in the compounds of formula i , the term &# 34 ; alkyl &# 34 ; means a straight or branched hydrocarbon radical having from one to 12 carbon atoms and includes , for example , methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , sec - butyl , isobutyl , tert - butyl , n - pentyl , n - hexyl , n - heptyl , n - octyl , n - nonyl , n - decyl , undecyl , dodecyl , and the like . the term &# 34 ; alkenyl &# 34 ; means a straight or branched unsaturated hydrocarbon radical having from two to 12 carbon atoms and includes , for example , ethenyl , 2 - propenyl , 1 - butenyl , 2 - butenyl , 1 - pentenyl , 2 - pentenyl , 3 - methyl - 3 - butenyl , 1 - hexenyl , 2 - hexenyl , 3 - hexenyl , 3 - heptenyl , 1 - octenyl , 1 - nonenyl , 1 - decenyl , 1 - undecenyl , 1 - dodecenyl , and the like . the term &# 34 ; cycloalkyl &# 34 ; means a saturated hydrocarbon ring which contains from three to 12 carbon atoms , for example , cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , adamantyl , and the like . the terms &# 34 ; alkoxy &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; thioalkoxy &# 34 ; are o - alkyl or s - alkyl as defined above for alkyl . the term &# 34 ; aryl &# 34 ; means an aromatic radical which is a phenyl group , a benzyl group , a naphthyl group , a biphenyl group , a pyrenyl group , an anthracenyl group , 3 , 3 - diphenylalanyl , 10 , 11 - dihydro - 5h - dibenzo -[ a , d ]-( cyclohepten - 5 - yl ) glycyl , or a fluorenyl group and the like , unsubstituted or substituted by one to four substituents selected from alkyl as defined above , alkoxy as defined above , thioalkoxy as defined above , hydroxy thiol nitro , halogen , amino ; ## str19 ## wherein alkyl is as defined above , ## str20 ## wherein alkyl is as defined above , ## str21 ## wherein alkyl is as defined above , or aryl . the term &# 34 ; arylalkyl &# 34 ; means an aromatic radical attached to an alkyl radical wherein aryl and alkyl are as defined above , for example , benzyl , fluorenylmethyl , and the like . the term &# 34 ; heteroaryl &# 34 ; means a heteroaromatlc radical which is 2 - or 3 - thienyl , 2 - or 3 - furanyl , 2 - or 3 - pyrrolyl , 2 -, 4 -, or 5 - imidazolyl , 3 -, 4 -, or 5 - pyrazolyl , 2 -, 4 -, or 5 - thiazolyl , 3 -, 4 -, or 5 - isothiazolyl , 2 -, 4 -, or 5 - oxazolyl , 3 -, 4 -, or 5 - isoxazolyl , 3 - or 5 - 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolyl , 4 - or 5 - 1 , 2 , 3 - triazolyl , tetrazolyl , 2 -, 3 -, or 4 - pyridinyl , 3 -, 4 -, or 5 - pyridazinyl , 2 - pyrazinyl , 2 -, 4 -, or 5 - pyrimidinyl , 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, 7 -, or 8 - quinolinyl , 1 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, 7 -, or 8 - isoquinolinyl , 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, or 7 - indolyl , n - formyl - 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, 7 - indolyl , 2 -, 3 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, 7 - benzo [ b ] thienyl , or 2 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, or 7 - benzoxazolyl , 2 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, or 7 - benzimidazolyl , 2 -, 4 -, 5 -, 6 -, or 7 - benzothiazolyl , unsubstituted or substituted by one to two substituents selected from alkyl as defined above , aryl as defined above , alkoxy as defined above , thioalkoxy as defined above , hydroxy , thiol , nitro , halogen , formyl , amino ; ## str22 ## wherein alkyl is as defined above , ## str23 ## wherein alkyl is as defined above ## str24 ## wherein alkyl is as defined above , or phenyl . &# 34 ; alkali metal &# 34 ; is a metal in group ia of the periodic table and includes , for example , lithium , sodium , potassium , and the like . &# 34 ; alkaline - earth metal &# 34 ; is a metal in group iia of the periodic table and includes , for example , calcium , barium , strontium , and the like . the following table provides a list of abbreviations and definitions thereof used in the present invention . ______________________________________abbreviation * amino acidala alaninearg arginineasn asparagineasp aspartic acidcys cysteineglu glutamic acidgln glutaminegly glycinehis histidineile isoleucineleu leucinelys lysinemet methioninephe phenylalaninepro prolineser serinethr threoninetrp tryptophantyr tyrosineval valineabbreviation * modified and unusual amino acidnva norvalinenle norleucinealg 2 - amino - 4 - pentanoic acid ( allylgycine ) cpn 2 - amino - 3 - cyclopropane propanoic acid ( cyclopropylalanine ) chx cyclohexylalanine ( hexahydrophenylalanine ) his ( dnp ) n . sup . im - 2 , 4 - dinitrophenyl - histidinehomophe 2 - amino - 5 - phenylpentanoic acid ( homophenylalanine ) 1 - nal 3 -( 1 &# 39 ;- naphthyl ) alanine2 - nal 3 -( 2 &# 39 ;- naphthyl ) alaninepgy 2 - aminopentanoic acid ( propylglycine ) pyr 2 - amino - 3 -( 3 - pyridyl )- propanoic acid ( 3 - pyridylalanine ) tza 2 - amino - 3 -( 4 - thiazolyl )- propanoic acidtyr ( ot - bu ) o - tertiary butyltyrosinetyr ( ome ) o - methyltyrosinetyr ( oet ) o - ethyltyrosinetrp ( for ) n . sup . in - formyltryptophanhis ( t - bu ) n . sup . im - tertiary butylhistidinehis ( cφ . sub . 3 ) n . sup . im - triphenylmethyl - histidine ( n . sup . im - tritylhistidine ) trp ( me ) n . sup . in - methyltryptophanasp ( ot - bu ) aspartic acid 4 - tertiary butyl esterasp ( ome ) aspartic acid 4 - methyl esterasp ( obn ) aspartic acid 4 - benzyl esterglu ( ot - bu ) glutamic acid 5 - tertiary butyl esterglu ( ome ) glutamic acid 5 - methyl esterbta 3 - benzothienyl alaninebfa 3 - benzofuranyl alanineabbreviation protecting groupac acetylacm acetamidomethylada 1 - adamantyl acetic acidadoc adamantyloxycarbonylcbz benzyloxycarbonyl2 - br - cbz ortho - bromobenzyloxy - carbonyl2 - cl - cbz ortho - chlorobenzyloxy - carbonylbom benzyloxymethylboc tertiary butyloxycarbonyltbs tertiary butyldimethyl - silyldnp 2 , 4 - dinitrophenylfor formylfmoc 9 - fluorenylmethyloxy - carbonylno . sub . 2 nitrotos 4 - toluenesulfonyl ( tosyl ) trt triphenylmethyl ( trityl ) bn benzylo - bn o - benzylo - me o - methylph phenylabbreviation solvents and reagentshoac acetic acidch . sub . 3 cn acetonitrilech . sub . 2 cl . sub . 2 or dcm dichloromethanedcc n , n &# 39 ;- dicyclohexyl - carbodiimidedmap 4 - dimethylaminopyridinediea n , n - diisopropylethylaminedmf dimethylformamidehcl hydrochloric acidhf hydrofluoric acidhobt 1 - hydroxybenzotriazolekoh potassium hydroxidetfa trifluoroacetic acidedac ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethylamino - propyl ) carbodiimide hydrochloridenahco . sub . 3 sodium bicarbonatenacl sodium chloridenacnbh . sub . 4 sodium cyanoborohydridemgso . sub . 4 magnesium sulfatelah lithium aluminum hydridekhso . sub . 4 potassium bisulfatemeoh methanolchcl . sub . 3 chloroformtea or et . sub . 3 n triethylaminethf tetrahydrofuranetoac ethyl acetaten . sub . 2 nitrogennan . sub . 3 sodium azidedmso dimethylsulfoxideedta ethylenediamine tetraacetic acidmbha resin methylbenzhydrylamine resinsasrin resin 2 - methoxy - 4 - alkoxybenzyl alcohol resin______________________________________ * if the optical activity of the amino acid is other than l ( s ), the amino acid or abbreviation is preceded by the appropriate configuration d ( r ) o dl ( rs ). the compounds of formula i are capable of further forming both pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition and / or base salts . all of these forms are within the scope of the present invention . pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts of the compounds of formula i include salts derived from nontoxic inorganic acids such as hydrochloric , nitric , phosphoric , sulfuric , hydrobromic , hydriodic , hydrofluoric , phosphorous , and the like , as well as the salts derived from nontoxic organic acids , such as aliphatic mono - and dicarboxylic acids , phenyl - substituted alkanoic acids , hydroxy alkanoic acids , alkanedioic acids , aromatic acids , aliphatic and aromatic sulfonic acids , etc . such salts thus include sulfate , pyrosulfate , bisulfate , sulfite , bisulfite , nitrate , phosphate , monohydrogenphosphate , dihydrogenphosphate , metaphosphate , pyrophosphate , chloride , bromide , iodide , acetate , trifluoroacetate , propionate , caprylate , isobutyrate , oxalate , malonate , succinate , suberate , sebacate , fumarate , maleate , mandelate , benzoate , chlorobenzoate , methylbenzoate , dinitrobenzoate , phthalate , benzenesulfonate , toluenesulfonate , phenylacetate , citrate , lactate , maleate , tartrate , methanesulfonate , and the like . also contemplated are salts of amino acids such as arginate and the like and gluconate , galacturonate ( see , for example , berge s m , et al , &# 34 ; pharmaceutical salts ,&# 34 ; j of pharma sci 1977 ; 66 : 1 . the acid addition salts of said basic compounds are prepared by contacting the free base form with a sufficient amount of the desired acid to produce the salt in the conventional manner . preferably , a peptide of formula i can be converted to an acidic salt by treating with an aqueous solution of the desired acid , such that the resulting ph is less than four . the solution can be passed through a c18 cartridge to absorb the peptide , washed with copious amounts of water , the peptide eluted with a polar organic solvent such as , for example , methanol , acetonitrile , aqueous mixtures thereof , and the like , and isolated by concentrating under reduced pressure followed by lyophilization . the free base form may be regenerated by contacting the salt form with a base and isolating the free base in the conventional manner . the free base forms differ from their respective salt forms somewhat in certain physical properties such as solubility in polar solvents , but otherwise the salts are equivalent to their respective free base for purposes of the present invention . pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salts are formed with metals or amines , such as alkali and alkaline earth metals or organic amines . examples of metals used as cations are sodium , potassium , magnesium , calcium , and the like . examples of suitable amines are n , n &# 39 ;- dibenzylethylenediamine , chloro - procaine , choline , diethanolamine , dicyclohexylamine , ethylenediamine , n - methylglucamine , and procaine ( see , for example , berge s m , et al , &# 34 ; pharmaceutical salts ,&# 34 ; j of pharma sci , 1977 ; 66 : 1 . the base addition salts of said acidic compounds are prepared by contacting the free acid form with a sufficient amount of the desired base to produce the salt in the conventional manner . preferably , a peptide of formula i can be converted to a base salt by treating with an aqueous solution of the desired base , such that the resulting ph is greater than 9 . the solution can be passed through a c18 cartridge to absorb the peptide , washed with copious amounts of water , the peptide eluted with a polar organic solvent such as , for example , methanol , acetonitrile , aqueous mixtures thereof , and the like , and isolated by concentrating under reduced pressure followed by lyophilization . the free acid form my be regenerated by contacting the salt form with an acid and isolating the free acid in the conventional manner . the free acid forms differ from their respective salt forms somewhat in certain physical properties such as solubility in polar solvents , but otherwise the salts are equivalent to their respective free acid for purposes of the present invention . certain of the compounds of the present invention can exist in unsolvated forms as well as solrated forms , including hydrated forms . in general , the solvated forms , including hydrated forms , are equivalent to unsolvated forms and are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention . certain of the compounds of the present invention possess one or more chiral centers and each center may exist in the r ( d ) or s ( l ) configuration . the present invention includes all enantiomeric and epimeric forms as well as the appropriate mixtures thereof . m is zero or an integer of one or ## str26 ## wherein r 5 is hydrogen , or alkyl and n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str28 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str30 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str32 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str34 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str36 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str38 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str40 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str42 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str44 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str46 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str48 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; ## str50 ## wherein r is hydrogen , n is an integer of one to ten ; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . the compounds of formula i are valuable inhibitors of endothelin converting enzyme . the test employed indicates that the compounds of formula i possess inhibitory activity towards an endothelin converting enzyme . ece activity assay : the typical reaction mixture ( 50 μl ) contained 10 μm big et , 100 mm hepes - koh ( ph 7 . 0 ), 0 . 25 % triton x - 100 , 0 . 01 % nan 3 , 0 . 2 mm phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride , 50 μm pepstatin a , 0 . 1 mm leupeptin , the indicated concentration of compound ( or dmso for control ), and the indicated amount of protein . the final dmso concentration was kept at 3 %. after incubation for 1 . 5 hours at 37 ° c ., the reaction was stopped by the addition of edta to a final concentration of 10 mm . this final mixture was diluted ( usually 100 - fold ) with the radioimmunoassay buffer ( see below ) and used for radioimmunoassay . radioimmunoassay ( ria ): for the measurement of immunoreactive ( ir ) et - 1 , the assay mixture ( 250 μl ) contained the antibody against et - 1 , an et - 1 sample , and [ 125 i ] et - 1 ( 7000 cpm ) in the radioimmunoassay buffer ( 60 mm potassium phosphate ( kpi ), ph 7 . 4 / 10 mm , edta / 8 mm , nan 3 / 3 % dmso / 0 . 1 % bovine serum albumin / 0 . 1 % tween 20 ). the order of the addition was et - 1 sample , followed by antibody , then [ 125 i ] et - 1 . after incubation at 4 ° c . for 0 . 5 to 2 days , unbound et - 1 was co - precipitated by the addition of charcoal ( 2 . 4 %, w / v )/ dextran ( 0 . 24 %, w / v ) suspension ( 125 μl ) in the ria buffer with bsa replacedby gelatin ( 0 . 25 %, w / v ). the amount of ir - et - 1 was measured by counting the supernatant and determined from the standard curve . the cross - reactivity to big et - 1 was less than 0 . 01 % and the detection limit was 1 fmol . table ii______________________________________biological activity of compounds offormula iexam - % eceple conc . inhi - number compound ( μm ) bition______________________________________2 bocileiletrpnhoh 100 473 bocileiledtrpnhoh 100 464 bociletrpnhoh 100 446 ileiletrpnhoh 100 74 ## str51 ## 4 20 34 6810 ## str52 ## ic . sub . 50 = 4 . 7 μm12 ## str53 ## 100 6513 ## str54 ## 10 50 22 5722 bocaspileiletrp ( for )- nhoh 10 53 ( seq id no : 4 ) 40 73 100 87______________________________________ an alternative method to prepare compounds of the present invention is described using conventional solid phase peptide chemistry techniques . the linear peptides are prepared by standard solid phase synthetic peptide methodology utilizing a fmoc / benzyl strategy ( stewart j m , young j d , solid phase peptide synthesis , pierce chemical co ., rockford , ill ., 1984 ). all protected amino acids and reagents are obtained from commercial sources and are not further purified . the protected peptide resin , such as sasrin resin , is prepared on an applied biosystems 430a peptide synthesizer utilizing protocols supplied for a dicyclohexylcarbodiimide - mediated coupling scheme ( standard 1 . 0 , version 1 . 4 ). amino acid side - chains are protected as follows : bn ( asp , glu , ser , thr ), 2 - cl - z ( lys ), dnp ( his ), and acm ( cys ). fmoc deprotection at each step is effected by treatment with piperidine in a suitable solvent such as ch 2 cl 2 . a typical cycle for the coupling of an individual amino acid is illustrated below ( reproduced from the abi manual ): ______________________________________schedule for solid phase peptide synthesis ( use of fmoc amino acids ) vol timestep reagent ( ml ) ( min ) ______________________________________1 dcm wash ( 2 times ) 15 32 dmf wash ( 2 times ) 15 33 deprotect : dmf : piperidine ( 1 : 1 ) 15 204 dmf wash ( 2 times ) 15 35 dioxane : water ( 2 : 1 ) ( 2 times ) 15 106 dmf wash ( 3 times ) 15 57 dcm wash ( 3 times ) ( or dmf ) 15 58 symmetrical anhydride of fmoc 15 15 amino acid in dcm ( or dmf : dcm ) ( use 2 or 3 moles of anhydride ) 9 add 1 . 0 ml of 10 % diea in 1 15 dcm or until monitoring shows coupling complete10 recouple if necessary by 40 repeating steps 7 - 911 dmf wash ( 5 times ) 15 812 iproh wash ( 5 times ) 15 813 dcm wash ( 5 times ) 15 8______________________________________ the peptide is liberated from the solid support using 2 % tfa / ch 2 cl 2 . the peptide is treated with benzyloxyamine in the presence of activating agents as described hereinafter under solution peptide synthesis of compounds of formula i . the benzylhydroxamic derivative and the side - chains are then deprotected under hydrogenation conditions using pd / baso 4 as the catalyst . the crude peptide is purified by reverse phase hplc . thus , the hydroxamate peptides can be prepared on the resin . the hydroxamate peptides are prepared by sequential stepwise coupling of the amino acids selected from r - aa 1 , aa 2 , aa 3 , aa 4 , and aa 5 to the preceding amino acid using solid - phase peptide chemistry as described above . the peptide is liberated from the solid support by transesterification with an alcohol such as , for example , methanol , and the like , in the presence of a base such as , for example , triethylamine and the like , to afford a peptide ester of formula iv r -- aa . sup . 1 -- aa . sup . 2 -- aa . sup . 3 -- aa . sup . 4 -- aa . sup . 5 -- or . sup . 12 ( seq id no : 16 ) iv wherein r 12 is alkyl and r , aa 1 , aa 2 , aa 3 , aa 4 , and aa 5 are as defined above . the ester of formula iv is hydrolyzed with a base such as , for example , an alkali metal hydroxide , for example , sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , and the like , to afford an acid of formula iii wherein r , aa 1 , aa 2 , aa 3 , aa 4 , and aa 5 are as defined above . the acid of formula iii is coupled to a compound of formula v wherein aa 6 is as defined above in the presence of a coupling reagent such as , for example , edac / hobt and the like , and a solvent such as , for example , dmf and the like , to afford a compound of formula ii r -- aa . sup . 1 -- aa . sup . 2 -- aa . sup . 3 -- aa . sup . 4 -- aa . sup . 5 -- aa . sup . 6 -- nh -- obn ( seq id no : 2 ) ii wherein r , aa 1 , aa 2 , aa 3 , aa 4 , aa 5 , and aa 6 are as defined above . a compound of formula ii is hydrogenated in the presence of a catalyst such as , for example , palladium on barium sulfate and the like , and a solvent such as , for example , methanol and the like , to afford after removal of protecting groups by conventional methodology a compound of formula i . the compounds of formula i also may be prepared by conventional solution peptide synthesis . preferred methods for the preparation of compounds of formula i are described in schemes i to vi . ## str55 ## compounds of formula i are designated by numbers 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 19 , 20 , 26 , 27 , 29 , and 30 . these schemes illustrate preferred methods from which a person , skilled in the art , could analogously prepare all compounds of formula i . compounds designated 8 through 11 are prepared as outlined in scheme i . thus , compound 1 is reacted with o - benzylhydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of a coupling reagent such as , for example , dcc / hobt / et 3 n ; edac . hcl / et 3 n , and the like , and a solvent such as , for example , dmf and the like . alternatively , a conventional mixed anhydride procedure may be used employing methyl , ethyl , or isobutyl chloroformate and a base such as , for example , n - methylpiperidine , morpholine , and the like . the coupling reaction is carried out at about 0 ° c . to about room temperature for about 3 to about 24 hours to afford the compound 2 . preferably , the reaction is carried out with dcc / hobt / et 3 n in dmf at 0 ° c . for about 12 to about 15 hours . compound 2 is treated with an acid such as , for example , tfa , hcl , and the like , in a solvent such as , for example , ch 2 cl 2 and the like , at about room temperature for about 1 to about 3 hours to afford compound 3 . preferably , the reaction is carried out with tfa and ch 2 cl 2 at about room temperature for about 1 hour . compound 6 is prepared by reacting compound 4 with compound 5 in the presence of an activating agent such as described above , for example , dcc / hobt , edac . hcl / hobt , and a base , for example , et 3 n or a mixed anhydride procedure as described above , for example , methyl , ethyl , or isobutyl chloroformate and a base , for example , n - methylpiperidine , morpholine , and the like , in an inert solvent such as , for example , ch 2 cl 2 , chcl 3 , dmf , and the like , at about 0 ° c . to about room temperature for about 14 hours to afford compound 6 . preferably , the reaction is carried out with dcc / hobt and et 3 n in dmf . the methyl ester of compound 6 is hydrolyzed with a base such as , for example , an aqueous solution of naoh , lioh , koh , and the like , in a solvent such as , for example , thf , ethanol , methanol , and the like , at about room temperature for about 12 to about 16 hours to afford the acid ( compound 7 ). preferably , the reaction is carried out with 1 . 1 equivalents of aqueous naoh in thf at about room temperature for about 12 to about 16 hours . compound 8 is prepared by reacting compound 3 with compound 7 using the coupling conditions used to prepare compound 6 from compounds 4 and 5 to afford compound 8 . compound 8 is hydrogenated at 5 to 50 pounds per square inch ( psi ) hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst such as , for example , palladium on carbon ( 5 - 20 %) palladium on barium sulfate ( 5 %), and the like , and a solvent such as , for example , methanol , ethanol , thf , dioxane , and the like , to afford compound 9 . preferably , the reaction is carried out in the presence of 5 % palladium on barium sulfate in methanol . compound 9 is treated with an acid such as , for example , tfa , hcl , and the like , in a solvent such as , for example , ch 2 cl 2 and the like , at about room temperature for about 1 to about 3 hours to afford compound 10 . preferably , the reaction is carried out with tfa at about room temperature for about 1 to about 3 hours . using the methodology used to convert compound 9 to compound 10 , one obtains compound 11 from compound 8 . compound 11 can be converted to compound 10 using the methodology used to convert compound 8 to compound 9 . compounds designated 12 to 14 are prepared as outlined in scheme ii . thus , compound 11 is reacted with mono - methyl succinate in the presence of an activating agent such as , for example , dcc / hobt , edac . hcl / et 3 n , and the like , or the mixed anhydride procedure as described above in a solvent such as , for example , dmf and the like at about 0 ° c . to about room temperature for about 3 hours to about 24 hours to afford compound 12 . preferably , the reaction is carried out with 1 . 14 equivalents of mono - methyl succinate and edac . hcl / et 3 n in dmf for 14 hours . the methyl ester of compound 12 is treated with an aqueous base such as , for example , naoh , lioh , koh , and the like , and a solvent such as , for example , thf , ethanol , methanol , dioxane , and the like , at about room temperature for about 7 days to afford the acid ( compound 13 ). preferably , the reaction is carried with 2 . 2 equivalents of aqueous naoh and thf at about room temperature for about 7 days . the n - benzyloxyamide of compound 13 is treated with hydrogen at a pressure of 5 to 50 psi in the presence of a catalyst such as , for example , palladium on barium sulfate ( 5 %) and the like , and a solvent such as , for example , methanol and the like , to afford compound 14 . preferably , the reaction is carried out in the presence of palladium on barium sulfate and methanol . alternatively , as outlined in scheme iii , compound 13 is prepared by reacting compound 11 with succinic anhydride in a solvent such as , for example , thf , dioxane , dmf , acetonitrile , and the like , to afford compound 13 . preferably , the reaction is carried out in thf . compound 13 is treated with hydrogen using the methodology described above to prepare compound 14 . compounds designated 15 - 17 are prepared as outlined in scheme iv . thus , compound 15 is prepared by reacting compound 11 with n - boc - 11 - aminoundecanoic acid using the methodology described above for preparing compound 6 . preferably , the coupling is carried out in the presence of edac / hobt and pyridine . compound 16 is prepared by treating compound 15 with an acid such as , for example , tfa , hcl , and the like , in a solvent such as , for example , ch 2 cl 2 and the like , at about room temperature for about 1 hour to afford compound 16 . preferably , the reaction is carried out with tfa in ch 2 cl 2 at about room temperature for about 1 hour . compound 17 is prepared by hydrogenating compound 16 in the presence of a palladium catalyst such as , for example , palladium on barium sulfate ( 5 %) and the like , and a solvent such as , for example , methanol and the like , as described above to afford compound 17 . preferably , the reaction is carried out in the presence of palladium on barium sulfate ( 5 %) and methanol . compounds designated 19 through 20 are prepared as outlined in scheme v . thus , compound 19 is prepared by reacting compound 4 with compound 3 using the methodology described above for preparing compound 6 . preferably , the coupling is carried out in the presence of dcc / hobt . compound 20 is prepared by hydrogenating compound 19 in the presence of palladium catalyst as described in the preparation of compound 17 from compound 16 . compounds designated 22 through 30 are prepared as outlined in scheme vi . thus , compound 21 is reacted with benzyi alcohol in the presence of coupling agents described earlier . preferably , the reaction is carried out with dcc / dmap in ch 2 cl 2 at room temperature for about 10 to 17 hours to afford compound 22 . compound 22 is treated with an acid such as , for example , tfa , hcl , and the like , in a solvent such as , for example , ch 2 cl 2 , and the like , at about room temperature for about 1 to about 3 hours to afford compound 23 . compound 23 is reacted with compound 7 in the presence of coupling agents described earlier . preferably , the reaction is carried out with dcc / hobt in dmf at 0 ° c . to room temperature for about 12 to 16 hours to afford compound 24 . compound 24 is hydrogenated at 5 to 50 psi hydrogen in the presence of a palladium catalyst , such as palladium on carbon ( 20 %), and the like , and a solvent such as , for example , methanol , and the like , as described above to afford compound 25 . compound 26 is prepared by reacting compound 25 with o - benzylhydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of a coupling agent such as , for example , dcc / hobt / et 3 n , edac . hcl / et 3 n , and the like , and a solvent such as , for example , dmf , and the like . the coupling reaction is carried out at about 0 ° c . to about room temperature for about 3 to about 24 hours . preferably , the reaction is carried out with dcc / hobt / et 3 n in dmf at 0 ° c . to room temperature for about 12 to about 15 hours . compound 26 is treated with an acid such as , for example , tfa , hcl , and the like , in a solvent such as , for example , ch 2 cl 2 , and the like , at about room temperature for about 1 to about 3 hours to afford compound 27 . preferably , the reaction is carried out with tfa and ch 2 cl 2 at about room temperature for about 1 hour . compound 29 is prepared by reactins compound 27 with compound 28 in the presence of an activating agent such as described above , for example , dcc / hobt , edac . hcl / hobt , and a base , for example , et 3 n or a mixed anhydride procedure as described above in a solvent such as , for example , dmf , and the like , at about 0 ° c . to about room temperature for about 3 hours to about 24 hours . preferably , the reaction is carried out with dcc / hobt in dmf for 14 hours . the n - benzyloxyamide of compound 29 is treated with hydrogen at a pressure of 5 to 50 psi in the presence of a catalyst such as , for example , palladium on barium sulfate ( 5 %), and the like , and a solvent such as , for example , methanol to afford compound 30 . all the hydroxamate compounds of formula i can be prepared by the methods outlined in schemes i to vi . the strategy of peptide chain assembly and removal of protecting groups is discussed in chapter 1 , &# 34 ; the peptide bond ,&# 34 ; in &# 34 ; the peptides . analysis , synthesis , biology ,&# 34 ; gross e , meienhofer j , eds ., academic press , new york , n . y . 1979 ; 1 : 42 . the dcc / hobt method of coupling is well known to those skilled in the art and is discussed in chapter 5 , &# 34 ; the carbodiimide method &# 34 ; by rich d h , singh j , in &# 34 ; the peptides . analysis , synthesis , biology ,&# 34 ; gross e , meienhofer j , eds ., academic press , new york , n . y . 1979 ; 1 : 241 . peptide coupling depends on activating the carboxyl group of the protected amino acid prior to condensing it with another peptide containing a free amino terminus . in addition to the dcc coupling method described above , other methods of activating the carboxyl group of a protected amino acid include : 1 ) the azide method -- described in chapter 4 of the above reference . 2 ) the mixed anhydride method -- described in chapter 6 of the above reference . 3 ) the active ester method -- described in chapter 3 of the above reference . the compounds of the present invention can be prepared and administered in a wide variety of oral and parenteral dosage forms . thus , the compounds of the present invention can be administered by injection , that is , intravenously , intramuscularly , intracutaneously , subcutaneously , intraduodenally , or intraperitoneally . also , the compounds of the present invention can be administered by inhalation , for example , intranasally . additionally , the compounds of the present invention can be administered transdermally . it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the following dosage forms may comprise as the active component , either a compound of formula i or a corresponding pharmaceutically acceptable salt of a compound of formula i . for preparing pharmaceutical compositions from the compounds of the present invention , pharmaceutically acceptable carriers can be either solid or liquid . solid form preparations include powders , tablets , pills , capsules , cachets , suppositories , and dispersible granules . a solid carrier can be one or more substances which may also act as diluents , flavoring agents , binders , preservatives , tablet disintegrating agents , or an encapsulating material . in powders , the carrier is a finely divided solid which is in a mixture with the finely divided active component . in tablets , the active component is mixed with the carrier having the necessary binding properties in suitable proportions and compacted in the shape and size desired . the powders and tablets preferably contain from 5 % or 10 % to about 70 % of the active compound . suitable carriers are magnesium carbonate , magnesium stearate , talc , sugar , lactose , pectin , dextrin , starch , gelatin , tragacanth , methylcellulose , sodium carboxymethylcellulose , a low melting wax , cocoa butter , and the like . the term &# 34 ; preparation &# 34 ; is intended to include the formulation of the active compound with encapsulating material as a carrier providing a capsule in which the active component with or without other carriers , is surrounded by a carrier , which is thus in association with it . similarly , cachets and lozenges are included . tablets , powders , capsules , pills , cachets , and lozenges can be used as solid dosage forms suitable for oral administration . for preparing suppositories , a low melting wax , such as a mixture of fatty acid glycerides or cocoa butter , is first melted and the active component is dispersed homogeneously therein , as by stirring . the molten homogenous mixture is then poured into convenient sized molds , allowed to cool , and thereby to solidify . liquid form preparations include solutions , suspensions , and emulsions , for example , water or water propylene glycol solutions . for parenteral injection liquid preparations can be formulated in solution in aqueous polyethylene glycol solution . aqueous solutions suitable for oral use can be prepared by dissolving the active component in water and adding suitable colorants , flavors , stabilizing , and thickening agents as desired . aqueous suspensions suitable for oral use can be made by dispersing the finely divided active component in water with viscous material , such as natural or synthetic gums , resins , methylcellulose , sodium carboxymethylcellulose , and other well - known suspending agents . also included are solid form preparations which are intended to be converted , shortly before use , to liquid form preparations for oral administration . such liquid forms include solutions , suspensions , and emulsions . these preparations may contain , in addition to the active component , colorants , flavors , stabilizers , buffers , artificial and natural sweeteners , dispersants , thickeners , solubilizing agents , and the like . the pharmaceutical preparation is preferably in unit dosage form . in such form the preparation is subdivided into unit doses containing appropriate quantities of the active component . the unit dosage form can be a packaged preparation , the package containing discrete quantities of preparation , such as packeted tablets , capsules , and powders in vials or ampoules . also , the unit dosage form can be a capsule , tablet , cachet , or lozenge itself , or it can be the appropriate number of any of these in packaged form . the quantity of active component in a unit dose preparation may be varied or adjusted from 0 . 1 mg to 200 mg preferably 0 . 5 mg to 100 mg according to the particular application and the potency of the active component . the composition can , if desired , also contain other compatible therapeutic agents . in therapeutic use inhibitors of endothelin converting enzyme the compounds utilized in the pharmaceutical method of this invention are administered at the initial dosage of about 0 . 01 mg to about 500 mg / kg daily . a daily dose range of about 0 . 01 mg to about 100 mg / kg is preferred . the dosages , however , may be varied depending upon the requirements of the patient , the severity of the condition being treated , and the compound being employed . determination of the proper dosage for a particular situation is within the skill of the art . generally , treatment is initiated with smaller dosages which are less than the optimum dose of the compound . thereafter , the dosage is increased by small increments until the optimum effect under the circumstances is reached . for convenience , the total daily dosage may be divided and administered in portions during the day , if desired . the following nonlimiting example illustrates the inventors &# 39 ; preferred methods for preparing the compounds of the invention . a solution of n - boc - l - isoleucine hemihydrate ( 26 . 44 g , 0 . 11 mol ), l - isoleucine methyl ester hydrochloride ( 20 . 0 g , 0 . 11 mol ), and hobt ( 18 . 42 g , 0 . 132 mol ) in dmf ( 300 ml ) is treated with triethylamine ( 37 . 58 ml , 0 . 276 mol ), followed by dcc ( 26 . 08 g , 0 . 122 mol ) at 0 ° c . the reaction mixture is kept cold for 2 to 3 hours and stirred at room temperature for a total of 21 hours . the suspension is filtered and the filtrate is concentrated . the residue is treated with etoac and the solution filtered . the filtrate is washed with saturated aqueous solutions of nahco 3 and nacl , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated . the crude product is suspended in boiling hexane and etoac is added portionwise until the solution is homogeneous . the solution is filtered hot , and upon cooling to 0 ° c ., 31 . 79 g of the title compound is obtained as a white crystalline solid ; mass spectroscopy ( chemical ionization ) ( ms ( ci )), m + 1 = 359 a solution of boc - ile - ile - och 3 ( 5 . 0 g , 0 . 014 mol ) in thf ( 50 ml ) is treated dropwise with aqueous 1n naoh ( 15 ml , 0 . 015 mol ). after addition is complete the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 16 hours and concentrated . the residue is dissolved in water and the aqueous solution is extracted with diethyl ether . the organic layer is discarded and the ph of the aqueous layer is adjusted to 2 to 3 with aqueous 1n citric acid . the acidic solution is extracted with etoac and the organic extract is washed with saturated aqueous nacl , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered , and concentrated to give 4 . 65 g of the title compound as a white foam ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 345 . a solution of n - α - t - butoxycarbonyl - l - tryptophan ( 12 . 0 g , 0 . 0396 mol ), o - benzylhydroxylamine hydrochloride ( 6 . 32 g , 0 . 0396 mol ), and hobt ( 6 . 42 g , 0 . 0475 mol ) in dmf ( 120 ml ) is treated with triethylamine ( 13 . 8 ml , 0 . 0992 mol ) followed by dcc ( 9 . 0 g , 0 . 0436 mol ) at 0 ° c . the reaction mixture is kept cold for 2 to 3 hours and stirred at room temperature for 22 hours . the suspension is filtered and the filtrate is concentrated . the residue is treated with etoac and filtered . the filtrate is washed with saturated aqueous solutions of nahco 3 and nacl , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered , and concentrated . the crude product is purified by flash chromatography ( silica gel 60 , 230 - 400 mesh , 4 % methanol in chloroform ) to afford 10 . 75 g of the title compound as a white foam ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 410 . to a solution of boc - trp - nhobn ( 3 . 48 g , 8 . 5 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 35 ml ), is added portionwise trifluoroacetic acid ( 35 ml , 0 . 45 mol ) at 0 ° c . with vigorous stirring . after addition of acid is complete the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 1 hour and concentrated . the residue is taken up in etoac ( 50 ml ) and the organic layer is cautiously washed with saturated aqueous nahco 3 until neutral . the organic layer is washed with saturated aqueous nacl , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated to afford 2 . 37 g of the title compound as a light yellow foam ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 310 . hydrogen chloride gas is bubbled into a solution of boc trp - nhobn ( 2 . 04 g , 5 . 0 mmol ) in chloroform ( 100 ml ) for 5 minutes at room temperature . the solution is stirred for 1 hour and concentrated to give 1 . 73 g of the title compound as an off - white solid ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 310 . a solution of boc - ile - ile ( 2 . 65 g , 7 . 7 mol ) with trp - nhobn ( 2 . 37 g , 7 . 7 mmol ), and hobt ( 1 . 25 g , 9 . 2 mmol ) in dmf ( 50 ml ) is treated with n - methyl - piperidine ( 1 . 10 ml ), 9 . 2 mmol ) followed by edac . hcl ( 1 . 76 g , 9 . 2 mmol ) at 0 ° c . the reaction mixture is kept cold for 2 to 3 hours and stirred at room temperature for 15 hours . the solution is concentrated and the residue is partitioned between etoac and water . the bilayer is stirred at 0 ° c . for 2 hours . the precipitate is filtered and washed with water , diethyl ether , and a small amount of chloroform to afford 2 . 08 g of the title compound ; ms fast atom bombardment ( fab ), m + 1 = 636 . a suspension of boc - ile - ile - trp nhobn ( example 1 ) ( 0 . 76 g , 1 . 2 mmol ) and pd / baso 4 ( 5 %, 0 . 60 g ) in methanol ( 75 ml ) is hydrogenated ( 53 . 4 psi ) for 23 hours . tlc ( sio 2 ; chcl 3 : meoh , 9 : 1 ) shows complete reaction of starting material . the reaction mixture is filtered through celite and the filtrate is concentrated . the crude product is purified by flash chromatography ( silica gel 60 , 230 - 400 mesh , chloroform : methanol 9 : 1 ) to afford 0 . 55 g of the title compound as a light orange , amorphous solid ; ms ( fab ), m + na = 568 . in a process analogous to examples 1 and 2 using appropriate starting materials , the corresponding compounds of formula i are prepared as follows : to a suspension of boc - ile - ile - trp - nhobn ( example 1 ) ( 1 . 50 g , 2 . 4 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) is added portionwise trifluoroacetic acid ( 20 ml , 0 . 26 mol ) at 0 ° c . with vigorous stirring . after addition is complete the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 1 hour and concentrated . the residue is mixed with etoac and the organic layer is washed with saturated aqueous nahco 3 . upon neutralization of the excess acid , the product begins to precipitate in the organic layer . the organic suspension is diluted with diethyl ether and chilled at 0 ° c . for 1 hour . the title compound , 1 . 15 g , is collected as a light orange , amorphous solid ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 536 . hydrogen chloride gas is bubbled into a partial suspension of n -[( 1 , 1 - dimethylethoxy ) carbonyl ]- l - isoleucyl - l - isoleucyl - n - hydroxy - l - tryptophanamide ( example 2 ) ( 200 mg , 3 . 67 × 10 - 4 mol ) in chloroform ( 60 ml ) for 5 minutes at room temperature . upon the introduction of gas , all solid goes into solution and throughout the bubbling period a precipitate forms . after 1 hour the solution is concentrated to give 140 mg of the title compound as a pinkish - white amorphous solid ; ms ( fab ), m + 1 = 446 . 2 . a solution of monomethyl succinate ( 0 . 32 g , 2 . 4 mmol ) with ile - ile - trp - nhobn ( example 5 ) ( 1 . 15 g , 2 . 1 mmol ), and hobt ( 0 . 39 g , 2 . 9 mmol ) in dmf ( 15 ml ) is treated with n - methylpiperidine ( 0 . 35 ml , 2 . 9 mmol ), followed by edac . hcl ( 0 . 55 g , 2 . 9 mmol ) at 0 ° c . the reaction mixture is kept cold for 2 to 3 hours and stirred at room temperature for 14 hours . the reaction mixture is concentrated and the residue partitioned between etoac and water . after stirring for 30 minutes the product precipitates as a light yellow , amorphous solid which is washed with water and etoac and on filtration affords 0 . 87 g of the title compound ; ms ( fab ), m + 1 = 650 . a solution of n -( 4 - methoxy - 1 , 4 - dioxobutyl )- l - isoleucyl - l - isoleucyl - n -( phenylmethoxy )- l - tryptophanamide ( example 7 ) ( 0 . 87 g , 1 . 3 mmol ) and pd / baso 4 catalyst ( 5 %, 0 . 10 g ) in meoh ( 75 ml ) is hydrogenated for 19 hours ( 52 . 6 psi ). a precipitate forms during the course of the reaction and is dissolved upon addition of dmf . tlc ( sio 2 , chloroform : meoh 9 : 1 ) shows complete reaction of starting material . the catalyst is filtered using celite and the filtrate is concentrated . the residue is taken up in boiling meoh and is refrigerated for 24 hours to precipitate 250 mg of the title compound ; ms ( fab ), m + na = 536 . 4 . a suspension of methyl ester ## str59 ## ( example 7 ) ( 0 . 59 g , 9 . 08 × 10 - 4 mol ). in methanol ( 10 ml ) is treated with aqueous 1n naoh ( 1 . 0 ml , 1 . 0 × 10 - 4 mol ). the resulting solution is stirred at room temperature for 6 days after which time an additional amount of aqueous 1n naoh ( 1 . 0 ml , 1 . 0 × 10 - 4 mol ) is added and stirring continued for another 22 hours . the reaction mixture is concentrated and the residue is dissolved in water . the aqueous layer is extracted with et0ac and the organic layer is discarded . the aqueous layer is filtered through celite and acidified to ph = 2 with aqueous in hcl . the free acid precipitates as a gel and is washed with water and etoac and upon collection affords 0 . 41 g of the title compound ; ms ( fab ), m + 1 = 636 . 4 . a suspension of ## str61 ## ( example 9 ) ( 0 . 32 g , 5 . 03 × 10 - 4 mol ) and pd / baso 4 ( 5 %, 0 . 10 g ) in methanol ( 75 ml ) is hydrogenated ( 50 . 8 psi ) for 18 hours . tlc ( sio 2 ; chcl 3 : meoh , 9 : 1 ) shows complete reaction of starting material . the reaction mixture is filtered through celite and the filtrate is concentrated . the solid residue is suspended in hot , hplc grade water and methanol is added dropwise until all remaining solids went into solution . the solution is filtered hot and the hydroxamate precipitates upon cooling . the light orange solid is collected and washed with hplc grade water to afford 0 . 19 g of the title compound ; ms ( fab ), m + na = 568 . 4 . a suspension of 11 - aminoundecanoic acid ( 7 . 0 g , 0 . 035 mol ), di - tert - butyl dicarbonate ( 8 . 45 g , 0 . 039 mol ), and triethylamine ( 5 . 30 ml , 0 . 039 mol ) in methanol ( 100 ml ) is stirred at room temperature under nitrogen atmosphere for 20 hours . the resultant solution is concentrated and the residue is partitioned between water and diethyl ether . the aqueous layer is washed with diethyl ether and acidified to ph = 2 with aqueous 1n hcl . the acid layer is extracted with etoac and the organic extract dried over mgso 4 , filtered , and concentrated to afford 7 . 59 g of the title compound as a white , amorphous solid ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 302 . hydrogen chloride gas is bubbled into a solution of boc - ile - ile - och 3 ( example 1 , step 1 ) ( 3 . 0 g , 8 . 4 mmol ) in chloroform ( 100 ml ) for 5 minutes at room temperature . after stirring for an additional 1 hour the solution is concentrated to afford 2 . 48 g of the title compound as a white , amorphous solid ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 259 . a mixture of ## str65 ## ( 2 . 68 g , 8 . 9 mmol ), ile - ile - och 3 . hcl ( 2 . 62 g , 8 . 9 mmol ), and hobt ( 1 . 44 g , 10 . 7 mmol ) in dmf ( 50 ml ) is treated with triethylamine ( 3 . 02 ml , 2 . 19 g , 22 . 2 mmol ) followed by dcc ( 2 . 02 g , 9 . 8 mmol ) at 0 ° c . the reaction mixture is kept cold for 2 to 3 hours and allowed to warm up to room temperature over a period of 15 hours . the resulting suspension is filtered and the filtrate is concentrated . the residue is mixed with ethyl acetate and the solution is filtered . the filtrate is washed with saturated aqueous solutions of nahco 3 and nacl , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered , and concentrated . the crude product is purified by flash chromatography ( silica gel 60 , 230 - 400 mesh , hexane : etoac , 7 : 3 to 3 : 2 ) to give 3 . 68 g of the title compound as a clear , viscous foil ; ms ( ci ), m = 541 . a solution of ## str67 ## ( 3 . 58 g , 6 . 6 mmol ) in methanol ( 40 ml ) is treated portionwise with aqueous 1n naoh ( 7 . 3 ml , 7 . 3 mmol ). after addition is complete , the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 5 days . an insoluble residue is removed by filtration and the filtrate is concentrated to afford 3 . 70 g of the title compound as a white foam . a solution of ## str69 ## sodium salt ( 3 . 70 g , 6 . 7 mmol ), trp - nhobn ( example 1 , step 4 ) ( 2 . 27 g , 7 . 3 mmol ), and hobt ( 1 . 08 g , 8 . 0 mmol ) in dmf ( 60 ml ) is treated with n - methylpiperidine ( 1 . 62 ml , 13 . 4 mmol ) and edac - hcl ( 1 . 54 g , 8 . 0 mmol ) at 0 ° c . the reaction mixture is kept cold for 2 to 3 hours and allowed to warm to room temperature over 19 hours . the reaction mixture is concentrated and the residue is partitioned between etoac and saturated aqueous nahco 3 . the bilayer is vigorously stirred for 1 hour at 0 ° c ., and the white precipitate which forms , is filtered and washed with water , etoac , and a small amount of methanol to afford 4 . 70 g of the title compound ; ms ( fab ), m + na = 841 . 7 . to a suspension of ## str71 ## ( example 11 ) ( seq id no : 3 ) ( 1 . 14 g , 1 . 4 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 50 ml ) is added dropwise trifluoroacetic acid ( 30 ml , 0 . 39 mol ) at 0 ° c . after the addition of acid , a homogeneous solution is obtained . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 1 hour and concentrated . the residue is partitioned between etoac and saturated aqueous nahco 3 . a white solid ( 1 . 27 g ) precipitates and is suspended in boiling water . methanol is added dropwise until homogeneous . the solution is filtered hot and upon cooling 0 . 42 g of the title compound precipitates as a white , amorphous solid ; ms ( fab ), m + 1 = 719 . 6 . a suspension of ## str73 ## ( example 12 ) ( seq id no : 3 ) ( 200 mg , 0 . 28 mmol ) and pd / baso 4 ( 5 %, 0 . 1 g ) in methanol ( 75 ml ) is hydrogenated ( 52 . 3 psi ) for 15 hours . tlc ( sio 2 ; chcl 3 : meoh , 9 : 1 ) shows complete loss of starting material . the reaction mixture is filtered through celite and the filtrate is concentrated to give the title compound as a white solid ( 122 mg ). the catalyst is suspended in boiling methanol and filtered through celite . the filtrate is concentrated to a solid ( 35 mg ) which had identical analytical data with the initial product isolated ; ms ( fab ), m + 1 = 629 . a solution of boc - ile ( 0 . 74 g , 3 . 2 mmol ) and trp - nhobn ( example 1 , step 4 ) ( 0 . 98 g , 3 . 2 mmol ) in dmf ( 20 ml ) cooled to 0 ° c . is treated with hobt ( 0 . 51 g , 3 . 8 mmol ), followed by dcc ( 0 . 72 g , 3 . 5 mmol ). the reaction mixture is kept cold for 2 to 3 hours and stirred at room temperature for a total of 13 hours . the reaction mixture is filtered and the filtrate is concentrated . the residue is treated with etoac and the solution is filtered . the filtrate is washed with saturated aqueous solutions of nahco 3 and nacl , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated . the crude product is purified by flash chromatography ( silica gel 60 , 230 - 400 mesh , 4 % methanol in chloroform ) to give 0 . 76 g of the title compound as a yellow foam ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 523 . to a solution of n - α - boc - n - indoleformyltryptophan ( 3 . 99 g , 0 . 0126 mmol ), benzyl alcohol ( 1 . 33 ml , 0 . 0129 mmol ), and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( dmap , 0 . 30 g , 2 . 6 mmol ) in methylene chloride ( 70 ml ) is added dcc ( 2 . 54 g , 0 . 0126 mol ). the reaction mixture is stirred under nitrogen at room temperature for 17 hours after which time the precipitated urea is filtered and the filtrate is concentrated . the residue is taken up in etoac and refiltered . the filtrate is washed with saturated aqueous solutions of nahco 3 and nacl , dried over mgso 4 , filtered , and concentrated . the crude product is purified by flash chromatography ( silica gel 60 , 230 - 400 mesh , 7 : 3 hexane : etoac ) to give 4 . 25 g of the title compound as a white , crystalline solid which is washed with hexane upon collection ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 422 . the boc group of boc - trp ( for ) obn ( 6 . 60 g , 0 . 016 mol ) is removed using the procedure described in example 1 , step 4 , to give 4 . 80 g of the title compound . a solution of boc - ile - ile ( 4 . 64 g , 0 , 013 mol ), trp ( for ) obn ( example 14 ) ( 4 . 34 g , 0 . 013 mol ), and hobt ( 2 . 23 g , 0 . 016 mol ) in dmf ( 80 ml ) cooled to 0 ° c . is treated with dcc ( 2 . 99 g , 0 . 014 mol ). the reaction mixture is kept cold for 2 to 3 hours and stirred at room temperature for 16 hours . the reaction mixture is filtered and the filtrate is concentrated . the residue was taken up in warm etoac and the organic layer is washed with saturated aqueous solutions of nahco 3 and nacl , dried over mgso 4 , filtered , and concentrated ( upon cooling of the organic layer a small amount of product precipitation is observed ). the crude product is purified by flash chromatography ( silica gel 60 , 230 - 400 mesh , 7 : 3 hexane : etoac to 3 : 2 hexane : etoac ) to give 3 . 92 g of the title compound as a white solid ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 649 . a solution of boc - ile - ile - trp ( for ) obn ( example 17 ) ( 1 . 50 g , 2 . 3 mmol ) and pd / c ( 20 %, 1 . 0 g ) in methanol ( 100 ml ) is hydrogenated ( 50 psi ) for 2 hours . tlc ( sio 2 ; hexane : etoac 1 : 1 ) shows complete loss of starting material . the reaction mixture is filtered through celite and the filtrate is concentrated to give 1 . 28 g of the title compound ; ms ( ci ), m + 1 = 559 . boc - ile - ile - trp ( for ) oh ( example 18 ) ( 1 . 27 g , 2 . 3 mmol ) is coupled with o - benzylhydroxylamine hydrochloride ( 0 . 37 g , 2 . 3 mmol ) using the procedure described in example 1 , step 3 . the crude product is purified by flash chromatography ( silica gel 60 , 230 - 400 mesh , 4 % methanol in chloroform ) to give 0 . 99 g of the title compound as an orange , amorphous solid ; ms ( fab ) m + 1 = 664 . the boc group of boc - ile - ile - trp ( for ) nhobn ( example 19 ) ( 0 . 95 g , 1 . 5 mmol ) is removed using the procedure described in example 10 to give 0 . 64 g of the title compound as a white solid . ile - ile - trp ( for ) nhobn ( example 20 ) ( 0 . 64 g , 1 . 1 mmol ) is coupled with boc - aspartic acid - β - benzyl ester ( 0 . 36 g , 1 . 1 mmol ) according to the procedure described in example 15 . the crude product is purified by flash chromatography ( silica gel 60 , 230 - 400 mesh , 3 % methanol in chloroform ) to give 0 . 69 g of the title compound as an orange foam ; ms ( fab ), m + na + h = 893 . boc - asp ( obn )- ile - ile - trp ( for ) nhobn ( example 21 ) ( seq id no : 4 ) ( 0 . 65 g , 7 . 5 × 10 - 4 mmol ) is hydrogenated according to the procedure described in example 8 to give 0 . 51 g of the title compound as a light orange foam ; ms ( fab ), m + na + h 2 = 713 . __________________________________________________________________________sequence listing ( 1 ) general information :( iii ) number of sequences : 16 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 1 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 5 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 1 : xaaxaaxaaxaaxaa15 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 2 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 7 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 2 : xaaxaaxaaxaaxaaxaaxaa15 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 3 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 4 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 3 : xaaileiletrp ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 4 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 4 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 4 : aspileiletrp1 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 5 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 5 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 5 : xaaaspileiletrp15 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 6 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 5 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 6 : leuaspileiletrp15 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 7 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 6 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 7 : xaaleuaspileiletrp15 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 8 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 6 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 8 : hisleuaspileiletrp15 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 9 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 7 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 9 : xaahisleuaspileiletrp15 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 10 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 4 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 10 : xaaileilephe1 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 11 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 4 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 11 : xaaileilexaa1 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 12 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 4 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 12 : aspileilephe1 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 13 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 5 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 13 : xaaaspileilephe15 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 14 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 4 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 14 : aspileilexaa1 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 15 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 5 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 15 : xaaaspileilexaa15 ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 16 :( i ) sequence characteristics :( a ) length : 6 amino acids ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear ( ii ) molecule type : peptide ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 16 : xaaxaaxaaxaaxaaxaa15__________________________________________________________________________
hydroxamate compounds of the following formula are disclosed : r -- aa . sup . 3 -- aa . sup . 4 -- aa . sup . 5 -- aa . sup . 6 -- nh -- or . sup . 2 wherein aa 3 -- aa 6 represent amino acid residues . the disclosed compounds are inhibitors of endothelin converting enzyme , and as such are useful for the treatment of disorders resulting from overproduction of endothelin , i . e ., acute and chronic renal failure , cyclosporin - a induced nephrotoxicity , hypertension , myocardial infarction , metabolic , endocrinological , neurological disorders , congestire heart failure , endotoxic shock and hemorrhagic shock , septic shock , subarachnoid hemorrhage , arrhythmias , asthma , preeclampsia , atherosclerotic disorders including raynaud &# 39 ; s disease , cerebral vasospasm , restenosis , angina , cancer , pulmonary hypertension , ischemic disease , gastric mucosal damage , ischemic bowel disease , and diabetes .