Synthesis and in vitro biological activity of 4α-(2-propenyl)-5α-cholest-24-en-3α,12α-diol, a 12α-hydroxyl analog of 4α-(2-propenyl)-5α-cholest-24-en-3α-ol: The latter is a potent activator of the low-density lipoprotein receptor promoter

Abstract

4α-(2-Propenyl)-5α-cholest-24-en-3α-ol ( 3) was shown recently in a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell-based low-density lipoprotein receptor/luciferase (LDLR/Luc) assay to be a potent transcriptional activator of the LDL receptor promoter in the presence of 25-hydroxycholesterol. Because of the involvement of 12α-hydroxylation in the metabolism of cholesterol, we are interested in investigating the effect of introducing a 12α-hydroxyl group to 3 on the transcriptional activity of the LDL receptor promoter. Thus 4α-(2-propenyl)-5α-cholest-24-en-3α,12α-diol ( 14), a 12α-hydroxyl analog of 3, was synthesized from deoxycholic acid via the formation of 12α-[[(tert-butyl)dimethylsilyl]oxy]-4α-(2-propenyl)-5α-cholest-24-en-3-one ( 11). Test results show that 14 is inactive at concentrations of up to 20 μg/ml, compared to 3 with an EC 30 value of 2.6 μM, in the CHO cell-based LDLR/Luc assay. Apparently introduction of a 12α-hydroxyl group abolishes the capability of 3α-sterol 14 to activate the transcription of the LDL receptor promoter. However, in the [1- 14C-acetate]cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition assay in CHO cells, 14 at 10 μg/ml (23 μM) is shown to inhibit the cholesterol biosynthesis by 51% relative to the control cells. Our previous studies indicated that 3 showed a 38% inhibition, but 4α-(2-propenyl)-5α-cholestan-3α-ol ( 1) exhibited no inhibition in the same assay at 10 μg/ml. In summary the results indicate that, in addition to the 24,25-unsaturation, the 12α-hydroxyl group in 14 has also conferred an inhibitory effect on cholesterol biosynthesis in CHO cells; however, the inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis by 14 does not lead to the transcriptional activation of the LDL receptor promoter.