2-amino-2-oxazolines as subtype selective alpha(2) adrenoceptor agonists.

Cyclohexylamino oxazoline 1 (AGN 190837), an analogue of 2 (Bay a6781), is a potent α2 adrenoceptor agonist. On the basis of a design generated by receptor−ligand modeling, a number of cyclohexyl and norbornyl analogues were synthesized wherein the propyl group of 1 was replaced by phenylalkyl subsituents. This resulted in compound 6 being an α2c selective agonist, as well as 7 and 9 being α2a/α2c selective.