Nitroxide radicals for the treatment of diseases of the respiratory tract

1. A method of treating a disease or disorder of the respiratory tract, said disease or disorder being an obstructive lung disease or disorder, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a compound having the general formula I:

wherein:

the dashed line denotes a saturated bond or an unsaturated bond, wherein when the dashed line denotes an unsaturated bond, R 7 and R 8 are absent;

R 1 -R 4 are each independently a C 1-4 -alkyl, or alternatively, R 1 and R 2 , and/or R 3 and R 4 , together form a 3-7-membered alicyclic ring; and

R 5 -R 8 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heteroalicyclic, halo, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, thiohydroxy, thioalkoxy, thioaryloxy, —S(═O)—R′, —S(═O) 2 —R′, —S(═O) 2 —O—R′, —O—S(═O) 2 —O—R′, cyano, nitro, azide, —P(═O)(OR′)(OR″), —C(═O)—R′, —C(═S)—R′, —N(R′)—C(═O)—NR″R″′, —N(R′)—C(═S)—NR″R″′, —OC(═O)—NR′R″, —N(R″)—C(═O)OR′, —OC(═S)—NR′R″, —N(R″)—C(═S)OR′, —C(═O)—NR′R″, —NR″—C(═O)R′, —C(═O)—OR′, —O—C(═O)R′, —S(═O) 2 —NR′R″, —NR″—S(═O) 2 R′, —N(R′)—N(R″)R″′, —N + R′R″R″′ and —NR′R″, wherein at least one of R 5 -R 8 is —C(═O)—NR′R″,

wherein R′, R″ and R″′ are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalicyclic, aryl and/or heteroaryl,

each of said alkyl, said alkenyl, said alkynyl, said cycloalkyl, said heteroalicyclic, said aryl, said heteroaryl, said alkoxy, said aryloxy, said thiohydroxy and said thioaryloxy being unsubstituted,

thereby treating the disease or disorder.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said dashed line denotes a saturated bond.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said —C(═O)—NR′R″ is —C(═O)NH 2 .

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 -R 4 are each methyl.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 6 is hydrogen, and each of R 7 and R 8 is either hydrogen or absent.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound is 3-carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-pyrrolidin-1-oxyl.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said disease or disorder of the respiratory tract is an inflammatory disease or disorder of the respiratory tract.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said disease or disorder of the respiratory tract is associated with respiratory tract remodeling.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said disease or disorder of the respiratory tract is selected from the group consisting of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic asthma.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said obstructive lung disease or disorder is selected from the group consisting of asthma, bronchitis, bronchiectasis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said disease or disorder of the respiratory tract is associated with a hypersensitivity reaction.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said administering comprises oral and/or intranasal administration of the compound.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said treating does not comprise administration of a selenium-containing compound.

14. A method of treating a disease or disorder associated with respiratory tract remodeling, the method comprising administering by oral and/or intranasal administration to a subject in need thereof a cyclic nitroxide compound having the general formula I:

wherein:

the dashed line denotes a saturated bond or an unsaturated bond, wherein when the dashed line denotes an unsaturated bond, R 7 and R 8 are absent;

R 1 -R 4 are each independently a C 1-4 -alkyl, or alternatively, R 1 and R 2 , and/or R 3 and R 4 , together form a 3-7-membered alicyclic ring; and

R 5 -R 8 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heteroalicyclic, halo, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, thiohydroxy, thioalkoxy, thioaryloxy, —S(═O)—R′, —S(═O) 2 —R′, —S(═O) 2 —O—R′, —O—S(═O) 2 —O—R′, cyano, nitro, azide, —P(═O)(OR′)(OR″), —C(═O)—R′, —C(═S)—R′, —N(R′)—C(═O)—NR″R″′, —N(R′)—C(═S)—NR″R″′, —OC(═O)—NR′R″, —N(R″)—C(═O)OR′, —OC(═S)—NR′R″, —N(R″)—C(═S)OR′, —C(═O)—NR′R″, —NR″—C(═O)R′, —C(═O)—OR′, —O—C(═O)R′, —S(═O) 2 —NR′R″, —NR″—S(═O) 2 R′, —N(R′)—N(R″)R″′, —N + R′R″R″′ and —NR′R″, wherein R′, R″ and R″′ are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalicyclic, aryl and/or heteroaryl,

each of said alkyl, said alkenyl, said alkynyl, said cycloalkyl, said heteroalicyclic, said aryl, said heteroaryl, said alkoxy, said aryloxy, said thiohydroxy and said thioaryloxy being unsubstituted,

wherein said disease or disorder is selected from the group consisting of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, autoimmune-related pulmonary fibrosis, drug-induced interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic asthma, emphysema, acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome,

thereby treating the disease or disorder.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of R 5 -R 8 is —C(═O)—NR′R″.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said —C(═O)—NR′R″ is —C(═O)NH 2 .

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein R 1 -R 4 are each methyl.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein R 6 is hydrogen, and each of R 7 and R 8 is either hydrogen or absent.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of 3-carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-pyrrolidin-1-oxyl and 3-carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrrolin-1-oxyl.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein said treating does not comprise administration of a selenium-containing compound.

21. A method of treating asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and/or lung cancer, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a cyclic nitroxide compound having the general formula I:

wherein:

the dashed line denotes a saturated bond or an unsaturated bond, wherein when the dashed line denotes an unsaturated bond, R 7 and R 8 are absent;

R 1 -R 4 are each independently a C 1-4 -alkyl, or alternatively, R 1 and R 2 , and/or R 3 and R 4 , together form a 3-7-membered alicyclic ring; and

R 5 -R 8 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heteroalicyclic, halo, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, thiohydroxy, thioalkoxy, thioaryloxy, —S(═O)—R′, —S(═O) 2 —R′, —S(═O) 2 —O—R′, —O—S(═O) 2 —O—R′, cyano, nitro, azide, —P(═O)(OR′)(OR″), —C(═O)—R′, —C(═S)—R′, —N(R′)—C(═O)—NR″R″′, —N(R′)—C(═S)—NR″R″′, —OC(═O)—NR′R″, —N(R″)—C(═O)OR′, —OC(═S)—NR′R″, —N(R″)—C(═S)OR′, —C(═O)—NR′R″, —NR″—C(═O)R′, —C(═O)—OR′, —O—C(═O)R′, —S(═O) 2 —NR′R″, —NR″—S(═O) 2 R′, —N(R′)—N(R″)R″′, —N + R′R″R″′ and —NR′R″, wherein R′, R″ and R″′ are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalicyclic, aryl and/or heteroaryl,

each of said alkyl, said alkenyl, said alkynyl, said cycloalkyl, said heteroalicyclic, said aryl, said heteroaryl, said alkoxy, said aryloxy, said thiohydroxy and said thioaryloxy being unsubstituted,

thereby treating the asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and/or lung cancer.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein at least one of R 5 -R 8 is —C(═O)—NR′R″.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein said —C(═O)—NR′R″ is —C(═O)NH 2 .

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein R 1 -R 4 are each methyl.

25. The method of claim 21 , wherein R 6 is hydrogen, and each of R 7 and R 8 is either hydrogen or absent.

26. The method of claim 21 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of 3-carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-pyrrolidin-1-oxyl and 3-carbamoyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrrolin-1-oxyl.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein said administering comprises oral and/or intranasal administration of the compound.

28. The method of claim 21 , wherein said treating does not comprise administration of a selenium-containing compound.