Tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines and tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrido[3,2-a]pyrazines: vascular smooth muscle relaxants and antihypertensive agents.

A series of tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxalines and tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrido[3,2-a]pyrazines were synthesized and tested for their ability to relax K+-depolarized aortic smooth muscle and antihypertensive activity. It was shown that compounds producing the most relaxation of aortic smooth muscle (5-[2,6-dimethoxyphenyl)methyl]-1,2,3,3a-tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a] quinoxalin-4(5H)-one and 5-[(2,6-dimethoxyphenyl)methyl]-5,6,6a,7,8,9-hexahydropyrrolo[1,2- a] pyrazine, 10 and 19, respectively) demonstrated the least hypotensive activity. Those compounds that were the most effective hypotensive agents (6a,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5-(phenylmethyl)pyrido[3,2-a]pyrrolo[1,2-a]++ +pyrazin- 6(5H)-one and 6a,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5-(4-pyridinylmethyl)pyrido[3,2-e]pyrrolo [1,2-a]pyrazin-6(5H)-one, 12 and 13, respectively) displayed little vascular smooth muscle relaxant activity.