Use of cysteine derivatives for the preparation of a medicament intended to treat pathologies which result from the formation of the heterotrimeric G protein

1. A method of treating a disorder selected from cholera and travel diarrhea in a patient comprising administering to said patient an amount of a compound of the formula

wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl and lower alkylthio, R 2 and R 3 are individually hydrogen or lower alkyl, R 4 is

or ═O, R 5 is selected from the group consisting of a) hydrogen and b) lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, aryl, aryl lower alkyl, heterocycle and heterocycle lower alkyl, all unsubstituted or substituted with a member selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, —O—R 10 , —S(O) m —R 10 ,

—N—C(O)—R 10 , —NH—(SO 2 )—R 11 —COOR 12

and

m is an integer from 0 to 2, R 6 and R 7 are individually selected from the group consisting of a) hydrogen, b) unsubstituted

and c) lower alkyl, aryl, aryl lower alkyl, heterocycle and heterocycle lower alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted with a member of the group consisting of —OH, halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy,

—COOH and

or taken together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form aryl or heterocycle, R 8 and R 9 are individually selected from the group consisting of a) hydrogen and b) lower alkyl, aryl lower alkyl, heterocycle and heterocycle lower alkyl, all unsubstituted or substituted with a member of the group consisting of —OH, halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy,

—COOH and

or taken together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form aryl or heterocycle, R 10 and R 1 are individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, aryl, aryl lower alkyl, heterocycle and heterocycle lower alkyl, R 13 is unsubstituted lower alkyl or lower alkyl substituted with a member selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, —O—R 10 , —S(O) m —R 10 and

R 14 is hydrogen or lower alkyl, it being understood that A1 can also be a dimmer when two R 1 are hydrogen, and its non-toxic, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, sufficient to treat said disorder.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the disorder is cholera.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the disorder is travel diarrhea.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound used is selected from

7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thiopropyl)-8-(cyclohexylmethyl)-2-(2-methylphenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2a]pyrazine;

7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thiopropyl)-8-butyl-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2]pyrazine;

7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thiopropyl)-8-(1-methylpropyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2a]pyrazine;

bis-1,1′-[7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thiopropyl)-2-(methoxyphenyl)-8-(1-methylpropyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2a]pyrazine]disulphide;

bis-1,1′-[7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thiopropyl)-8-(cyclohexylmethyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2a]pyrazine disulphide;

bis-1,1′-7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thiopropyl-(2-(1-naphthyl)-8-(2-methylprpyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2a]pyrazin-7-yl)disulphide;

7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thioprpyl)-8-(cyclohexylmethyl)-2-phenyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2a]pyrazine;

7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thiopropyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-8-(phenylmethoxy)methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2a]pyrazine;

7-(2-amino-2-oxo-3-thiopropyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-8-(1-phenylmethoxy)-ethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2a-pyrazine;

7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thiopropyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-8-(phenoxyethyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2a]pyrazine;

7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thioproyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-8-(phenoxyethyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-imidazo[1.2a]pyrazine, or its dimeric form;

7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thiopropyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-8-(phenylsulphonylethyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-imidazo[1.2a]pyrazine;

and the non-toxic, pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the latter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound used is 7-(2-amino-1-oxo-3-thiopropyl)-8-(cyclhexylmethyl)-2-phenyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroimidazo[1.2a]pyrazine or a non-toxic, pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the latter.