2-pyrazolin-5-ones

1. A compound represented by the following structural formula:

or physiologically acceptable salts thereof, wherein:

R is selected from the group consisting of substituted pyrrolyl;

wherein R is substituted by one or more halogen, lower alkyl group, R 3 O—, hydroxyl, HOC(O), R 3 OC(O)—, R 3 OC(O)R 6 —, R 3 OR 6 —, trihalomethyl, trihalomethylcarbonyl, nitro, —C(O)NR 4 R 5 , —NR 4 R 5 , R 3 CO—, —(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —C(O)(CH 2 ) n —R 7 , —C(O)(CH 2 ) n —C(O)—R 7 , —O(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —C(O)NR 4 (CH 2 ) n R 7 , —C(O)O(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —OC(O)(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —NR 4 C(O)(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —R 6 NR 4 R 5 , —R 6 N(R 4 )—R 6 —R 7 , —R 6 N(R 6 —R 7 ) 2 , —R 6 C(O)NR 4 (CH 2 ) n R 7 , —R 6 C(O)O(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —R 6 OC(O)(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —R 6 NR 4 C(O)(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —R 6 CH(C(O)OR 4 (NR 5 C(O)R 4 ) or a substituted aryl or aralkyl group, wherein the substituent is selected from the group consisting of halogen, trihalomethyl, hydroxy, —NR 4 R 5 , nitro, —CONR 4 R 5 , lower alkyl group, R 3 O—, —C(O)OR 4 or —OC(O)R 3 ;

wherein R 6 is a lower alkyl group or an aryl group;

wherein R 7 is alkoxy, haloalkyl, lower alkyl piperazine, hydroxyl, R 3 O—, R 3 C(O)— or —NR 4 R 5 ;

wherein suitable substituents for R 3 , R 4 and R 5 can be one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of halogens, lower alkyl, hydroxy, lower alkoxy, carboxy, lower alkyl ester, trihalomethyl, nitro, phenyl, phenyl-lower alkyl, (C 3 –C 6 )cycloalkyl, (C 3 –C 6 )cycloalkyl-alkyl, CN, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, —C(O)NH 2 , —C(O)NH(alkyl) and —C(O)N(alkyl) 2 ;

R 1 is hydrogen or -A-Z;

A is —(CH 2 ) n ;

Z is a ring system selected from the group consisting of phenyl and pyrazinyl, wherein said ring system can be optionally substituted with one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of halogens, lower alkyl, R 3 O—, HO—, HOC(O)—, R 3 OC(O)—, trihalomethyl, nitro, an aromatic group, a (C 3 –C 6 )cycloalkyl group, a heterocyclic group, an aralkyl group, a (C 3 –C 6 )cycloalkyl-alkyl group, a heterocyclyl-alkyl group, —CN, —C(O)NR 4 R 5 or —NR 4 R 5 ;

R 3 for each occurrence is, independently selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted: lower alkyl group, lower alkoxy lower alkyl group, aromatic group, (C 3 –C 6 )cycloalkyl group, heterocyclic group, aralkyl group, a (C 3 –C 6 )cycloalkyl-alkyl group, and heterocyclyl-alkyl group;

R 4 and R 5 for each occurrence are each, independently, hydrogen, or are selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted: lower alkyl group, aromatic group, (C 3 –C 6 )cycloalkyl group, heterocyclic group, aralkyl group, a (C 3 –C 6 )cycloalkyl-alkyl group, and heterocyclyl-alkyl group;

optionally, R 4 and R 5 together with the nitrogen to which they are attached represent morpholino, pyrrolidino, piperidino, imidazol-1-yl, piperazino, thiamorpholino, azepino or perhydro-1,4-diazepin-1-yl groups each optionally substituted by one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, hydroxy, lower alkoxy lower alkyl, an aromatic group, a (C 3 –C 6 )cycloalkyl group, a heterocyclic group, an aralkyl group, a (C 3 –C 6 )cycloalkyl-alkyl group, and a heterocyclyl-alkyl group; and

n is 0.

2. The compound of claim 1 wherein the compound is a mixture of stereoisomers.

3. The compound of claim 2 wherein the stereoisomers are enantiomers.

4. The compound of claim 3 wherein the stereoisomers are E and Z isomers.

5. The compound of claim 1 wherein the compound is a mixture of structural isomers.

6. The compound of claim 5 wherein the structural isomers are tautomers.

7. A compound according to claim 1 wherein R is substituted with one or more substituents, each independently selected from the group consisting of halogens, lower alkyl groups, R 3 O—, hydroxyl, HOC(O), R 3 OC(O)—, R 3 OC(O)R 6 —, R 3 OR 6 —, trihalomethyl, trihalomethylcarbonyl, nitro, —C(O)NR 4 R 5 , —NR 4 R 5 , R 3 CO—, (CH 2 ) n —R 7 , —C(O)(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —O(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —C(O)NR 4 (CH 2 ) n R 7 , —C(O)O(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —OC(O)(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —NR 4 C(O)(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —R 6 NR 4 R 5 , —R 6 N(R 4 )—R 6 —R 7 , —R 6 N(R 6 —R 7 ) 2 , —R 6 C(O)NR 4 (CH 2 ) n R 7 , —R 6 C(O)O(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —R 6 OC(O)(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —R 6 NR 4 C(O)(CH 2 ) n R 7 , —R 6 CH(C(O)OR 4 )(NR 5 C(O)R 4 ), an optionally substituted aryl and an optionally substituted aralkyl group;

wherein the optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl groups are optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, trihalomethyl, hydroxyl, —NR 4 R 5 , nitro, —CONR 4 R 5 , lower alkyl group, R 3 O—, —C(O)OR4 and —OC(O)R 3 ;

R 6 is a lower alkyl group or an aryl group; and

R 7 is alkoxy, haloalkyl, loweralkyl piperazine, hydroxyl, R 3 O—, R 3 C(O)— or —NR 4 R 5.

8. A compound of claim 7 , wherein R is a substituted pyrrol-2-yl or a substituted pyrrol-3-yl.

9. A compound of claim 8 , wherein R is substituted with one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of Br, Cl, F, aminomethyl, N,N-dimethylaminomethyl, carboxy, carboxymethyl, carboxyethyl, carbonylmethyl, carbonylethyl, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, phenyl, 4-morpholinomethyl, —C(O)—O—(CH 2 ) 2 —N(Me) 2 , —C(O)—O—(CH 2 ) 2 —N(Et) 2 , —C(O)—O—CH 2 —N(Me) 2 , —C(O)—O—(CH 2 ) 2 —N(Me) 2 , —C(O)—NH—(CH 2 ) 2 —N(Me) 2 , —CH 2 —NH—C(O)—CF 3 , (CH 2 ) n —R 7 and an optionally substituted moiety selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl and phenyl, where said optionally substituted moiety is optionally substituted with one or more of Br, Cl, F, hydroxyl, nitro, amino or lower alkyl.

10. A compound of claim 1 wherein R 1 is pyrazinyl or phenyl and R is pyrrolyl substituted by one or more methyl and diethylaminoethyl.

11. A compound of claim 10 wherein the compound is 4-[4-(2-diethylamino-ethyl)-3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-2-ylmethylene]-5-pyrazin-2-yl-2,4-dihydropyrazol-3-one.