Tricyclics with analgesic and antidepressant activity. 2. [[(Alkylamino)ethyl]thio]dibenzo[b,f]thiepins and 10,11-dihydro derivatives

A series of [[(alkylamino)ethyl]thio]dibenz[b,f]thiepins (III) and their 10,11-dihydro derivatives (IV) was synthesized and subjected to broad analgesic/CNS screening. Preliminary results indicated a combination of analgesic/antidepressant profiles, similar to that observed for the [[(alkylamino)ethyl]thio]dibenz[b,f]oxepins (I) and their corresponding dihydro derivatives (II). The most active congener from the present series, 10b, shows an antinociceptive potency in the pentazocine range as assessed by phenyl-p-quinone-induced writhing (PQW) and tail flick in mice. It is also more than twice as active as imipramine in preventing tetrabenazine-induced ptosis (TBZ), a test widely recognized to be of predictive value for clinically efficacious antidepressants.