NMDA-BLOCKING PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS

摘要

The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions forpreventing excitatory amino acids neurotoxicity comprising as active ingredient (3S,4S)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) type compounds of general formula (I), as hereunder defined. The compositions of the present invention are particularly effective in alleviating and even preventing glutamate neurotoxicity due to acute to the central nervous system (CNS), such as injuries due to prolonged seizures, compromised or reduced blood supply, deprivation of glucose supply and mechanical trauma. The present compositions may also be effective in alleviating other damages to the CNS like poisoninduced convulsions, considered to be associated with amino acids receptors other than that of glutamate, for example glycine. The compositions of the present invention are also effective in the treatment of certain chronic degenerative diseases which are characterized by gradual selective neuronal loss. In this connection, the compositions of the present invention are contemplated as therapeutically effective in the treatment of the Alzheimer's disease. The present compositions are of special value in grand mal seizures, global hypoxic ischemic insults, in hypoxia, alone or in combination with blood flow reduction (ischemia) as well as in cases of cardiac arrest and in cases of abrupt occlusion of cerebral arteries (stroke). Some of the compounds according to formula (I), as will be hereinafter described in detail, are novel compounds and are claimed as such within the scope of the present application. The active ingredient of the pharmaceutical compositions according to the present invention is a compound of the general formula; (I) having the (+)-(3S,4S) configuration, wherein A----B designates a 1(2) or a 6(1) double bond, R designates CH3 or CH20H, R1 designates a hydrogen atom or a lower acyl group, and R2 designates (A) a straightchained or branched C6-12alkyl radical; or (B) a group -O-R3, in which R3 is a straight-chained or branched C5-9alkyl radical or a straight-chained or branched alkyl radical substituted at the terminal carbon atom by a phenyl group. Compounds of formula (I) in which R designates CH2OH and R1 designates a lower acyl group are novel compounds.