,2'-(7'-METHYL-1',2',3',4'-TETRAHYDRONAPHTHALENE)] - RESOLUTION, STEREOSPECIFIC SYNTHESIS, AND PRELIMINARY PHARMACOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATIONAS A PARTIAL ALPHA-ADRENERGIC AGONIST

Recently, we reported on the design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of a series of spiroimidazolines endowed with a-adrener gic agonist activities. Among the compounds described, 5,2'](7'-methyl -1',2',3',4'-tetrahydronaphthalene) fumarate (5RS) was chosen for furt her development as a venotonic agent. The resolution of this compound, as well as the pharmacological characterization of the enantiomers, s tereospecific synthesis of eutomer (5S, S 18149), and determination of absolute configuration by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, are described.