Disclosed are compounds having a straight or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon structure of formula I: ##STR1## In formula I, n is an integer from one to four and m is an integer from four to twenty. Independently, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen, a straight or branched chain alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl of up to twenty carbon atoms in length or --(CH.sub.2).sub.w R.sub.5. If R.sub.1 or R.sub.2 is --(CH.sub.2).sub.w R.sub.5, w may be an integer from one to twenty and R.sub.5 may be an hydroxyl, halo, C.sub.1-8 alkoxyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted carbocycle or heterocycle. Alternatively, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 may jointly form a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated heterocycle having from four to eight carbon atoms, N being a hetero atom of the resulting heterocyle. R.sub.3 may be either hydrogen or C.sub.1-3. In the compounds, a total sum of carbon atoms comprising R.sub.1 or R.sub.2, (CH.sub.2).sub.n and (CH.sub.2).sub.m does not exceed forty. R.sub.4 is a carbocycle comprising a substituted or unsubstituted ring system, the ring system having a single ring or two fused rings, a ring comprising from three to seven ring atoms. The disclosed compounds are effective agents to inhibit undesirable responses to cell stimuli.