Studies on cerebral protective agents. VII. Synthesis of novel 4-arylazole derivatives with anti-anoxic activity

Novel 4-arylazole (i.e. thiazole, oxazole, and imidazole) derivatives, possessing an amino moiety at the C-5 position of the azole ring, were prepared and tested for anti-anoxic (AA) activity in mice. Among them, 5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-2-phenylthia zole (3b, FR75094) possessed significant AA activity (10 mg/kg, i.p. and 100 mg/kg, p.o., respectively), and was also effective on anti-lipid peroxidation (ALP) assay and inhibited arachidonate-induced cerebral edema in rats. Structure-activity relationships in regard to AA activity of this series of compounds are discussed.