitution by a strong electron-withdrawing group, together with a pyrrolidino or piperidino group at the 4 position. Exceptions to this were the 7-nitro-4-pyrrolidine analogue and the 6-nitro-3-chloropropylamine, which retained marked antihypertensive activity. All of these compounds were direct vasodilators and had comparable antihypertensive activity to hydralazine and to the calcium antagonist, nifedipine. The synthetic route to these compounds involves cyclization of of propargyl ethers to 2H-1-benzopyrans, followed by conversion via bromohydrins to 3,4-epoxides, which were ring opened with the appropriate amines. Meta-substituted propargyl ethers gave both 5- and 7-substituted benzopyrans on thermal cyclization, the former predominating. A new route to 2,2-dimethyl-7-nitrobenzopyran is described.