Pyridonecarboxylic acids as antibacterial agents. 4. Synthesis and antibacterial activity of 7-(3-amino-1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-ethyl-6-fluoro-1,4 -dihydro-4-oxo-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acid and its analogues.

The title compounds (28-56) with an amino- and/or hydroxy-substituted cyclic amino group at C-7 were prepared with 1-substituted 7-chloro-, 7-(ethylsulfonyl)-, and 7-(tosyloxy)-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-1,8-naphthyridine-3- carboxylic acids and their ethyl esters (3-7) with cyclic amines such as 3-aminopyrrolidine. The N-1 substituent includes ethyl, vinyl, and 2-fluoroethyl groups. As a result of in vitro and in vivo antibacterial screenings, three compounds, 1-ethyl- and 1-vinyl-7-(3-amino-1-pyrrolidinyl)-6-fluoro- 1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acids (33a and 33b) and 1-vinyl-7-[3-(methylamino)-1-pyrrolidinyl] analogue 34b, were found to be more active than enoxacin (2) and to be worthy of further biological study. Structure-activity relationships are discussed.