Treating psoriasis with transient pro-drug forms of xanthine derivatives

Abstract

Compounds of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R, which may be the same or different, represents a member selected from the group consisting of --CH.sub.3, --C.sub.2 H.sub.5, --C.sub.3 H.sub.7, iso--C.sub.3 H.sub.7, --C.sub.4 H.sub.9, iso--C.sub.4 H.sub.9, pentyl, benzyl, allyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, cyclohexyl, 2-isobutenyl, hydroxymethyl, 2-phenylethyl and -CH.sub.2 O-R.sub.2, wherein R.sub.2 is defined infra; wherein R.sub.1 represents a member selected from the group consisting of H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.7 straight or branched alkyl, CCl.sub.3, CBr.sub.3, CI.sub.3, ##STR2## CH.sub.3 O--CH.sub.2 --, (CH.sub.3).sub.2 NCH.sub.2 --, ##STR3## wherein R.sub.3 represents a member selected from the group consisting of -OH, halogen (Cl, Br, I), --OCH.sub.3, -COOCH.sub.3, -NO.sub.2 and -OCOCH.sub.3 ; wherein ##STR4## and wherein R.sub.2 represents a member selected from the group consisting of ##STR5## wherein R.sub.4 is a member selected from the group consisting of C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 straight or branched alkyl (C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 preferred), --[--(CH.sub.2).sub.m --], wherein m represents an integer of from 0 to 10, ##STR6## wherein R.sub.3 is defined as above, ##STR7## the residue of any naturally occurring amino acid, the residue of any N- substituted amino acid, wherein said substituent is any amino acid protective group cleavable via hydrogenolysis or hydrolysis (e.g., formyl, benzyloxy, carbonyl, t-butyloxycarbonyl), the residue of an N,N-C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -dialkyl or cycloalkylamino acid, ##STR8## wherein n represents an integer of from 1-5 and R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 which may be the same or different represent C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl or together form a heterocyclic ring with the N atom to which they are attached (e.g., pyrolidine, piperidine, morpholine, piperazine, imidazoline, thiazolidine, isoxazolidine), imidazolyl, O-C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl, O-benzyl, O-phenyl and ##STR9## wherein n, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are defined as above; and wherein R.sup.2 further represents a member selected from the group consisting of straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl, ##STR10## wherein n, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are defined as above, phenyl, tolyl, xylyl, and --SO.sub.2 --R.sub.7, wherein R.sub.7 is a straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl useful in treating psoriasis in warm-blooded animals are provided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.