Dihydrothiazine Ring Modifications

Because the integrity of the dihydrothiazine ring and its C-4 carboxyl substituent is crucial to useful antimicrobial activity, reactions involving this part of the cephalosporin molecule are usually undesirable. The possibilities for sulfur oxidation or alkylation, substitution at C-2 which is adjacent to both sulfur and a double bond, double bond isomerization and addition reactions, and the influence of a free carboxylic acid must all be considered in designing reactions to selectively modify other cephalosporin functionalities. 

Isomerization of 3-cephems (27) to 2-cephems (28) takes place in the presence of organic bases (e.g. pyridine) and is most facile when the carboxyl is esterified. Normally an equilibrium mixture of 3 7 (3-cephem/2-cephem) is reached. Since the 2-cephem isomers are not active as antibacterial agents, the rearrangement proved to be an undesirable side reaction that complicated acylation of the C-7 amine under certain conditions. A method for converting such mixtures to the desired 3-cephem isomer involves oxidation with concomitant rearrangement to the 3-cephem sulfoxide followed by reduction. Additions 

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The cephalosporin nucleus is synthesized with a beta-lactam ring attached to a six-membered dihydrothiazine ring. Unlike the penicillin nucleus, the cephalosporin nucleus is much more resistant to beta-lactamase. Moreover, it has large areas for possible modifications. Modifications Rj in the acyl side chain alter the antibacterial activity, while modifications of R2 are associated with changes in the pharmacokinetics and metabolic parameters of the drug. 

Cephalosporins are produced from 7-aminocephalosporanic acid by the addition of different side chains (Table 44-2). Modifications at position 7 of the fflactam ring alter antibacterial activity, while substitutions at position 3 of the dihydrothiazine ring alter the metabolism and pharmacokinetic properties. The cephamycins are similar to the cephalosporins but have a methoxy group at position 7 of the /3-lactam ring of the 7-aminocephalosporanic acid nucleus. 

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