| abstract |
The invention concerns pharmaceutially useful heterocyclic nitromethane compounds of the formula I: <IMAGE> I in which ring Q is a heterocycle of 4 to 7 ring atoms, the fragment completing the ring Q having 2 to 5 atoms, one of which is carbon, oxygen, sulphur or a group of the formula -NRa-, and the remainder are carbon; Ra is hydrogen, (1-6C)alkyl, (2-6C)alkanoyl, trifluoroacetyl, phenyl, benzoyl, or phenyl(1-4C)alkyl, the latter three optionally substituted; and R1R2and R3 are independently hydrogen, hydroxy, (1-6C)alkyl, (1-6C)alkoxy, phenyl, phenoxy or phenyl(1-4C)alkyl, the last three optionally substituted, or two of R1, R2 and R3 situated on adjacent ring carbon atoms and together with said carbon atoms form a benzene ring fused to ring Q, the benzene ring itself optionally substituted, provided that when the fragment completion ring Q is of 3 atoms then at least one of R1, R2 and R3 is hydrogen; and salts thereof. Other aspects of the invention include the production of the novel compounds by analogy processes and pharmaceutical compositions of the novel compounds and of N-(nitromethylsulphonyl)morpholine for use in the treatment of diabetic complications. |