Retinoic acid (vitamin A acid, abbreviation: RA) is an essential substance to the growth and life support of humans and other mammals. It has been known that retinoic acid acts as a morphogenesis factor in ontogenesis and functions variously in the differentiation and proliferation of adults. For example, it has been known that the acid participates in the cornification, formation of hairs, functions of sebaceous glands, and so on with respect to the epidermis, in the metabolism of bones and cartilages with respect to the connective tissues, in the regulation of immune functions with respect to the immune system, in the differentiation of nerve cells with respect to the nervous system, in the differentiation and proliferation of blood cells with respect to the hemic system, and in the secretion of thyroid hormones, parathyroid hormones and so on and the regulation of the functions thereof in target organs, thus taking part in the mineral metabolism and the basal metabolism. These various physiological actions of retinoic acid are exhibited by directly controlling gene expression through retinoid receptor (RARs, RXRs) family present in cell nuclei. With respect to retinoic acid, there are not only deficiencies but also excesses thereof such as abnormality in cornification, depilation, metabolic disorder of bones and cartilages, and so on. Further, the abnormality of retinoid receptors has recently been found in acute promyelocytic leukemia, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, lung cancer and so on, and the participation of retinoic acid in the sideration and evolution thereof has been reported.
In order to elucidate detailed mechanisms of these various actions of retinoids and to find the possibility for clinical application thereof, it has great significance to develop compounds antagonistic against retinoids. Although TD-550 and TD-560 (Cell Biol. Rev., 25, 209(1991)) and Ro41-5253 (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., 89, 7129 (1992)) have already been known as compounds antagonistic against retinoids, they are thought to be poor in both the ability to bind RARs and antagonism against retinoids.
Meanwhile, RARs and RXRs are known as retionid receptors, which are members of steroid/thyroid receptor superfamily present in cell nuclei. Known receptors belonging to this superfamily include estrogen receptors (ER), thyroid hormone receptors (TR), vitamin D.sub.3 receptors (D.sub.3 R) and steroid hormone receptors. With respect to RXRs, there are .alpha.-, .beta.- and .gamma.-subtypes, and the ligand thereof has recently been identified with 9-cis RA. Further, it has been found that RXRs have the physiological property of forming heterodimers together with RXRs, TR, D.sub.3 R or other receptors. Thus, it is being elucidated that RXRs act synergistically with their respective inherent ligands to take great part in the expression of the functions of retinoic acid, vitamin D.sub.3 or thyroid hormones through such heterodimers. In order to elucidate detailed mechanisms of these various actions of RXRs and to find the possibility for clinical application thereof, it has great significance to develop compounds binding to RXRs.
In view of the above actual circumstances, the inventors of the present invention have intensively studied to find that mono- or polyenic carboxylic acid derivatives which will be described below exhibit agonism for RXRs and are useful as drugs. As the prior art, although JP-A-2-76862 and EP 0568898 disclose monoenic carboxylic acid derivatives and polyenic carboxylic acid derivatives these derivatives are different from the compounds of the present invention in both chemical structure and drug effect.
Further, the inventors of the present invention have found that heterocyclic compounds described below exhibit extremely high ability to bind RARs and antagonism against retinoids, thus accomplishing the present invention.
For example, JP-A-2-240058 discloses heterocyclic compounds which exhibit such a function of agonist and are improved in the adverse reaction due to retinoid excess. However, these compounds are different from the compounds of the present invention in both chemical structure and drug effect.