Design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of N-acylhydrazones and novel conformationally constrained compounds as selective and potent orally active phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors.

Among a small series of tested N-acylhydrazones (NAHs), the compound 8a was selected as a selective submicromolar phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitor associated with anti-TNF-α properties measured both in vitro and in vivo. The recognition pattern of compound 8a was elucidated through molecular modeling studies based on the knowledge of the 3D-structure of zardaverine, a PDE4 inhibitor resembling the structure of 8a, cocrystallized with the PDE4. Based on further conformational analysis dealing with N-methyl-NAHs, a quinazoline derivative (19) was designed as a conformationally constrained NAH analogue and showed similar in vitro pharmacological profile, compared with 8a. In addition 19 was found active when tested orally in LPS-evoked airway hyperreactivity and fully confirmed the working hypothesis supporting this work.