the present invention relates to the use of prostanoic acid derivatives as ocular hypotensives . the compounds used in accordance with the present invention are encompassed by the following structural formula i : a preferred group of the compounds of the present invention includes compounds that do not have the following structural formula ii : e is a linear , branched , or cycloalkyl chain of 3 to 7 carbons , trifluoromethylbutyl , hydroxylalkyl , or ch 2 r 7 wherein r 7 is phenyl , cyclopentyl , phenoxy , chlorophenoxy , propoxy , or — ch 2 sch 2 ch 3 ; j is hydrogen , r , c (═ o ) r , or any group that is easily removed under physiological conditions such that r 4 is effectively hydrogen ; and as used herein , the symbols “ me ” and “ et ” refer to the moieties commonly referred to as “ methyl ” and “ ethyl ” by those of ordinary skill in the art . in other compounds related to formula i and formula ii , a is co 2 r 8 , wherein r 8 is any linear , branched , or cyclic alkyl group having from 3 to 6 carbons . wherein at least one of r 2 and r 3 is not methyl . in the above formulae , the substituents and symbols are as hereinabove defined . preferably y is any pharmaceutically acceptable salt of co 2 h or co 2 r . preferably , r6 is c 6 - 10 aryl or c 3 - 10 heteroaryl , which may contain one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen , trihalomethyl , cyano , nitro , amino , hydroxy , c 1 - 6 alkyl , or , sr , and so 2 r . more preferably r 6 is phenyl , napthyl , benzofuranyl , or benzothienyl , which may contain one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen , trihalomethyl , cyano , nitro , amino , hydroxy , c 1 - 6 alkyl , or , sr , and so 2 r . most preferred is 3 - chlorobenzothien - 2 - yl . and r 6 is napthyl , benzofuranyl , or benzothienyl , which may contain one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen , trihalomethyl , cyano , nitro , amino , hydroxy , c 1 - 6 alkyl , or , sr , and so 2 r . in another aspect of this invention , certain elements of the method making the compounds of the invention are novel and unobvious . one such novel and unobvious element is the application of the use of baker &# 39 ; s yeast as a reducing agent as reported by brooks and coworkers ( brooks , et . al ., “ asymmetric microbial reduction of prochiral 2 , 2 - disubstituted cycloalkanediones ”, j . org . chem ., 1987 , 52 , 3223 - 3232 ) in the synthesis of compounds of this invention . in this novel and unobvious application of this reaction , baker &# 39 ; s yeast is used to carry out an asymmetric reduction of a compound of formula vii , which is a 2 , 2 - dialkylcyclopentane - 1 , 3 - dione , to a compound of formula viii , which is a 2 , 2 - dialkyl - 3 ( s )- hydroxycyclopentanone . a compound of formula viii is then used to prepare compounds of this invention . the two alkyl groups , r 2 and r 3 of the compounds of formula vi and vii , in this reaction are the same as those defined for compounds of formula i above . in the case where the two alkyl groups are different , a mixture of diastereomers is formed , which can be separated by conventional separation methods to obtain the enantiomerically pure products . preparation of 2 , 2 - dialkylcyclopentan - 1 , 3 - diones is well known in the art . one convenient way that a large variety of these compounds can be prepared is by base - mediated alkylation of carbon - 2 of the cyclopentane - 1 , 3 - dione using an alkyl halide or equivalent compound . this type of reaction is well known in the art . the preparation of three general types of 2 , 2 - dialkylcyclopentan - 1 , 3 - diones using this alkylation reaction is illustrated in scheme 1 . compounds where one of the alkyl groups is methyl can be prepared by a simple alkylation reaction from commercially available 2 - methylcyclopentan - 1 , 3 - dione 1 ( equation 1 ). in the case neither of the alkyl groups in the 2 , 2 - dialkylcyclopentan - 1 , 3 - dione are methyl ( compound 2b ), these compounds can be prepared from cyclopentan - 1 , 3 - dione by two consecutive alkylation reactions ( equation 2 ). in the case where the two alkyl groups in the 2 , 2 - dialkylcyclopentan - 1 , 3 - dione are the same , these alkylation reactions can be carried out in a one - pot procedure . in the case where the two alkyl groups to form a cyclic compound incorporating c 2 of the cyclopentanone into the ring , otherwise known as a spiroketone , these compounds can be prepared by using a dihaloalkane or equivalent compound to carry out a intermolecular alkylation followed by an intramolecular alkylation ( equation 3 ), which could be carried out in a one or two pot process . those skilled in the art will recognize that there are many ways to prepare 2 , 2 - dialkylcyclopentan - 1 , 3 - diones , and the reactions of scheme 1 are included to illustrate that these compounds can be readily prepared or obtained by those skilled in the art , and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way . in another novel and unobvious aspect of this invention , compounds of the invention represented by formula viii are prepared by a process that comprises the following steps : i ) reacting a compound of formula ix with a compound of formula x in the presence of a suitable base to form a compound of formula xi ; iii ) removing the protecting groups and separating the diastereomers to obtain the desired products ; wherein the hatched wedges indicate the α ( down ) configuration , the solid triangles indicate the β ( up ) configuration , and the wavy lines indicate either the cis ( z ) or trans ( z ) conformation ; j is a protecting group that can be easily removed to form the respective hydroxide group without affecting the rest of the molecule ; r 2 and r 3 are c 1 - 6 linear alkyl which may be the same or different , and may be bonded to each other such that they form a ring incorporating the carbon to which they are commonly attached ; m is a group that comprises one or more metal atoms . all of the compounds encompassed by this invention can be prepared using the methods described above supplemented by methods known to those skilled in the art . the synthesis of several compounds of the invention is illustrated in schemes 2 - 7 . these schemes that are included herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way . although there are several ways the reduction of compounds of formula vi to formula vii could be incorporated into the synthesis of these compounds , one convenient way to this is shown in scheme 2 . in this scheme , compound 2 is a compound of formula vi and compound 3 is a compound of formula vii . however , those skilled in the art will recognize that there are many ways in which the reduction could be used to prepare compounds of this invention . pharmaceutical compositions may be prepared by combining a therapeutically effective amount of at least one compound according to the present invention , or a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof , as an active ingredient , with conventional ophthalmically acceptable pharmaceutical excipients , and by preparation of unit dosage forms suitable for topical ocular use . the therapeutically efficient amount typically is between about 0 . 0001 and about 5 % ( w / v ), preferably about 0 . 001 to about 1 . 0 % ( w / v ) in liquid formulations . for ophthalmic application , preferably solutions are prepared using a physiological saline solution as a major vehicle . the ph of such ophthalmic solutions should preferably be maintained between 6 . 5 and 7 . 2 with an appropriate buffer system . the formulations may also contain conventional , pharmaceutically acceptable preservatives , stabilizers and surfactants . preferred preservatives that may be used in the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention include , but are not limited to , benzalkonium chloride , chlorobutanol , thimerosal , phenylmercuric acetate and phenylmercuric nitrate . a preferred surfactant is , for example , tween 80 . likewise , various preferred vehicles may be used in the ophthalmic preparations of the present invention . these vehicles include , but are not limited to , polyvinyl alcohol , povidone , hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , poloxamers , carboxymethyl cellulose , hydroxyethyl cellulose and purified water . tonicity adjustors may be added as needed or convenient . they include , but are not limited to , salts , particularly sodium chloride , potassium chloride , mannitol and glycerin , or any other suitable ophthalmically acceptable tonicity adjustor . various buffers and means for adjusting ph may be used so long as the resulting preparation is ophthalmically acceptable . accordingly , buffers include acetate buffers , citrate buffers , phosphate buffers and borate buffers . acids or bases may be used to adjust the ph of these formulations as needed . in a similar vein , an ophthalmically acceptable antioxidant for use in the present invention includes , but is not limited to , sodium metabisulfite , sodium thiosulfate , acetylcysteine , butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene . other excipient components which may be included in the ophthalmic preparations are chelating agents . the preferred chelating agent is edentate disodium , although other chelating agents may also be used in place or in conjunction with it . ingredient amount (% w / v ) active ingredient about 0 . 001 - 5 preservative 0 - 0 . 10 vehicle 0 - 40 tonicity adjustor 1 : 10 buffer 0 . 01 - 10 ph adjustor q . s . ph 4 . 5 - 7 . 5 antioxidant as needed surfactant as needed purified water as needed to make 100 % the actual dose of the active compounds of the present invention depends on the specific compound , and on the condition to be treated ; the selection of the appropriate dose is well within the knowledge of the skilled artisan . the ophthalmic formulations of the present invention are conveniently packaged in forms suitable for metered application , such as in containers equipped with a dropper , to facilitate the application to the eye . containers suitable for dropwise application are usually made of suitable inert , non - toxic plastic material , and generally contain between about 0 . 5 and about 15 ml solution . the methods of preparing compounds of this invention are further illustrated by the following non - limiting examples , which are summarized in the reaction schemes of fig1 - 7 wherein the compounds are identified by the same designator in both the examples and the figures . 2 - alkyl - cyclopentane - 1 , 3 - dione ( 1a ). a mixture of 1 , 3 - cyclopentanedione ( 89 . 4 mmol , aldrich ), i — r 2 ( 96 . 4 mmol , aldrich ), and koh ( 5 . 097 g , 90 . 8 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 25 ml )/ dioxane ( 75 ml ) is heated at reflux . after 5 h , a solution of koh ( 2 g ) and i — r 2 ( 2 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 5 ml )/ dioxane ( 15 ml ) is added and after another 3 h at reflux the solution is allowed to stir at room temperature overnight . in the morning , the reaction is continued by addition of a solution of koh ( 2 g ) and i — r 2 ( 2 . 4 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 5 ml )/ dioxane ( 15 ml ) and heating at reflux . after 4 h , the mixture is allowed to cool to room temperature and is extracted with ether ( 1 × 100 ml , 3 × 75 ml ). the combined ether extracts are evaporated , the residue is combined with hcl ( 50 ml 10 %), and the resulting mixture is placed in a 120 ° c . oil bath until boiling is observed ( ca . 15 min .). the mixture is then allowed to cool to room temperature , is neutralized by addition of nahco 3 solution ( 150 ml , saturated ) and the resulting mixture is then extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 4 × 75 ml ). the combined ch 2 cl 2 solution is dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated to leave a brown oil which is used directly in the next step . 2 - alkyl - 2 - methyl - cyclopentane - 1 , 3 - dione ( 2a ). a mixture of 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 - cyclopentanedione ( 10 . 025 g , 89 . 4 mmol , aldrich ), i — r 2 ( 96 . 4 mmol , aldrich ), and koh ( 5 . 097 g , 90 . 8 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 25 ml )/ dioxane ( 75 ml ) is heated at reflux . after 5 h , a solution of koh ( 2 g ) and i — r 2 ( 2 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 5 ml )/ dioxane ( 15 ml ) is added and after another 3 h at reflux the solution is allowed to stir at room temperature overnight . in the morning , the reaction is continued by addition of a solution of koh ( 2 g ) and i — r 2 ( 2 . 4 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 5 ml )/ dioxane ( 15 ml ) and heating at reflux . after 4 h , the mixture is allowed to cool to room temperature and is extracted with ether ( 1 × 100 ml , 3 × 75 ml ). the combined ether extracts are evaporated , the residue is combined with hcl ( 50 ml 10 %), and the resulting mixture is placed in a 120 ° c . oil bath until boiling is observed ( ca . 15 min .). the mixture is then allowed to cool to room temperature , is neutralized by addition of nahco 3 solution ( 150 ml , saturated ) and the resulting mixture is then extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 4 × 75 ml ). the combined ch 2 cl 2 solution is dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated to leave a brown oil which is used directly in the next step . 2 , 2 - dialkyl - methyl - cyclopentane - 1 , 3 - dione ( 2b ). a mixture of 2 - alkyl - 1 , 3 - cyclopentanedione 1a ( 89 . 4 mmol , aldrich ), i — r 3 ( 96 . 4 mmol , aldrich ), and koh ( 5 . 097 g , 90 . 8 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 25 ml )/ dioxane ( 75 ml ) is heated at reflux . after 5 h , a solution of koh ( 2 g ) and i — r 3 ( 2 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 5 ml )/ dioxane ( 15 ml ) is added and after another 3 h at reflux the solution is allowed to stir at room temperature overnight . in the morning , the reaction is continued by addition of a solution of koh ( 2 g ) and i — r 3 ( 2 . 4 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 5 ml )/ dioxane ( 15 ml ) and heating at reflux . after 4 h , the mixture is allowed to cool to room temperature and is extracted with ether ( 1 × 100 ml , 3 × 75 ml ). the combined ether extracts are evaporated , the residue is combined with hcl ( 50 ml 10 %), and the resulting mixture is placed in a 120 ° c . oil bath until boiling is observed ( ca . 15 min .). the mixture is then allowed to cool to room temperature , is neutralized by addition of nahco 3 solution ( 150 ml , saturated ) and the resulting mixture is then extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 4 × 75 ml ). the combined ch 2 cl 2 solution is dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated to leave a brown oil which is used directly in the next step . spiro [ 2 . 4 ] heptane - 4 , 7 - dione ( 2c ). a mixture of 2 - alkyl - 1 , 3 - cyclopentanedione 1a ( 89 . 4 mmol , aldrich ), 1 , 2 - dibromoethane ( 120 mmol , aldrich ), and koh ( 5 . 097 g , 90 . 8 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 25 ml )/ dioxane ( 75 ml ) is heated at reflux for 24 hours . the mixture is allowed to cool , and the crude product is extracted with ether ( 1 × 100 ml , 3 × 75 ml ). the combined ether extracts are evaporated , the residue is combined with hcl ( 50 ml 10 %), and the resulting mixture is placed in a 120 ° c . oil bath until boiling is observed ( ca . 15 min .). the mixture is then allowed to cool to room temperature , is neutralized by addition of nahco 3 solution ( 150 ml , saturated ) and the resulting mixture is then extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 4 × 75 ml ). the combined ch 2 cl 2 solution is dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated to leave a brown oil which is used directly in the next step . 2 , 2 - dimethyl - cyclopentane - 1 , 3 - dione ( 2 ). the published procedure was followed . ( agosta , w . c . ; smith , a . b . j . org . chem . 1970 , 35 , 3856 ) a mixture of 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 - cyclopentanedione ( 10 . 025 g , 89 . 4 mmol , aldrich ), methyl iodide ( 6 . 0 ml , 96 . 4 mmol , aldrich ), and koh ( 5 . 097 g , 90 . 8 mmol ) in h 2 o ( 25 ml )/ dioxane ( 75 ml ) was heated at reflux . after 5 h , a solution of koh ( 2 g ) and mei ( 2 . 4 ml ) in h 2 o ( 5 ml )/ dioxane ( 15 ml ) was added and after another 3 h at reflux the solution was allowed to stir at room temperature overnight . in the morning , the reaction was continued by addition of a solution of koh ( 2 g ) and mei ( 2 . 4 ml ) in h 2 o ( 5 ml )/ dioxane ( 15 ml ) and heating at reflux . after 4 h , the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature and was extracted with ether ( 1 × 100 ml , 3 × 75 ml ). the combined ether extracts were evaporated , the residue combined with hcl ( 50 ml 10 %), and the resulting mixture was placed in a 120 ° c . oil bath until boiling was observed ( ca . 15 min .). the mixture was then allowed to cool to room temperature , was neutralized by addition of nahco 3 solution ( 150 ml , saturated ) and the resulting mixture then extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 4 × 75 ml ). the combined ch 2 cl 2 solution was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated to leave a brown oil ( 10 . 474 g , 83 mmol , 93 %) which was used directly in the next step . ( s )- 3 - hydroxy - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - cyclopentanone ( 3 ). the published procedure was followed . ( brooks , d . w . ; hormoz , m . ; grothaus , p . g . j . org . chem . 1987 , 52 , 3223 ) a 35 ° c . ( internal temperature ) solution of d - glucose ( 106 . 73 g , 592 mmol , aldrich ) in h 2 o ( 690 ml ) in a 4 l erlenmeyer was treated with baker &# 39 ; s yeast ( 71 . 065 g , fleischmann &# 39 ; s ). the mixture was allowed to ferment for 2 h , then 2 , 2 - dimethyl - cyclopentane - 1 , 3 - dione ( 2 ) ( 7 . 316 g , 58 mmol ) was added . the mixture was stirred for 48 h and then filtered through celite , washing with about 1 l ch 2 cl 2 . the filtration was difficult due to the thick consistency of the yeast and it helped to continually add ch 2 cl 2 to the mixture and scrape the top of the celite layer with a spatula . the filtrate was transferred to a separatory funnel , and 100 ml brine was added and the layers were separated . brine ( 400 ml ) was added to the aqueous layer and the resulting solution extracted further with ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 × 500 ml ). the combined ch 2 cl 2 solution was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated to leave a yellow oil . flash chromatography ( 11 × 5 cm , 20 % etoac / hexs → 25 %→ 30 %→ 40 %→ 50 %) gave alcohol 3 ( 2 . 435 g , 19 mmol , 33 %). the enantiomeric excess of 3 was assayed by 1 h nmr of the corresponding mosher &# 39 ; s ester which was prepared by treatment of alcohol 3 ( 11 mg , 0 . 09 mmol ) in dichloroethane ( 0 . 3 ml , aldrich ) with pyridine ( 27 μl , 0 . 33 mmol , aldrich ) and ( r )- α - methoxy - α - trifluoromethyphenylacetic acid chloride ( 58 μl , 0 . 31 mmol , fluka ). the mixture was stirred overnight and then partitioned between water ( 10 ml ) and ether ( 10 ml ). the ether layer was washed with 1 m hcl ( 10 ml ) and saturated nahco 3 solution and then was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated . 1 h nmr analysis was done on the crude ester . ( s )- 3 -( tert )- butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - cyclopentanone ( 4 ). a solution of alcohol 3 ( 520 mg , 4 . 1 mmol ) and 2 , 6 - lutidine ( 0 . 56 ml , 4 . 8 mmol , aldrich ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 8 . 0 ml , aldrich ) was treated with tbsotf ( 1 . 0 ml , 4 . 3 mmol , aldrich ). after 5 . 5 h , saturated nahco 3 solution ( 20 ml ) was added and the mixture extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 20 ml ). the ch 2 cl 2 solution was washed with 20 ml each of 1 m hcl , saturated nahco 3 solution , and brine and then was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated . flash chromatography ( 5 × 5 cm , 10 % et 2 o / pentane ) gave tbs ether 4 ( 698 mg , 2 . 9 mmol , 70 %). ( s )- 3 -( tert )- butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 5 - phenylselanyl - cyclopentanone ( 5 ). a solution of tbs ether 4 ( 1 . 496 g , 6 . 2 mmol ) in thf ( 2 ml , aldrich ) was added dropwise to a − 78 ° c . solution of lda ( 4 . 9 ml , 7 . 3 mmol , 1 . 5 m / cyclohexane , aldrich ) in thf ( 22 ml , aldrich ), rinsing with 2 ml thf . after 15 min ., a solution of phsecl ( 1 . 424 g , 7 . 4 mmol , aldrich ) in thf ( 2 ml ) was quickly added by cannula , rinsing with 2 ml thf . the solution was stirred for 10 min . and then partitioned between 50 ml 0 . 5 m hcl and 75 ml ether . the ether layer was washed with 30 ml each of water , saturated nahco 3 solution , and brine and then was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated . flash chromatography ( 2 % etoac / hexs → 4 %) gave phenylselenide 5 ( 1 . 641 g , 4 . 1 mmol , 67 %) along with 476 mg of mixed fractions containing a lower r f impurity . ( s )- 4 -( tert )- butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy - 5 , 5 - dimethyl - cyclopent - 2 - enone ( 6 ). a solution of selenide 5 ( 1 . 641 g , 4 . 1 mmol ) and pyridine ( 0 . 62 ml , 7 . 7 mmol , aldrich ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 13 ml , aldrich ) was treated with h 2 o ( 1 ml ) and 30 % h 2 o 2 ( 1 . 1 ml , aldrich ). the mixture was stirred for 30 min . and then was partitioned between 25 ml ch 2 cl 2 and 25 ml saturated nahco 3 solution . the aqueous layer was extracted with 25 ml ch 2 cl 2 and the combined ch 2 cl 2 solution washed with 1 m hcl ( 2 × 25 ml ) and brine ( 50 ml ). the solution was then dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated to leave an orange oil . flash chromatography ( 6 × 4 cm , 10 % ether / pentane ) gave enone 6 ( 572 mg , 2 . 4 mmol , 59 %). ( 3 - mercapto - propylsulfanyl )- acetic acid methyl ester ( 8 ). an ice - cold solution of 1 , 3 - dithiane ( 2 . 0 ml , 19 . 9 mmol ) in thf ( 40 ml ) was treated with nah ( 819 mg , 20 . 5 mmol ). after 30 min ., methyl bromoacetate ( 1 . 9 ml , 20 . 0 mmol ) was added and the mixture stirred for 3 . 5 h at room temperature . the reaction was quenched by addition of meoh and then 50 ml 1 m hcl . the mixture was extracted with ether ( 2 × 50 ml ) and the combined ether solution washed with saturated sodium bicarbonate solution ( 50 ml ) and brine ( 50 ml ) and then was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 10 - 15 % ethyl acetate / hexanes ) gave 971 mg ( 5 . 38 mmol , 27 %) of the thiol . { 3 -[( s )- 3 -( tert )- butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- 4 , 4 - dimethyl - 5 - oxo - cyclopent - 1 - enylsulfanyl ]- propylsulfanyl }- acetic acid methyl ester ( 10 ). a solution of enone 6 ( 156 mg , 0 . 65 mmol ) in meoh ( 4 . 3 ml ) was treated with 30 % h 2 o 2 ( 0 . 21 ml ) and 1 m naoh ( 32 μl ). after 4 h , 20 ml saturated ammonium chloride solution was added and the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 × 10 ml ). the combined dichloromethane solution was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated in vacuo . a solution of thiol 8 ( 110 mg , 0 . 61 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 3 ml ) was added to the crude epoxide ( 9 ) by cannula , rinsing with 1 . 2 ml . basic alumina ( 628 mg ) was added and the mixture stirred for 16 h . the solvent was evaporated and purification of the residue by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 15 % ethyl acetate / hexanes ) gave 129 mg ( 0 . 31 mmol , 48 %) of the coupled enone ( 10 ). ( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- methanol ( 12 ). to an ice cold solution of 10 . 0 g ( 47 . 0 mmol ) of 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophene - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 11 ) in 200 ml of thf was added 47 ml of lialh 4 ( 47 mmol , 1 m / thf ). after 3 h , the reaction was quenched by addition of meoh ( ca . 40 ml ). the volatiles were evaporated and the residue was treated with 50 ml 1 m hcl . after stirring for 10 min ., the mixture was extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 × 150 ml ). the combined ch 2 cl 2 solution was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 10 - 20 % ethyl acetate / hexane ) gave 4 . 32 g ( 21 . 6 mmol , 46 %) of the alcohol ( 12 ). 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophene - 2 - carbaldehyde ( 13 ). a solution of alcohol 12 ( 4 . 32 g , 21 . 6 mmol ) in 40 ml of ch 2 cl 2 was treated with 4a molecular sieves , nmo ( 3 . 81 g , 32 . 5 mmol ), and tpap ( 381 mg , 1 . 08 mmol ). the reaction was stirred for 10 min . and then was evaporated to dryness . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 2 % ethyl acetate / hexane ) gave 3 . 52 g ( 18 . 3 mmol , 84 %) of the aldehyde ( 13 ). ( e )- 3 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- acrylic acid methyl ester ( 14 ). a solution of 3 . 52 g ( 18 . 3 mmol ) of 13 in 50 ml toluene was treated with methyl ( triphenylphosphoranylidene ) acetate ( 7 . 48 g , 21 . 9 mmol ). after 4 h , saturated nahco 3 solution ( 50 ml ) was added and the mixture extracted with ethyl acetate ( 2 × 75 ml ). the combined ethyl acetate solution was washed with brine ( 50 ml ), dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 5 % ethyl acetate / hexane ) provided 3 . 60 g ( 14 . 6 mmol , 80 %) of the enoate ( 14 ). 3 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- propionic acid methyl ester ( 15 ). a solution of 3 . 60 g ( 14 . 6 mmol ) of 14 in 50 ml thf was treated with wilkinson &# 39 ; s catalyst ( 3 . 35 g , 3 . 62 mmol ). the mixture was stirred under 1 atm h 2 for 18 h and then was filtered through celite . the solvent was evaporated and the residue purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 0 - 2 % ethyl acetate / hexane ) to give 3 . 63 g ( 14 . 3 mmol , 99 %) of the saturated ester ( 15 ). 3 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- propan - 1 - ol ( 16 ). an ice cold solution of 3 . 63 g ( 14 . 3 mmol ) of 15 in 60 ml of ether was treated with libh 4 ( 621 mg , 28 . 5 mmol ) and methanol ( 2 ml ). after 30 min ., 30 ml of 0 . 5 m naoh solution was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 2 × 25 ml ) and the combined ethyl acetate solution washed with brine ( 50 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated . the residue was purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 5 - 20 % ethyl acetate / hexane ) to give 2 . 57 g ( 11 . 3 mmol , 79 %) of the alcohol ( 16 ). 3 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- propionaldehyde ( 17 ). a − 78 ° c . solution of oxalyl chloride ( 1 . 73 g , 13 . 6 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) was treated with dmso ( 20 ml ). after 5 min ., a solution of alcohol 16 ( 2 . 57 g , 11 . 3 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) was added . after another 15 min ., triethylamine ( 7 . 1 ml , 50 . 6 mmol ) was added . the reaction was stirred at − 78 ° c . for 5 min ., and then allowed to warm to room temperature . after 30 min ., 100 ml water was added and the mixture extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 × 60 ml ). the combined dichloromethane solution was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 10 % ethyl acetate / hexane ) gave 2 . 11 g ( 9 . 4 mmol , 83 %) of the aldehyde ( 17 ). 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- pent - 1 - yn - 3 - ol ( 18 ). a solution of aldehyde 17 ( 2 . 11 g , 9 . 4 mmol ) in 15 ml thf was added to a solution of ethynylmagnesium bromide ( 28 . 2 ml , 14 . 1 mmol , 0 . 5 m thf ) at 0 ° c . after 1 . 5 h , saturated nh 4 cl solution ( 75 ml ) was added and the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ). the combined ethyl acetate solution was washed with brine ( 50 ml ) and then was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography ( 5 - 20 % ethyl acetate / hexane ) gave 2 . 20 g ( 8 . 78 mmol , 93 %) of the alcohol ( 18 ). tert - butyl -{ 1 -[ 2 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- ethyl ]- prop - 2 - ynyloxy }- dimethyl - silane ( 19 ). a solution of alcohol 18 ( 2 . 20 g , 8 . 78 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 15 ml ) was treated with dmap ( 215 mg , 1 . 8 mmol ), tbscl ( 1 . 59 g , 10 . 5 mmol ), and triethylamine ( 1 . 8 ml , 13 . 2 mmol ). the reaction was stirred for 24 h and then saturated sodium bicarbonate solution ( 50 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane ( 2 × 50 ml ) and the combined dichloromethane solution dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography ( 4 % ethyl acetate / hexane ) gave 3 . 06 g ( 6 . 4 mmol , 73 %) of the protected alcohol ( 19 ). ( 3 -{( 1r , 4s , 5s )- 4 -( tert - butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- 5 -[( e )- 3 -( tert - butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- pent - 1 - enyl ]- 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentylsulfanyl }- propylsulfanyl )- acetic acid methyl ester ( 20 ). a solution of alkyne 19 ( 105 mg , 0 . 28 mmol ) in thf ( 1 . 2 ml ) was treated with bis ( cyclopentadienyl ) zirconium chloride hydride ( 91 mg , 0 . 35 mmol ). the reaction was stirred for 30 min ., then was cooled to − 78 ° c . and treated with methyllithium ( 0 . 46 ml , 0 . 64 mmol , 1 . 4 m in ether ). after 10 min ., a precooled (− 78 ° c .) solution of lithium 2 - thienylcyanocuprate ( 1 . 3 ml , 0 . 33 mmol , 0 . 25 m in thf ) was added by cannula . the reaction was stirred for 45 min . and then enone 10 ( 61 mg , 0 . 15 mmol ) in 0 . 2 ml thf was added by cannula , rinsing with 0 . 2 ml thf . after 1 h , the reaction was quenched by addition of 20 ml 1 : 1 saturated ammonium chloride solution / concentrated ammonium hydroxide . the mixture was stirred for 45 min . and then was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 20 ml ). the combined ethyl acetate solution was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 10 % ethyl acetate / hexanes ) gave 51 mg ( 0 . 064 mmol , 43 %) of the coupled product ( 20 ). ( 3 -{( 1r , 4s , 5s )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- 3 - hydroxy - pent - 1 - enyl ]- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentylsulfanyl }- propylsulfanyl )- acetic acid methyl ester ( 21 , 22 ). a solution of 20 ( 51 mg , 0 . 064 mmol ) in ch 3 cn ( 1 . 6 ml ) was treated with hf - pyridine ( 0 . 26 ml ). the reaction was stirred for 24 h and then was quenched by addition of 15 ml saturated sodium bicarbonate solution . the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 × 10 ml ) and the combined dichloromethane solution was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by preparative thin layer chromatography on silica gel ( 40 % ethyl acetate / hexanes ) gave 12 mg ( 0 . 023 mmol , 71 %) of each diastereomer . ( 3 -{( 1r , 4s , 5s )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- 3 - hydroxy - pent - 1 - enyl ]- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentylsulfanyl }- propylsulfanyl )- acetic acid ( 23 , 24 ). rabbit liver esterase ( 9 mg ) was added to a solution of the lower r f ester 21 ( 11 mg , 0 . 021 mmol ) in ph 7 . 2 phosphate buffer ( 0 . 5 ml )/ ch 3 cn ( 0 . 1 ml ). the mixture was stirred overnight and then 10 ml 0 . 5 m hcl was added along with a few ml &# 39 ; s of brine . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 10 ml ) and the combined ethyl acetate solution dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 3 - 5 % meoh / ch 2 cl 2 ) gave 4 mg ( 0 . 0078 mmol , 37 %) of the acid ( 23 ). 300 mhz 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , ppm ) δ 7 . 73 ( 2 h , d , j = 8 . 4 hz ) 7 . 4 - 7 . 3 ( 2 h , m ) 5 . 9 - 5 . 8 ( 1 h , m ) 5 . 8 - 5 . 7 ( 1 h , m ) 4 . 4 - 4 . 3 ( 1 h , m ) 3 . 63 ( 1 h , d , j = 9 . 7 hz ) 3 . 21 ( 2 h , s ) 3 . 1 - 2 . 4 ( 11 h , overlapping m ) 2 . 1 - 1 . 7 ( 4 h , overlapping m ) 1 . 12 ( 3 h , s ) 1 . 03 ( 3 h , s ). the higher r f ester was hydrolyzed similarly except a solution of rabbit liver esterase ( 10 mg ) in 0 . 5 ml of ph 7 . 2 phosphate buffer was added to a solution of the ester ( 10 mg , 0 . 019 mmol ) in ch 3 cn ( 0 . 2 ml ). the reaction was stirred for 22 h and then worked up and purified as above . this gave 7 mg ( 0 . 013 mmol , 71 %) of the acid ( 24 ). 300 mhz 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , ppm ) δ 7 . 73 ( 2 h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ) 7 . 44 - 7 . 31 ( 2 h , m ) 5 . 9 - 5 . 8 ( 1 h , m ) 5 . 8 - 5 . 7 ( 1 h , m ) 4 . 4 - 4 . 3 ( 1 h , m ) 3 . 64 ( 1 h , d , j = 9 . 7 hz ) 3 . 3 - 2 . 3 ( 13 h , overlapping m ) 2 . 1 - 1 . 7 ( 4 h , overlapping m ) 1 . 12 ( 3 h , s ) 1 . 03 ( 3 h , s ). acetic acid 7 -( tert - butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- hept - 2 - ynyl ester ( 28 ). a solution of 7 -( tert - butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- hept - 2 - yn - 1 - ol 27 ( 4 . 507 g , 21 mmol ) in pyridine ( 20 ml ) was treated with acetic anhydride ( 3 . 0 ml , 31 . 8 mmol ). after 18 h , the solvent was evaporated and the residue co - evaporated with toluene . the residue was used directly in the next step . 7 - acetoxy - hept - 5 - ynoic acid ( 29 ). a solution of crude 28 in acetone ( 100 ml ) was treated with jones reagent ( 18 . 0 ml , 41 . 4 mmol , 2 . 3 m ). the mixture became warm and so was cooled with an ice bath . after 1 h at room temperature , 10 ml isopropyl alcohol was added and the mixture stirred further for 15 min . the mixture still had a brown color so another 10 ml isopropyl alcohol was added . after another 15 min ., the color had not changed so the mixture was filtered through celite and the filtrate evaporated in vacuo . the residue was partitioned between 100 ml ether and 100 ml saturated ammonium chloride solution . the aqueous layer was extracted with 100 ml ether and the combined ether solution washed with brine and then was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated to leave a yellow oil ( 6 . 333 g ) that was used directly in the next step . 7 - hydroxy - hept - 5 - ynoic acid methyl ester ( 30 ). the crude acid 29 ( 6 . 333 g ) was treated with a 1 % solution of acetyl chloride in methanol ( 60 ml ). after 16 h , sodium bicarbonate ( 1 . 966 g , 23 . 4 mmol ) was added . the mixture was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered through celite and evaporated in vacuo . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 30 - 40 % ethyl acetate / hexanes ) gave 7 - hydroxy - hept - 5 - ynoic acid methyl ester 30 ( 3 . 022 g , 19 . 3 mmol , 92 % from 7 -( tert - butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- hept - 2 - yn - 1 - ol 27 ). 7 - iodo - hept - 5 - ynoic acid methyl ester ( 31 ). a solution of 30 ( 1 . 347 g , 8 . 6 mmol ) in 5 ml dichloromethane was added to a mixture of triphenylphosphine ( 2 . 725 g , 10 . 4 mmol ), imidazole ( 726 mg , 10 . 7 mmol ), and iodine ( 2 . 602 g , 10 . 3 mmol ) in 34 ml dichloromethane , rinsing with 5 ml dichloromethane . after 40 min ., the dichloromethane was evaporated in vacuo to a few ml &# 39 ; s and the resulting mixture filtered through basic alumina , washing with 10 % ethyl acetate / hexanes . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 10 % ethyl acetate / hexanes ) gave 1 . 878 g ( 7 . 1 mmol , 83 %) of the propargyl iodide . tert - butyl -{( e )- 1 -[ 2 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- ethyl ]- 3 - iodo - allyloxy }- dimethyl - silane ( 32 ). a solution of alkyne 19 ( 5 . 547 g , 15 . 2 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 50 ml ) was treated with cp 2 zrhcl ( 5 . 794 g , 22 . 5 mmol ). the reaction was stirred for 45 min . and then n - iodosuccinimide ( 4 . 966 g , 22 . 1 mmol ) was added . after 15 min ., saturated sodium bicarbonate solution ( 200 ml ) was added and the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane ( 2 × 100 ml ). the combined dichloromethane solution was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 0 - 5 % ethyl acetate / hexanes ) gave 6 . 608 g ( 13 . 1 mmol , 86 %) of the vinyl iodide ( 32 ). 7 -{( 1r , 4s , 5r )- 4 -( tert - butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- 5 -[( e )- 3 -( tert - butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl )- pent - 1 - enyl ]- 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentyl }- hept - 5 - ynoic acid methyl ester ( 33 ). a − 78 ° c . solution of iodide 32 ( 675 mg , 1 . 34 mmol ) in thf ( 2 . 0 ml ) was treated with tert - butyllithium ( 1 . 73 ml , 2 . 94 ml , 1 . 7 m / pentane ). the dark red mixture was stirred for 25 min . and then dimethylzinc ( 0 . 80 ml , 1 . 6 mmol , 2 m / toluene ) was added . the solution was stirred at 0 ° c . for 15 min . and then recooled to − 78 ° c . at this time , a solution of enone 6 ( 208 mg , 0 . 87 mmol ) in thf ( 1 . 0 ml ) was added over 2 h by syringe pump , rinsing with 0 . 5 ml thf . after 30 min ., hmpa ( 1 . 34 ml , distilled from cah 2 ) was added followed by a solution of propargyl iodide 31 ( 1 . 286 g , 4 . 83 mmol ) in thf ( 1 . 0 ml ). the solution was stirred in a − 40 ° c . bath overnight and then 20 ml saturated ammonium chloride solution and 10 ml water were added . the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) and ethyl acetate ( 2 × 20 ml ). the combined organic extracts were dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 5 - 10 % ethyl acetate / hexanes ) gave 198 mg ( 0 . 27 mmol , 31 %) of 33 . ( z )- 7 -{( 1r , 4s , 5r )- 5 -[( e )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophene - 2 - yl )- 3 - hydroxy - pent - 1 - enyl ]- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentyl }- hept - 5 - ynoic acid methyl ester ( 34 , 35 ). a solution of 33 ( 198 mg , 0 . 27 mmol ) in ch 3 cn ( 6 . 5 ml ) was treated with hf - pyridine ( 1 . 2 ml ). the solution was stirred for 3 h and saturated sodium bicarbonate solution ( 120 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 × 50 ml ) and the combined dichloromethane solution dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography ( 50 % ethyl acetate / hexane ) followed by preparative tlc ( 55 % ethyl acetate / hexane ) gave 55 mg ( 0 . 11 mmol , 41 %) of the less polar diastereomer ( 34 ) and 51 mg ( 0 . 10 mmol , 37 %) of the more polar diastereomer ( 35 ). ( z )- 7 -{( 1r , 4s , 5r )- 5 -[( e )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophene - 2 - yl )- 3 - hydroxy - pent - 1 - enyl ]- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentyl }- hept - 5 - ynoic acid ( low r f diastereomer , 36 ). a solution of 34 ( 9 mg , 0 . 017 mmol ) and rabbit liver esterase ( 1 mg ) in ph 7 . 2 phosphate buffer ( 2 ml )/ ch 3 cn ( 0 . 1 ml ) was stirred for 17 h . the mixture was then coevaporated with ch 3 cn to remove water and the residue purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 3 - 7 % meoh / ch 2 cl 2 ) to give 8 mg ( 0 . 016 mmol , 93 %) of the acid ( 36 ). ( z )- 7 -{( 1r , 4s , 5r )- 5 -[( e )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophene - 2 - yl )- 3 - hydroxy - pent - 1 - enyl ]- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentyl }- hept - 5 - ynoic acid ( high r f diastereomer , 37 ). a solution of 35 ( 12 mg , 0 . 023 mmol ) and rabbit liver esterase ( 1 mg ) in ph 7 . 2 phosphate buffer ( 2 ml )/ ch 3 cn ( 0 . 1 ml ) was stirred for 17 h . tlc showed the presence of starting material , so another 2 mg of the esterase was added . after stirring for another 24 h , the reaction was complete . work up and purification as above for 36 gave 8 mg ( 0 . 016 mmol , 69 %) of the acid ( 37 ). ( z )- 7 -{( 1r , 4s , 5r )- 5 -[( e )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophene - 2 - yl )- 3 - hydroxy - pent - 1 - enyl ]- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentyl }- hept - 5 - enoic acid methyl ester ( low r f diastereomer , 38 ). ethanol ( 95 %, 2 . 5 ml ) was added to nicl 2 ( 50 mg , 0 . 39 mmol ) and nabh 4 ( 7 mg , 0 . 19 mmol ). the resulting black mixture was stirred for 5 min . and then ethylenediamine ( 41 μl , 0 . 61 mmol ) was added . after 15 min ., a solution of alkyne 34 ( 40 mg , 0 . 077 mmol ) in 0 . 5 ml 95 % ethanol was added , rinsing with 0 . 5 ml ethanol . the flask was purged with h 2 and allowed to stir under 1 atm h 2 for 22 h . the mixture was then filtered through celite and purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 55 % ethyl acetate / hexanes ) to give 17 mg ( 0 . 032 mmol , 43 %) of the alkene ( 38 ). ( z )- 7 -{( 1r , 4s , 5r )- 5 -[( e )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophene - 2 - yl )- 3 - hydroxy - pent - 1 - enyl ]- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentyl }- hept - 5 - enoic acid methyl ester ( high r f diastereomer 39 ). the same procedure as for 36 was followed to give 17 mg ( 0 . 032 mmol , 41 %) of 39 . ( z )- 7 -{( 1r , 4s , 5r )- 5 -[( e )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophene - 2 - yl )- 3 - hydroxy - pent - 1 - enyl ]- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentyl }- hept - 5 - enoic acid ( low r f diastereomer , 40 ). the same procedure as above for 36 was used to give 9 mg ( 0 . 018 mmol , 85 %) of acid 40 . 300 mhz 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , ppm ) δ 7 . 73 ( 2 h , d , j = 8 . 4 hz ) 7 . 45 - 7 . 30 ( 2 h , m ) 5 . 8 - 5 . 6 ( 2 h , m ) 5 . 4 - 5 . 3 ( 2 h , m ) 4 . 3 - 4 . 1 ( 1 h , m ) 3 . 57 ( 1 h , d , j = 9 . 7 hz ) 3 . 1 - 2 . 9 ( 2 h , m ) 2 . 5 - 1 . 9 ( 10 h , m ) 1 . 7 - 1 . 6 ( 2 h , m ) 1 . 09 ( 3 h , s ) 0 . 89 ( 3 h , s ). ( z )- 7 -{( 1r , 4s , 5r )- 5 -[( e )- 5 -( 3 - chloro - benzo [ b ] thiophene - 2 - yl )- 3 - hydroxy - pent - 1 - enyl ]- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentyl }- hept - 5 - enoic acid ( high r f diastereomer , 41 ). the same procedure as above for the 36 was used to give 9 mg ( 0 . 018 mmol , 85 %) of acid 41 . 300 mhz 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , ppm ) δ 7 . 73 ( 2 h , d , j = 8 . 8 hz ) 7 . 45 - 7 . 30 ( 2 h , m ) 5 . 8 - 5 . 6 ( 2 h , m ) 5 . 45 - 5 . 30 ( 2 h , m ) 4 . 3 - 4 . 2 ( 1 h , m ) 3 . 61 ( 1 h , d , j = 9 . 7 hz ) 3 . 1 - 3 . 0 ( 2 h , m ) 2 . 5 - 1 . 9 ( 10 h , m ) 1 . 7 - 1 . 6 ( 2 h , m ) 1 . 10 ( 3 h , s ) 0 . 90 ( 3 h , s ). ( z )- 7 -[( 1r , 4s , 5r )- 5 -(( e )- 4 - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl - 3 - hydroxy - but - 1 - enyl )- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentyl ]- hept - 5 - enoic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( 65 ). a solution of acid 55 ( prepared similarly to acid 41 , 7 mg , 0 . 015 mmol ) in dmf ( 0 . 5 ml ) was treated with n - hydroxysuccinimide ( 6 . 9 mg , 0 . 056 mmol ). the mixture was stirred for 5 minutes and 1 -[ 3 -( dimethylamino ) propyl ]- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride ( edci , 20 . 7 mg , 0 . 11 mmol ) was added . after stirring for 7 h , 2 - aminoethanol ( 5 μl , 0 . 083 mmol ) was added and the mixture stirred further for 16 h . ethyl acetate ( 50 ml ) was added and the mixture was washed with water ( 3 × 50 ml ) and brine ( 50 ml ). the organic layer was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 5 % methanol / dichloromethane ) followed by preparative thin layer chromatography ( 10 % methanol / dichloromethane ) gave amide 65 ( 5 mg , 0 . 010 mmol , 65 %). ( z )- 7 -[( 1r , 4s , 5r )- 5 -(( e )- 4 - benzo [ b ] thiophen - 2 - yl - 3 - hydroxy - but - 1 - enyl )- 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxo - cyclopentyl ]- hept - 5 - enoic acid amide ( 69 ). a solution of acid 55 ( 9 mg , 0 . 02 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 0 . 2 ml ) was treated with triethylamine ( 15 μl , 0 . 11 mmol ). the solution was cooled to 0 ° c . and after 10 minutes , ethyl chloroformate ( 7 μl , 0 . 073 mmol ) was added . the solution was stirred further for 1 h at 0 ° c . and then concentrated aqueous ammonium hydroxide solution was added ( 10 μl , 0 . 26 mmol ). the reaction was allowed to stir at room temperature overnight and then was quenched by addition of 0 . 5 m hcl ( 7 ml ). the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 30 ml ) and the combined ethyl acetate solution was washed with saturated nahco 3 solution ( 20 ml ) and brine ( 20 ml ) and then was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and evaporated . purification by flash chromatography on silica gel ( 2 %- 6 % methanol / dichloromethane ) gave the title amide ( 2 . 6 mg , 28 %). the methods of screening the compounds of this invention for the desired biological activity are illustrated in the following non - limiting examples . results for example compounds of this invention are included in table 2 . these results are presented purely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way . cells stably expressing ep 1 , ep 2 , ep 4 and fp receptors hek - 293 cells stably expressing the human or feline fp receptor , or ep 1 , ep 2 , or ep 4 receptors were washed with tme buffer , scraped from the bottom of the flasks , and homogenized for 30 sec using a brinkman pt 10 / 35 polytron . tme buffer was added to achieve a final 40 ml volume in the centrifuge tubes ( the composition of tme is 100 mm tris base , 20 mm mgcl 2 , 2m edta ; 10n hcl is added to achieve a ph of 7 . 4 ). the cell homogenate was centrifuged at 19000 r . p . m . for 20 min at 4 ° c . using a beckman ti - 60 rotor . the resultant pellet was resuspended in tme buffer to give a final 1 mg / ml protein concentration , as determined by biorad assay . radioligand binding competition assays vs . [ 3 h -] 17 - phenyl pgf 2α ( 5 nm ) were performed in a 100 μl volume for 60 min . binding reactions were started by adding plasma membrane fraction . the reaction was terminated by the addition of 4 ml ice - cold tris - hcl buffer and rapid filtration through glass fiber gf / b filters using a brandel cell harvester . the filters were washed 3 times with ice - cold buffer and oven dried for one hour . [ 3 h -] pge 2 ( specific activity 180 ci mmol ) was used as the radioligand for ep receptors . [ 3 h ] 17 - phenyl pgf 2α was employed for fp receptor binding studies . binding studies employing ep 1 , ep 2 , ep 4 and fp receptors were performed in duplicate in at least three separate experiments . a 200 μl assay volume was used . incubations were for 60 min at 25 ° c . and were terminated by the addition of 4 ml of ice - cold 50 mm tris - hcl , followed by rapid filtration through whatman gf / b filters and three additional 4 ml washes in a cell harvester ( brandel ). competition studies were performed using a final concentration of 5 nm [ 3 h ]- pge 2 , or 5 nm [ 3 h ] 17 - phenyl pgf 2α and non - specific binding determined with 10 − 5 m of unlabeled pge 2 , or 17 - phenyl pgf 2α , according to receptor subtype studied . hek - 293 ( ebna ) cells , stably expressing one type or subtype of recombinant human prostaglandin receptors ( prostaglandin receptors expressed : hdp / gqs5 ; hep 1 ; hep 2 / gqs5 ; hep 3a / gqi5 ; hep 4 / gqs5 ; hfp ; hip ; htp ), were cultured in 100 mm culture dishes in high - glucose dmem medium containing 10 % fetal bovine serum , 2 mm 1 - glutamine , 250 μg / ml geneticin ( g418 ) and 200 μg / ml hygromycin b as selection markers , and 100 units / ml penicillin g , 100 μg / ml streptomycin and 0 . 25 μg / ml amphotericin b . cells were seeded at a density of 5 × 10 4 cells per well in biocoat ® poly - d - lysine - coated black - wall , clear - bottom 96 - well plates ( becton - dickinson ) and allowed to attach overnight in an incubator at 37 ° c . cells were then washed two times with hbss - hepes buffer ( hanks balanced salt solution without bicarbonate and phenol red , 20 mm hepes , ph 7 . 4 ) using a denley cellwash plate washer ( labsystems ). after 45 minutes of dye - loading in the dark , using the calcium - sensitive dye fluo - 4 am at a final concentration of 2 μm , plates were washed four times with hbss - hepes buffer to remove excess dye leaving 100 μl in each well . plates were re - equilibrated to 37 ° c . for a few minutes . cells were excited with an argon laser at 488 nm , and emission was measured through a 510 - 570 nm bandwidth emission filter ( flipr ™, molecular devices , sunnyvale , calif .). drug solution was added in a 50 μl volume to each well to give the desired final concentration . the peak increase in fluorescence intensity was recorded for each well . on each plate , four wells each served as negative ( hbss - hepes buffer ) and positive controls ( standard agonists : bw245c ( hdp ); pge 2 ( hep 1 ; hep 2 / gqs5 ; hep 3a / gqi5 ; hep 4 / gqs5 ); pgf 2α ( hfp ); carbacyclin ( hip ); u - 46619 ( htp ), depending on receptor ). the peak fluorescence change in each drug - containing well was then expressed relative to the controls . compounds were tested in a high - throughput ( hts ) or concentration - response ( core ) format . in the hts format , forty - four compounds per plate were examined in duplicates at a concentration of 10 − 5 m . to generate concentration - response curves , four compounds per plate were tested in duplicates in a concentration range between 10 − 5 and 10 − 11 m . the duplicate values were averaged . in either , hts or core format each compound was tested on at least 3 separate plates using cells from different passages to give an n ≧ 3 . the foregoing description details specific methods and compositions that can be employed to practice the present invention , and represents the best mode contemplated . however , it is apparent for one of ordinary skill in the art that further compounds with the desired pharmacological properties can be prepared in an analogous manner , and that the disclosed compounds can also be obtained from different starting compounds via different chemical reactions . similarly , different pharmaceutical compositions may be prepared and used with substantially the same result . thus , however detailed the foregoing may appear in text , it should not be construed as limiting the overall scope hereof ; rather , the ambit of the present invention is to be governed only by the lawful construction of the appended claims .
the present invention provides a method of treating ocular hypertension or glaucoma which comprises administering to an animal having ocular hypertension or glaucoma therapeutically effective amount of a compound represented by the general formula i ; wherein the dashed line indicates the presence or absence of a bond , the hatched wedge indicates the α configuration , and the solid triangle indicates the β configuration ; b is a single , double , or triple covalent bond ; n is 0 - 6 ; x is ch 2 , s or o ; y is any pharmaceutically acceptable salt of co 2 h , or co 2 r , conr 2 , conhch 2 ch 2 oh , con 2 , ch 2 or , p 2 , conrso 2 r , sonr 2 , or r is h , c 1 - 6 alkyl or c 2 - 6 alkenyl ; r 2 and r 3 are c 1 - 6 linear alkyl which may be the same or different , and may be bonded to each other such that they form a ring incorporating the carbon to which they are commonly attached ; r 4 is hydrogen , r , cr , or any group that is easily removed under physiological conditions such that r 4 is effectively hydrogen ; r 5 is hydrogen or r ; r 6 is i ) hydrogen ; ii ) a linear or branched hydrocarbon containing between 1 and 8 carbon atoms , which may contain one or more double or triple bonds , or oxygen or halogen derivatives of said hydrocarbon , wherein 1 - 3 carbon or hydrogen atoms may be substituted by o or a halogen ; or iii ) aryloxy , heteroaryloxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyloxy , c 3 - 8 cycloalkyl , c 6 - 10 aryl or c 3 - 10 heteroaryl , wherein one or more carbons is substituted with n , o , or s ; and which may contain one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen , trihalomethyl , cyano , nitro , amino , hydroxy , c 6 - 10 aryl , c 3 - 10 heteroaryl , aryloxy , heteroaryloxy , c 1 - 6 alkyl , or , sr , and so 2 r . some of the compounds of the present invention and some of their methods of preparation are also novel an nonobvious .