Soft drugs. 3. A new class of anticholinergic agents

Abstract

A new class of antimuscarinic drugs was designed and synthesized. The compounds are soft quaternary ammonium esters in which there is only 1 C atom separating the ester O2 and the quaternary head. The compounds are potent anticholinergics when derived from hindered umbrella acids and cholinergics when derivatives of simple aliphatic acids. The more potent anticholinergics have up to 100 times higher acetylcholine antagonist activity than atropine, but they have a much shorter duration of action. The compounds cleave hydrolytically with simultaneous destruction of the quaternary head. The compounds are promising as selective, local agents, particularly as inhibitors of eccrine sweating.