Compounds for the inhibition of nitric oxide synthase

A compound of formula (I)

• wherein:
• A represents a phenyl ring or A represents a C8 to 10 aromatic or partially aromatic bicyclic ring system;
• R1 represents C1 to 6 alkyl, C1 to 6 alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, cyano, trifluoromethyl or NR6R7;
• R3 represents hydrogen, C1 to 6 alkyl, C2 to 6 alkenyl, C3 to 6 cycloalkyl, C1 to 6 alkylthio, C1 to 6 alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, cyano, trifluoromethyl or NR8R9;
• said alkoxy group being optionally further substituted by hydroxy or by one or more fluorine atoms;
• or R3 represents phenyl or a five- or six-membered aromatic heterocyclic ring containing 1 to 3 heteroatoms independently selected from O, S and N;
• said phenyl or aromatic heterocyclic ring being optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected independently from halogen, C1 to 4 alkyl, C1 to 4 alkoxy, hydroxy, cyano or NR8R9;
• said alkyl or alkoxy group being optionally further substituted by one or more fluorine atoms;
• R4 and R5 independently represent hydrogen or C1 to 6 alkyl;
• said alkyl group being optionally substituted by OH, C1 to 6 alkoxy, NR10R11 or phenyl;
• said phenyl group being optionally further substituted by C1 to 6 alkyl, C1 to 6 alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, cyano or NR12R13;
• R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12 and R13 independently represent hydrogen or C1 to 6 alkyl;
• said alkyl group being optionally substituted by OH or C1 to 6 alkoxy;
• or the groups NR4R5, NR6R7 and NR8R9 independently represent a 4- to 7-membered saturated azacyclic ring optionally incorporating one further heteroatom selected from O or N;
• said ring being optionally substituted by OH, C1 to 3 hydroxyalkyl or C1 to 3 alkoxy;
• V represents cyano or nitro;
• X represents O or S(O)n;
• n represents an integer 0, 1 or 2;
• Y represents C1 to 6 alkyl;
• each of T, U and W represents CR2;
• and each R2 group independently represents hydrogen, C1 to 3 alkyl, C1 to 3 alkoxy or halogen;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
• with the provisos 1) that when A represents phenyl, V represents nitro, Y represents CH2, X represents S, and the group Y—NR4R5 is bonded to the phenyl ring ortho to X, then R4 and R5 do not both represent CH3, 2) that when V represents CN, X represents S, Y represents C1 alkyl, R3 represents H, and R4 and R5 both represent C1 alkyl, then R1 cannot represent a C1 alkyl, and 3) that when R1 represents Cl, V represents NO2, X represents O, and R3, R4 and R5 represent H, then Y cannot represent a C2 alkyl.