Androstane Compounds Research Articles

Process for Biotransformation of Androsta-4-ene-3, 17-Dione (4-AD) to Androsta-1,4-Diene-3,17-Dione (ADD).

Androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (androstadienedione, ADD) is key intermediate for the organic synthesis of a variety of female sex hormones such as estrone, estradiol, estriol and other related derivatives. De novo synthesis of this molecule is not yet reported in any form of living system, i.e., microbial, plant, and animal. The structural complexities due to presence of several chiral carbon centers create significant hurdles in chemical synthesis of such molecules. Microbe-mediated biotransformation offer a highly reliable, cost-effective, and relatively non hazardous way for commercial manufacturing of steroidal key intermediates. Currently microbial biotransformations are extensively being exploited for large-scale production of basic intermediates such as androstenedione (AD), ADD, and several types of hydroxylated derivatives of androstane compounds. In this chapter several aspects of microbial biotransformation process of AD to ADD are discussed.

Synthesis, structural analysis and antitumor activity of novel 17α-picolyl and 17(E)-picolinylidene A-modified androstane derivatives

The heterocyclic ring at C-17 position of the androstane compounds plays an important role in biological activity. The aim of the present study was to synthesize and evaluate potential antitumor activity of different A-modified 17α-picolyl and 17(E)-picolinylidene androstane derivatives. In several synthetic steps, novel derivatives bearing the hydroximino, nitrile or lactame functions in A-ring were synthesized and characterized according to the spectral data, by mass analysis as well as XRD analysis (compounds 6, 13 and 15). The structurally most promising compounds 6, 11–17 were investigated as antitumor agents. The in vitro antiproliferative activity was evaluated against six human cancer cell lines: estrogen receptor negative (ER−) breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231); estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7); prostate cancer (PC-3); human cervical carcinoma (HeLa); lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and colon adenocarcinoma (HT-29) using MTT assay. The results of the 48h incubation time in vitro tests showed that compound 15 was the most effective against PC-3 (IC50 6.6μM), compound 17 against MCF-7 (IC50 7.9μM) cells, while compound 16 exhibited strong antiproliferative effect against both, MCF-7 (IC50 1.7μM) and PC-3 (IC50 8.7μM) cancer cells. It was also found that compounds 16 and 17 induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells (dicyano derivative 17 stronger then dioxime 16 and reference formestane), with no distinct changes in the cell cycle of MCF-7 cells.

Rapid androgen actions on calcium signaling in rat sertoli cells and two human prostatic cell lines: similar biphasic responses between 1 picomolar and 100 nanomolar concentrations.

Androgen-induced calcium fluxes and gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) were studied in three different cell types. A transient (2-3 min duration) increase in intracellular calcium levels was observed within 20-30 sec of androgen addition, which was followed by a plateau phase with steroid concentrations higher than 1 nM. The kinetics of the calcium responses were similar in immature rat Sertoli cells, which contain normal nuclear receptors; the human prostatic tumor cell line, LNCaP, which contains a mutated nuclear receptor; and the human prostatic cell line, PC3, which does not contain a nuclear receptor. The human A431 tumor cell line did not respond to androgens. Concentrations of testosterone and the synthetic androgen, R1881, between 1-1000 pM induced transient calcium increases with ED(50) values near 1 pM and 1 nM, whereas dihydrotestosterone (DHT) was not active at these concentrations. At concentrations higher than 1 nM, testosterone, R1881, and DHT were equipotent in stimulating an increase in calcium that lasted for more than 10 min, with ED(50) values between 5 and 20 nM. Testosterone covalently bound to albumin was also active, whereas 11 related androstane compounds as well as progesterone and estradiol-17beta were inactive at 1000 nM. The calcium response induced by the three androgens (10 nM) was abolished in all cell types by hydroxyflutamide (1000 nM) and finasteride (1000 nM), but not by cyproterone acetate (1000 nM). The calcium response was also abolished in the absence of extracellular calcium and strongly inhibited by the presence of verapamil. Exposure of the responsive cells to brief (150-sec) pulses of androgens generated calcium responses that were similar to those after continuous exposure. After exposure of Sertoli cells for only 30 sec to 100 nM testosterone, the calcium response lasted for at least 50 min. Although nuclear binding of androgens could be demonstrated, there was no evidence for tight binding to the plasma membrane under similar conditions. When protein synthesis was inhibited, an enhancement of GJIC between rat Sertoli cells, but not between LNCaP cells or PC3 cells, was observed within 15 min of the addition of 10 nM testosterone. Because nuclear androgens are not present in PC3 cells and many functional properties of the responsive system are different from the nuclear receptor in all three cell types, we postulate the existence of an alternative cell surface receptor system with biphasic response characteristics (high and low affinity). The calcium signals are probably coupled to the regulation of gap junctional efficiency between Sertoli cells. The low-affinity receptors may convey complementary androgen signals at elevated local levels such as in the testis, when nuclear receptors are (over)saturated.

Characterization of steroid binding specificity of the androgen receptor in human foreskin fibroblasts.

Our objective was to evaluate a convenient in vitro model for measuring steroid affinities to the human androgen receptor. The ability of unlabeled analogues of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to compete with [3H]DHT for binding to the receptor in human fibroblasts was measured and expressed relative to DHT. The C-3 ketone group and the planar configuration of the A and B rings were critical for binding. Absence of the 10 beta-methyl group increased affinity of the androstane compounds for the receptor. The 17 beta-hydroxyl group was also essential for high affinity binding and addition of a 17 alpha-methyl group enhanced binding. Binding of steroids with a delta 4 double bond was consistently less than that of the 5 alpha-reduced steroids. This was true of both the androstene and estrene series. We conclude that human foreskin fibroblasts offer a useful model for in vitro studies characterizing the effects of steroid structural modifications on binding to the human androgen receptor.

Induction of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase in isolated rat liver cells by steroids.

The role of steroids in regulation of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase has been studied in isolated rat liver cell suspensions under conditions previously shown to support inducation of the enzyme by drugs. Addition of a variety of C-19 and C-21 steroids to cell suspensions resulted, after 4 to 6 hours of incubation, in 2- to 5-fold increase in the activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase as measured in liver cell homogenates. The increase was prevented by cycloheximide. The most active steroid inducers tested were pregnene or pregnane derivatives with keto or hydroxyl groups at C-3 and C-20; in particular a beta-hydroxyl group at C-20 enhanced activity. These C-21 steroids at optimal initial concentrations caused 3- to 5-fold induction over 4 hours. A number of C-19 androstene and androstane compounds caused 2- to 3-fold inducation over the same period. Hydrocortisone had no effect. For a variety of androstane and pregnane derivatives, inducation by 5alphaH steroids was as great as or greater than that by 5betaH compounds, in contrast to previous findings in chick embryo liver. Induction of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase by steroids in isolated liver cells was shown to be subject to feedback repression by hemin.

Steroids and steroidases. 10. Studies on some potentially antitumor active androstane compounds containing C-17 nitrogen mustard functions.

Steroids and steroidases. 10. Studies on some potentially antitumor active androstane compounds containing C-17 nitrogen mustard functions.

Additions and Corrections-17-Hydroxypregnanes from Androstane Compounds

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTAdditions and Corrections-17-Hydroxypregnanes from Androstane CompoundsPietro de RuggieriCite this: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1961, 83, 24, 5045Publication Date (Print):December 1, 1961Publication History Published online10 July 2002Published inissue 1 December 1961https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01485a607RIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views12Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (143 KB) Get e-Alerts Get e-Alerts

17-Hydroxypregnanes from Androstane Compounds

17-Hydroxypregnanes from Androstane Compounds

Influence of the 17 beta-hydroxyl group of androstane compounds in promotion of growth in the hypophysectomized female rat.

Studies by Huggins and Jensen (1954) on the participation of functional groups of the steroid molecule in growth-promoting processes have shown that androstan-17β-ol, but not androstan-17-one or any of the 3-monosubstituted derivatives, shared the ability of testosterone and certain 3,17-dioxygenated androstane compounds to promote growth of the vaginal epithelium and uterus in the hypophysectomized rat. Although these investigators suggested that the 17β-hydroxyl group of the androstane molecule plays a key role in the promotion of growth, there remains some uncertainty whether the monofunctional steroid (androstan-17β-ol) is biologically active per se, or whether an oxygenated function at position 3 is introduced in vivo, so that it is actually a difunctional steroid which is the growth-promoting agent. Since the fluorine atom at C3 is rather tightly bound and oxj’genation at this site seems unlikely, two 3β-fluorosteroids, 3β-fluorandrostan-17β-ol and 3β-fluorandrostan-17-one, were compared with andros...

Hormonal influences on mammary tumors of the rat. II. Retardation of growth of a transplanted fibroadenoma in intact female rats by steroids in the androstane series.

Many members of the androstane series profoundly retarded the growth of a transplanted benign mammary fibroadenoma of the rat; the restraint of tumor growth was in direct proportion to the amount of the administered compound until its maximal effect was achieved. Certain steroids closely related to the androstane inhibitors accelerated the growth of the tumor. These effects of divergent sort depend on the molecular structure of the steroid. The molecular structure of androstane derivatives, which is of high significance in modifying the rate of growth of the benign mammary tumor, consists of multiple components. These include (a) the presence and number of ketone and hydroxyl groups in special orientation at specific sites, (b) the sites of dehydrogenation in the molecule, and (c) the presence, number, and state of hydrogenation of alkyl groups at designated molecular positions. These multiple factors determine whether androstane compounds will inhibit growth of the tumor, enhance it, or fail to influence its growth. The androstane compounds which caused either the restraint or the promotion of tumor growth had the common property of inducing proliferation of the normal mammary epithelium. Two mechanisms are involved in the restraint of growth of mammary fibroadenoma by androstane inhibitors. The primary effect is the abolition of action of phenolic estrogens and progesterone when dihydrotestosterone is administered concurrently, presumably through direct action at the tumor cell level A secondary contributory suppressive effect is the depression of ovarian activity, and consequently of the production of phenolic estrogens and progesterone, by these compounds. Transplanted mammary fibroadenoma in the rat possesses neoplastic traits and also some growth properties of normal mammary epithelium; inhibition of these latter by hormonal methods commonly retarded the growth of the tumor. But in hypophysectomized rats dihydrotestosterone failed to inhibit the growth of a mammary fibroadenoma with unusually low hormonal dependence as determined by functional tests of its growth.