Retinobenzoic acids. 4. Conformation of aromatic amides with retinoidal activity. Importance of trans-amide structure for the activity.

N-Methylation of two retinoidal amide compounds, 4-[(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)carbamoyl]benz oic acid (3, Am80) and 4-[[(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2- naphthalenyl)carbonyl]amino]benzoic acid (5, Am580), resulted in the disappearance of their potent differentiation-inducing activity on human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60. Studies with 1H NMR and UV spectroscopy indicated that large conformational differences exist between the active secondary amides and the inactive N-methyl amides. From a comparison of the spectroscopic results of these amides with those of stilbene derivatives, the conformations of the active amides are expected to resemble that of (E)-stilbene, whereas the inactive amides resemble the Z isomer: 3 (Am80) and 5 (Am580) have a trans-amide bond and their whole structures are elongated, while the N-methylated compounds [4 (Am90) and 6 (Am590)] have a cis-amide bond, resulting in the folding of the two benzene rings. These structures in the crystals were related to those in solution by 13C NMR spectroscopic comparison between the two phases (solid and solution).