8,9-annelated-.beta.-carbolines and 8,9-annelated 3,4-dihydro-.beta.-carbolines

A compound of formula 1 or 2 ##STR16## wherein the symbols have the following meanings:

• R.sub.1 independently of each other are straight or branched alkyl having 1-4 C-atoms, fluorinated or hydroxylated alkyl having 1-4 C-atoms, or R.sub.1 is cycloalkyl having 3-6 C-atoms, or R.sub.1 is straight or branched alkoxy, alkylthio or alkylsulphonyl having 1-4 C-atoms which may be substituted with one or more fluorine atoms or with one phenyl group, or R.sub.1 is a cycloalkoxy group or a cycloalkylthio group having 3-6 C-atoms, or R.sub.1 is straight or branched alkoxy-, alkylthio- or alkylsulphonylalkyl having 2-6 C-atoms, or R.sub.1 is hydroxy, halogen, cyano, straight or branched alkoxycarbonyl having 1-4 C-atoms in the alkoxy group;
• n has the value 0-2;
• R.sub.2 +R.sub.3 together with the carbon atoms and the nitrogen atoms to which they are bound and the intermediate carbon atoms constitute a piperidine ring which may be substituted with alkyl groups which can form a spiroalkyl group;
• R.sub.4 is hydrogen, straight or branched alkyl having 1-8 C-atoms, alkoxy- or alkylthioalkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl, which groups may be substituted with one or more fluorine atoms, or with a cycloalkyl group, or with a phenyl group which may be substituted with one or two substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl and lower alkoxy, or R.sub.4 is a cycloalkyl having 3-8 C-atoms, or cycloalkenyl having 5-7 C-atoms which rings may be substituted with methyl groups, or R.sub.4 is a straight or branched alkoxycarbonylalkyl having 1-6 C-atoms, or R.sub.4 is a group R.sub.7 R.sub.8 N--CO--R.sub.9 -- or R.sub.7 R.sub.8 N--SO.sub.2 --R.sub.9 --, wherein R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 independently of each other are hydrogen, alkyl having 1-3 C-atoms, and R.sub.9 is alkyl having 1-3 C-atoms, or R.sub.4 is alkylsulphonylalkyl having 1-3 C-atoms per alkyl group, or a phenylsulphonylalkyl group having 1-3 C-atoms in the alkyl group or R.sub.4 is a phenyl group substituted with 0-3 groups R.sub.10, wherein R.sub.10 independently of each other are straight or branched alkyl having 1-6 C-atoms which may be substituted with one or more fluorine atoms, or with one cyano group, or with straight or branched alkoxycarbonyl having 1-6 C-atoms in the alkoxy group, or with a group R.sub.7 R.sub.8 N--CO-- or R.sub.7 R.sub.8 N--SO.sub.2 13 , wherein R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 have the above-mentioned meanings, or two groups R.sub.10 bonded to adjacent carbon atoms form a carbocyclic ring which consists of 5-7 ring atoms and is annelated with the phenyl groups, or R.sub.10 is straight or branched alkyl(1-4 C)-oxy-alkyl(0-3 C) or alkyl (1-4 C)-thioalkyl(0-3 C), which groups may comprise one or more fluorine atoms, or R.sub.10 is cycloalkoxy, cycloalylthio or cycloalkylsulphonyl having 3-6 C-atoms, or R.sub.10 is cycloalkyl having 3-6 C-atoms, or R.sub.10 is straight or branched alkoxycarbonyl, a group R.sub.7 R.sub.8 N--CO-- or R.sub.7 R.sub.8 N--SO.sub.2 -- wherein R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 have the above-mentioned meanings, or R.sub.10 is halogen or hydroxy;
• R.sub.5 is absent or R.sub.5 is alkyl (with an anion as counter ion), or oxygen;
• p has a value 1 or 2;
• and
• R.sub.6 independently or each other are hydrogen, on the understanding that at least one group R.sub.6 is alkyl having 1-6 C-atoms, a halogen atom, a nitrile group, an amino group, an acylamino group, an alkoxycarbonylamino group, a group --NH--CO--NR.sub.7 R.sub.8, wherein R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 have the above-mentioned meanings, a straight or branched alkoxycarbonyl group having 1-8 C-atoms in the alkoxy group, hydroxy-(1-2 C) alkoxycarbonyl, (1,3 C) alkoxy-(1,2 C)alkoxycarbonyl, a benzyloxycarbonyl group, a group R.sub.7 R.sub.8 N--SO.sub.2 -- or R.sub.7 R.sub.8 N--CO--, wherein R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 have the above-mentioned meanings, or R.sub.6 is hydroxymethyl, esterified hydroxymethyl, alkoxymethyl having 1-6 C-atoms in the alkoxy group, a benzyloxymethyl group, or an alkyl (1-6 C)--SO.sub.2 -- group, or
• a pharmaceutically suitable salt thereof.