Abstract: A 1,4-benzodioxin derivative represented by formula (I) ##STR1## wherein A is an aryl group or a (C.sub.3 -C.sub.8)cycloalkyl group, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 individually are a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, a trifluoromethyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryl group, an aryloxy group, or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 together form a methylenedioxy group, R.sub.3 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, R.sub.4 is a hydrogen atom or CO.sub.2 R.sub.5, R.sub.5 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, X is a radical of formula (II) or (III) ##STR2## wherein n is 1 or 2. The compounds are useful for a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for diabetes, hyperglycemia and obesity.

Abstract: N-(12-Nitroxydodecyl)-6-(4-ethyl or isopropyl-1-piperazinyl)pyridine-3-carboxamide or physiologically acceptable salts thereof. The said compounds have excellent inhibiting activity of cerebral edema, especially ischemic cerebral edema, and inhibiting activity of delayed neuronal death (an inhibiting activity of Ca-influx in neuronal cells). Cerebral edema is a pathologic condition accompanying cerebrovascular disorders, especially the acute stage cerebrovascular disorders and then the compounds are useful as an inhibiting agent for cerebral edema or a therapeutic agent for cerebrovascular disorders. Moreover, because the compounds do hardly show a behavior suppressing action, which is considered to be side effect in treating cerebrovascular disorders at the acute stage, they are an excellent therapeutic agent for, in particular, the acute stage cerebrovascular disorders.

Abstract: Pyridinecarboxamide derivatives of the formula ##STR1## (wherein n represents an integer of 14-18, and R represents a hydrogen atom or a straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group) or physiologically acceptable salts thereof. The compounds have excellent inhibiting activity of cerebral edema, especially ischemic cerebral edema, and inhibiting activity of delayed death of neuronal cells (an inhibiting activity of Ca-influx in neuronal cells). Cerebral edema is a pathologic condition accompanying cerebrovascular disorders, especially the acute stage of cerebrovascular disorders and then the compounds are useful as an agent for inhibiting cerebral edema or a therapeutic agent for cerebrovascular disorders. Moreover, the compounds have no hypotensive action which is considered to be side-effect in treating the acute stage cerebrovascular disorders and hardly show a behavior suppressing action so that they are an excellent therapeutic agent for, in particular, the acute stage cerebrovascular disorders.