Chiral arylketones in the treatment of neutrophil-dependent inflammatory diseases

1. A method for the treatment of a disease that is selected from the group consisting of psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative cholitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), glomerulonephritis, and for the prevention and the treatment of damage caused by ischemia and reperfusion, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a composition comprising (R,S)-1-Arylethylketone compounds of formula I, or their single (R) or (S) enantiomers:

wherein

Ar represents phenyl, optionally substituted by one to three substituents, which are the same or different from one another and selected from:

(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, benzoyl, benzoyloxy, isopropylsulfonyloxy, 2-ethylphenylsulfonylamino, phenoxy, 1-oxo-2-isoindolinyl;

Ra and Rb are independently chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen; linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl; phenyl; (C 1 -C 4 )-alkylphenyl; carboxyl; carboxy esters of formula CO 2 R″, wherein R″ is the residue of a linear or branched C 1 -C 6 aliphatic alcohol; phosphonates of formula PO(OR″) 2 wherein R″ is the residue of a linear or branched C 1 -C 6 aliphatic alcohol; 2,3 or 4-pyridyl; a group of formula X—(CH 2 ) n —Z, wherein X is a CO, SO or SO 2 group, Z is H, phenyl or 2-, 3- or 4-pyridyl and n is zero or an integer from 1 to 3.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

Ar is selected from the group consisting of phenyl substituted by one to three substituents, which are the same or different from one another and selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 4 ) alkyl, benzoyl, 1-oxo-2-isoindolinyl; and

Ra and Rb are independently chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl, phenyl, (C 1 -C 4 )-alkylphenyl, 2-, 3- or 4-pyridyl, a group of formula X—(CH 2 ) n- Z, wherein X is a CO, Z is H and n equals zero.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

Ar is a phenyl substituted by one substituent selected from the group consisting of isobutyl, benzoyl and 1-oxo-2-isoindolinyl; and

Ra and Rb are independently chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen, phenyl, 2-, 3- or 4-pyridyl and a group of formula X—(CH 2 ) n- Z, wherein X is a CO, Z is H and n equals zero.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of:

methyl (R)(−)-4-[(4′-isobutyl)phenyl]-3-oxopentanoate;

methyl (S)(+)-4-[(4′-isobutyl)phenyl]-3-oxopentanoate;

(R,S) 4-[(4′-isobutyl)phenyl]-3-oxopentanoic acid;

methyl (R)(−)-4-[(3′-benzoyl)phenyl]-3-oxopentanoate

(R)(−)-3-[(4′-isobutyl)phenyl]butan-2-one;

(S)(+)-3-[(4′-isobutyl)phenyl]butan-2-one;

(R)(−)-3-[(3′-benzoyl)phenyl]butan-2-one;

(R)(−)-dimethyl 3-(4-isobutylphenyl)-2-oxobutan-1-phosphonate;

(S)(+)-dimethyl 3-(3′-phenoxy-phenyl)-2-oxo-butyl-1-phosphonate;

(R)(−)-2-(4-isobutylphenyl)-pentan-3-one;

(S)(+)ethyl-4-[(3′-benzoyl)phenyl]-3-oxopentanoate;

(S)(+)-3-[(3′-benzoyl)phenyl]butan-2-one;

(R)(−)-2-(4-isobutylphenyl)-4-phenyl-butan-3-one;

(R)(−)-2-(4-isobutylphenyl)-5-phenyl-pentan-3-one;

(R)(−)-2-(4-isobutylphenyl)-5-(pyrid-3-yl)-pentan-3-one;

(R)(−) methyl 4-[(4′-benzoyloxy)phenyl]-3-oxopentanoate;

(R)(−) methyl 4-[(4′-isopropylsulfonyloxy)phenyl]-3-oxopentanoate;

(R)(−) methyl-4-1-[4′-(2″-ethyl)phenylsulfonylamino]phenyl]-3-oxopentanoate;

(R,S) 5-(4′-isobutylphenyl)-hexan-2,4-dione;

(R,S) 1-phenyl-5-(4′-isobutylphenyl)-2,4-hexandione;

(R,S) 1-(pyrid-2-yl)-4-(4′-isobutylphenyl)-1,3-pentadione;

(R,S) 2-(4′-isobutylphenyl)-3-oxo-butyl, methyl-sulfoxide;

(R,S) 2-(3′-benzoylphenyl)-3-oxo-butyl, methyl-sulfoxide;

(R,S) 2-(4′-isobutylphenyl)-3-oxo-butyl, methyl-sulfone;

(R,S) 2-(3′-benzoylphenyl)-3-oxo-butyl, methyl-sulfone;

(R,S) 2-(3′-phenoxyphenyl)-3-oxo-butyl, methyl-sulfone;

(R,S) 2-(4′-isobutylphenyl)-3-oxo-butyl, phenyl-sulfone;

(R)(−)-4-(4′-pyridyl)-2-[(4″-isobutyl)phenyl]butan-3-one.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the compound is selected from the group:

(R)(−)-3-[(4′-isobutyl)phenyl]butan-2-one;

(S)(+)-3-[(4′-isobutyl)phenyl]butan-2-one;

(R)(−)-3-[(3′-benzoyl)phenyl]butan-2-one;

(R)(−)-2-(4-isobutylphenyl)-pentan-3-one;

(S)(+)-3-[(3′-benzoyl)phenyl]butan-2-one;

(R)(−)-2-(4-isobutylphenyl)-4-phenyl-butan 3-one;

(R)(−)-2-(4-isobutylphenyl)-5-phenyl-pentan-3-one;

(R)(−)-2-(4-isobutylphenyl)-5-(pyrid-3-yl)-pentan-3-one;

(R,S) 5-(4′-isobutylphenyl)-hexan-2,4-dione;

(R)(−)-4-(4′-pyridyl)-2-[(4″-isobutyl)phenyl]butan-3-one;

(R)-2-[4-(1-oxo-2-isoindolinyl)phenyl]-3-oxo-valeramide.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the steric configuration of the carbon atom to which the residue Ar is bound corresponds to the enantiomer (R).

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

8. A method for treating glomerulonephritis and for treating or preventing damage caused by ischemia and reperfusion, comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a composition comprising (R,S)-1-Arylethylketone compounds of formula I, or their single (R) or (S) enantiomers:

wherein

Ar represents phenyl, optionally substituted by one to three substituents, which are the same or different from one another and selected from:

(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, benzoyl, benzoyloxy, isopropylsulfonyloxy, 2-ethylphenylsulfonylamino, phenoxy, 1-oxo-2-isoindolinyl;

Ra and Rb are independently chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen; linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl; phenyl; (C 1 -C 4 )-alkylphenyl; carboxyl; carboxy esters of formula CO 2 R″, wherein R″ is the residue of a linear or branched C 1 -C 6 aliphatic alcohol; phosphonates of formula PO(OR″) 2 wherein R″ is the residue of a linear or branched C 1 -C 6 aliphatic alcohol; 2,3 or 4-pyridyl; a group of formula X—(CH 2 ) n —Z, wherein X is a CO, SO or SO 2 group, Z is H, phenyl or 2-, 3- or 4-pyridyl and n is zero or an integer from 1 to 3.