Highly selective aldose reductase inhibitors. 1. 3-(Arylalkyl)-2,4,5-trioxoimidazolidine-1-acetic acids.

A series of 3-(arylalkyl)-2,4,5-trioxoimidazolidine-1-acetic acids (1) was prepared and tested for aldose reductase (AR) and aldehyde reductase (ALR) inhibitory activities. These compounds showed strong inhibitory activity against AR without significant inhibitory activity for ALR. The ratio of IC 50 (ALR)/IC 50 (AR) was >1000 in some compouds. On the basis of pharmacological tests such as the recovery of reduced motor nerve conduction velocity and toxicological profile, 3-(3-nitrobenzyl)-2,4,5-trioxoimidazolidine-1-acetic acid (NZ-314) was selected as the candidate for clinical development.