Catechol diethers as selective PDE.sup.IV inhibitors

A compound of the formula ##STR359## the racemic-diastereomeric mixtures and optical isomers of said compounds and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof wherein

• R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, difluoromnethyl and triifuoromethyl;
• R.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, alkoxyalkl having 3 to 7 carbons in the alkoxy portion and 2 to 4 carbons in the alkyl portion, phenoxyalkyl having 2 to 6 carbons in the alkyl portion, (C.sub.3 -C.sub.7)cycloalkyl, (C.sub.6 -C.sub.9)polycycloalkyl, phenylalkyl having 1 to 8 carbons in the alkyl portion, phenylaminoalkyl having 2 to 6 carbons in the alkyl portion and the amino may be optionally substituted with (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4) alkyl and indanyl,
• where the alkyl portion of said alkyl, phenoxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, polycycloalkyl,
• phenylalkyl and indanyl may optionaliy be substituted with one or more fluorine atoms, --OH or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkoxy,
• and the aryl portion of said phenylalkyl, phenoxyalkyl and indanyl may optionally be substituted with (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkoxy or halogen;
• A and B are independently selected from the group consisting of a covalent bond, optionally substituted (C.sub.1 -C.sub.5)alkylene, optionally substituted (C.sub.2 -C.sub.5)alkenyl and optionally substituted phenylene,
• where said optionally substituted alkylene may be monosubstituted and each substituent is selected from the group consisting of oxo, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkoxy, CO.sub.2 R.sup.6 and hydroxy,
• said optionally substituted alkenyl may be monosubstituted with (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkoxy or CO.sub.2 R.sup.5, and
• said optionally substituted phenylene may be monosubstituted with (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkoxy, CO.sub.2 R.sup.6 or hydroxy,
• wherein R.sup.6 is hydrogen or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkyl;
• Y is selected from the group consisting of a covalent bond, O, NR.sup.6 and S wherein R.sup.6 is as defined above;
• Z is selected from the group consisting of ##STR360## where Q.sup.1, Q.sup.2, Q.sup.3, and Q.sup.4 are CH X is NR.sup.4,
• g is an integer from 1 to 4;
• each R.sup.3 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, CH(R.sup.7)CO.sub.2 R.sup.4, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkoxy, CO.sub.2 R.sup.4, CONR.sup.4 R.sup.5, CONHOH, CH.sub.2 NR.sup.4 R.sup.5,
• NR.sup.4 R.sup.5, nitro, hydroxy, CN, SO.sub.3 H, phenylalkyl having 1 to 4 carbons in the alkyl portion,
• SO.sub.2 NR.sup.4 R.sup.5, N(SO.sub.2 R.sup.8).sub.2 and NHSO.sub.2 R.sup.8,
• where R.sup.4 for each occurrence is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, phenyl optionally substituted with (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkyl or halogen, CH(R.sup.7)CO.sub.2 R.sup.6, (C.sub.3 -C.sub.7)cycloalkyl, phenylalkyl having 1 to 4 carbons in the alkyl portion and dialkylaminoalkyl having a total of 5 carbons in the dialkylamino portion and having 2 to 5 carbons in the alkyl portion where R.sup.5 is as defined above,
• R.sup.5 for each occurrence is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.3 -C.sub.7)cycloalkyl, phenylalkyl having 1 to 4 carbons in the alkyl portion, phenyl, pyridyl, pyrimidyl, thiazolyl and oxazolyl,
• or R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are taken together with the nitrogen to which they are attached and form an optionally substituted saturated or unsaturated 5- or 6-membered ring, a saturated or unsaturated 6-membered heterocyclic ring containing two heteroatoms, or a quinoline ring optionally substituted with fluoro,
• where said optionally substituted saturated or unsaturated 5- or 6-membered ring may be mono- or di-substituted and each substituent is independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 1 to 4 carbons, CO.sub.2 R.sup.7 wherein R.sup.7 is as defined below, CONH.sub.2, CON(CH.sub.3).sub.2, oxo, hydroxy, NH.sub.2 and N(CH.sub.3).sub.2, and said saturated or unsaturated 6-membered heterocyclic ring containing two heteroatoms has the second heteroatom selected from the group consisting of O, S, NH, NCH.sub.3, NCOCH.sub.3 and NCH.sub.2 Ph;
• R.sup.7 for each occurrence is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkyl;
• and R.sup.8 is selected from the group consisting of (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl, (C.sub.3 -C.sub.7)cycloalkyl, phenyl and phenyalkyl having 1 to 4 carbons in the alkyl portion.