Aminotetrazole derivatives useful as nitric oxide synthase inhibitors

A compound having the formula;

• ##STR11## and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, thereof;
• R.sup.1, R.sup.2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl and lower alkynyl;
• R.sup.3, R.sup.4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, OR.sup.6 where R.sup.6 is lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, or aryl, COR.sup.7, SO.sub.2 R.sup.8 where R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are independently selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, and aryl;
• X is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, and lower alkynyl;
• Y is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, and lower alkynyl or Y is NR.sup.9 R.sup.10 wherein R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, NO.sub.2, NH.sub.2, aryl, and lower alkaryl;
• and
• B is NR.sup.5 R.sup.11 wherein R.sup.5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl and aryl, R.sup.11 is selected from a 3-6 member heterocyclyl radical in which at least one member of the ring is carbon and in which 1 to 4 heteroatoms are independently selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, said heterocyclyl may be optionally substituted with hydroxyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkyl, halogen, nitro, carboxyl, sulfonyl, trifluoromethyl, amino, acyloxy, phenyl and naphthyl which are optionally substituted with halogen, nitro, lower alkoxy, or lower alkyl with the proviso that when B is NR.sup.5 R.sup.11, R.sup.5 is hydrogen, R.sup.11 is a heterocyclyl radical containing only one heteroatom, wherein the heteroatom is oxygen, Y cannot be NHNO.sub.2 or NH.sub.2.