Indenopyridazinone derivatives as potential antisecretory and antiulcer agents.

A series of substituted indenopyridazinones (4b-h) has been synthesized and tested for their antisecretory and antiulcer activity, in comparison with ranitidine, as reference drug. While the monomethoxy (4b-d), as well as the benzyloxy (4f) and the 6,9-dimethoxy (4g) derivatives were found to be devoid of overt antisecretory properties, the 9-methoxy (4e) was weakly active. The most interesting compound of this class was the 7,8-dimethoxy substituted (4h), which at an oral dose of 30 mg/kg still retains a significant activity. The dihydroderivatives of 4g,h (compounds 1g,h) were more active (1g) or comparable (1h) to the parent compounds, thus proving that the 4, 4a-double bond, which was an essential requirement in the analogues 2 and 3, is not necessary in this new series. The disubstituted derivatives (1g,h; 4g,h) were also tested as antiulcer agents, in two different models. All compounds were able to prevent haemorragic lesions induced in rats by 90% ethanol in a dose dependent manner. In the indomethacin model they still showed a significant activity, though lower than in the previous test. Attempts have been made to elucidate their mechanism of action.