Synthesis and substituent effects on antibacterial activity, alkaline hydrolysis rates, and infrared absorption frequencies of some cephem analogues related to latamoxef (moxalactam).
Narisada M, Yoshida T, Ohtani M, Ezumi K, Takasuka M.
Relationships between intrinsic antibacterial activity and beta-lactam reactivity of 7 beta-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetyl]amino- and 7 beta-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)malonyl]amino derivatives of 1-oxa- and 1-thiacephems, with or without the 7 alpha-methoxy group (1-8), were investigated in order to clarify the enhanced antibacterial activity of latamoxef disodium (1). Substituent effects of a carbon atom at the 1- and 7 alpha-positions were also investigated by using racemic 1-carbacephem 9 and 7 alpha-methyl-1-oxacephem 10. Syntheses of 2-8 and 10 are also described. Acid chlorides derived from the O-benzyloxycarbonyl derivative of (4-hydroxyphenyl)acetic acid and the p-methoxybenzyl derivative of (4-hydroxyphenyl)malonic acid smoothly effected the introduction of these side chains. Conjugate addition of lithium dimethylcuprate to the quinoid system in 16 proceeded stereospecifically, furnishing the 7 alpha-methyl group for the synthesis of 10. Values of log (1/C) averaged for the sensitive Gram-negative strains (Escherichia coli NIHJ JC-2 and Klebsiella pneumoniae SRL-1) were taken as an estimation of the intrinsic antibacterial activity. The chemical reactivity of the beta-lactam ring was estimated either by pseudo-first-order rate constants (k) of alkaline hydrolysis measured at pH 9.20 and 35.0 degrees C or by infrared stretching frequencies of the beta-lactam carbonyl measured in dimethyl sulfoxide. Substitution of an oxygen atom at the 1-position increases both the hydrolysis rates and the antibacterial activity by a factor of approximately 6.3, while substitution of a 7 alpha-methoxy group increases the antibacterial activity by a factor of approximately 3.2 without significant change in the hydrolysis rates. The effect of the 7 alpha-methoxy group on the transition state in alkaline hydrolysis is discussed. Substitutions at the 1-position with a methylene group and, especially, at the 7 alpha-position with a methyl group greatly diminished the antibacterial activity, whereas the hydrolysis rate remained high with the substitution of a methylene group. Substitution of an oxygen atom for the sulfur atom at the 1-position of 1-thiacephems increased the beta-lactam carbonyl frequencies by approximately 6 cm-1, whereas introduction of a 7 alpha-methoxy group in 1-thia- and 1-oxacephems reduced the frequencies by approximately 5 cm-1.