Method of reducing serum glucose and triglyceride levels and for inhibiting angiogenesis using substitute indolealkanoic acids

1. A method for promoting wound healing in mammals, which method comprises administering to a mammal in need of such treatment an effective amount of a compound of the formula:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein

A is a C 1 -C 4 alkylene group optionally substituted with C 1 -C 2 alkyl or mono- or disubstituted with halogen;

Z is a bond, O, S, C(O)NH, or C 1 -C 3 alkylene optionally substituted with C 1 -C 2 alkyl;

R 1 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1-6 carbon atoms, halogen, 2-, 3-, or 4-pyridyl, or phenyl, where the phenyl or pyridyl is optionally substituted with up to three groups selected from halogen, hydroxy, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, nitro, amino, or mono- or di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylamino;

R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are each independently

hydrogen, halogen, nitro, an alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms, or an alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms substituted with one or more halogens;

OR 7 , SR 7 , S(O)R 7 , S(O) 2 N(R 7 ) 2 , C(O)N(R 7 ) 2 , or N(R 7 ) 2 , wherein each R 7 is independently hydrogen, an alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms or an alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms substituted with one or more halogens or benzyl, where the phenyl portion is optionally substituted with up to three groups independently selected from halogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, amino, and mono- or di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylamino;

phenyl or heteroaryl, each of which phenyl or heteroaryl is optionally substituted with up to three groups independently selected from halogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, amino, and mono- or di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylamino;

phenoxy where the phenyl portion is optionally substituted with up to three groups independently selected from halogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, amino, and mono- or di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylamino; or

a group of the formula

 where

J is a bond, CH 2 , oxygen, or nitrogen; and

each r is independently 2 or 3;

R 6 is hydroxy or a prodrug group;

R a is hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, fluoro, or trifluoromethyl;

and Ar represents

a phenyl group optionally substituted with up to 5 groups independently selected from halogen, an alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms, an alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms substituted with one or more halogens, nitro, OR 7 , SR 7 , S(O)R 7 , S(O) 2 R 7 or N(R 7 ) 2 wherein R 7 is hydrogen, an alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms, an alkyl group of 1-6 carbon atoms substituted with one or more halogens or benzyl, where the phenyl portion is optionally substituted with up to three groups independently selected from halogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, amino, and mono- or di(C 1 -C 6 )alkylamino, or the phenyl group is optionally condensed with benzo where the benzo is optionally substituted with one or two of halogen, cyano, nitro, trifluoromethyl, perfluoroethyl, trifluoroacetyl, or (C 1 -C 6 )alkanoyl, hydroxy, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylthio, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethylthio, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfonyl;

a heterocyclic 5-membered ring having one nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur, two nitrogens one of which is optionally replaced by oxygen or sulfur, or three nitrogens one of which is optionally replaced by oxygen or sulfur, said heterocyclic 5-membered ring substituted by one or two fluoro, chloro, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or phenyl, or condensed with benzo, or substituted by one of pyridyl, furyl or thienyl, said phenyl or benzo optionally substituted by one of iodo, cyano, nitro, perfluoroethyl, trifluoroacetyl, or (C 1 -C 6 )alkanoyl, one or two of fluoro, chloro, bromo, hydroxy, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylthio, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethylthio, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfonyl or trifluoromethyl, or two fluoro or two trifluoromethyl with one hydroxy or one (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, or one or, two fluoro and one trifluoromethyl, or three fluoro, said pyridyl, furyl or thienyl optionally substituted in the 3-position by fluoro, chloro, bromo, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy;

a heterocyclic 6-membered ring having one to three nitrogen atoms, or one or two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen or sulfur, said heterocyclic 6-membered ring substituted by one or two (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or phenyl, or condensed with benzo, or substituted by one of pyridyl, furyl or thienyl, said phenyl or benzo optionally substituted by one of iodo or trifluoromethylthio, or one or two of fluoro, chloro, bromo, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylthio, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkylsulfonyl, or trifluoromethyl, and said pyridyl, furyl or thienyl optionally substituted in the 3-position by fluoro, chloro, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl or (C 1 -C 6 ) alkoxy;

said benzo-condensed heterocyclic 5-membered or 6-membered rings optionally substituted in the heterocyclic 5-membered or 6-membered ring by one of fluoro, chloro, bromo, methoxy, or trifluoromethyl;

oxazole or thiazole condensed with a 6-membered aromatic group containing one or two nitrogen atoms, with thiophene or with furane, each optionally substituted by one of fluoro, chloro, bromo, trifluoromethyl, methylthio or methylsulfinyl;

imidazolopyridine or triazolopyridine optionally substituted by one of trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethylthio, bromo, or (C 1 -C 6 )alkoxy, or two of fluoro or chloro;

thienothiophene or thienofuran optionally substituted by one of fluoro, chloro or trifluoromethyl;

thienotriazole optionally substituted by one of chloro or trifluoromethyl;

naphthothiazole; naphthoxazole; or thienoisothiazole.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the mammal is human.