Carboxylic acids and chloride conductance in skeletal muscle: influence on the pharmacological activity induced by the chain substituents and the distance between the phenolic group and the carboxylic function in 4-chloro-phenoxy alkanoic acids

Some analogues of 2-(4-chloro-phenoxy)-propionic acid have been synthesized to evaluate the influence on the skeletal muscle chloride conductance of the distance between the phenolic and the carboxylic groups and/or the presence of substituents and chiral centers differently located on the carbon chain. Absolute configuration and/or chiroptical properties of the chiral compounds synthesized have been determined. These compounds, differently from fibrates, show a very low activity on chloride conductance and no remarkable correlation of this parameter with the absolute configuration.