Benzenesulfonamide derivatives

A pharmaceutical composition which comprises an effective phospholipase A.sub.2 inhibiting amount of a benzenesulfonamide derivative represented by the general formula:

• ##STR192## wherein R.sup.1 stands for a hydrogen atom, a cyano, nitro hydroxy group, a halogen atom, a lower alkoxy group, an acyloxy group wherein said acyl moiety is a residue of an organic saturated or unsaturated aliphatic, carbocyclic or heteroaryl carboxylic acid wherein the hetero atom is oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur, --SO.sub.2 --R.sup.8 wherein R.sup.8 stands for a lower alkyl group, a heteroaryl wherein the hetero atom is a nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur atom, a glycyloxy group, or a group represented by the formula:
• ##STR193## wherein p is an integer of 1 to 3;
• n is an integer of 1 to 4;
• R.sup.2 stands for a hydrogen atom or a pyridyl group.;
• R.sup.3 stands for a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl, cyano or pyridyl group;
• R.sup.4 stands for a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group;
• R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 may be the same or different from each other and each stand for a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a group represented by the formula:
• --(CH.sub.2).sub.q --A wherein q is an integer of 1 to 4,
• and A stands for a hydroxyl group, a group represented by the formula:
• ##STR194## wherein R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 may be the same or different and each stand for a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group;
• or
• R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 each stand for an unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, or a cycloalkyl substituted with a lower alkyl or halogen or condensed with an aromatic ring, a bicycloalkyl, or tricycloalkyl, said bicycloalkyl or tricycloalkyl being an aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon group made of two or three rings, respectively, with at least two carbon atoms being common to each ring;
• a plurality of R.sup.7 groups each independently stand for a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group or a halogen atom;
• and r is an integer of 1 to 2, provided that when r is 2, the two R.sup.7 groups may form a cyclohexenyl or phenyl ring together with two adjacent carbon atoms constituting the benzene ring;
• and
• m is an integer of 1 to 2;
• or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof;
• and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.