Pharmacological characterization of a new structural variant of 4-amidinophenylalanine amide-type synthetic thrombin inhibitor.

The synthetic thrombin inhibitor N alpha-(2-naphthylsulfonylglycyl)-4-amidinophenylalanyl-proline (1) was synthesized in order to evaluate the importance of the carboxyl group in its amine portion for fundamental pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of these benzamidine derivatives. The compound is better tolerated in mice and rats than are similar compounds lacking this carboxyl group. It has a significantly longer plasma half-life in rabbits compared to the corresponding compound bearing piperidine instead of proline in the amide moiety. The main excretory route of 1 is via the bile. Hepatic uptake and/or biliary excretion show, however, another time course than that seen for the piperidide. Lower toxicity and more suitable pharmacokinetics may compensate for the loss of thrombin inhibitory potency of this new synthetic thrombin inhibitor.