Alberto A. Ghini

Synthesis and GABAA receptor activity of 6-oxa-analogs of neurosteroids

The 6-oxasteroids 3alpha-hydroxy-6-oxa-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (3) and 3alpha-hydroxy-6-oxa-5beta-pregnan-20-one (4) were obtained from pregnenolone acetate via the corresponding (5alpha or 5beta) 3beta, 20beta-diacetoxy-6-oxa-pregnane. Both steroids showed ca. 100-fold reduced potency for modulating [(3)H]flunitrazepam, [(3)H]muscimol or [(35)S]TBPS binding to the GABA(A) receptor when compared to their natural carbon analogs 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (1) and 3alpha-hydroxy-5beta-pregnan-20-one (2).

6,19-carbon-bridged steroids. Synthesis of 6,19-methanoprogesterone.

6,19-Methanoprogesterone (4) was synthesized in nine steps from the readily available 3 beta,20 beta-diacetyloxy-5 alpha-bromo-6,19-oxidopregnane (5) in 14% overall yield. The additional carbon atom was introduced by reaction of a C-19 aldehyde with Ph3PCHOCH3 under salt free conditions and subsequent hydrolysis to give the homologous aldehyde. Intramolecular addition of the newly incorporated carbonyl (C-19a) to the olefinic C-6 in ring B was achieved by means of a Prins reaction with TiCl4 as Lewis acid.

Aziridination of 11-pregnene-3,20-dione using PhIN-Ses

The copper-catalyzed reaction of [N-(Ses)imino]phenyliodinane with 11-pregnene-3,20-dione gave the corresponding aziridine in 53% yield. The Ses protecting group could be conveniently removed using the TASF reagent. Furthermore, nucleophilic ring opening of the protected N-Ses-aziridine with thiophenol in the presence of a Lewis acid led to introduction of the thiophenol group at the α-12 position but, unexpectedly, concomitant loss of the Ses group to provide compound 10.

PhINSes mediated aziridination of 11-pregnane derivatives: synthesis of an 11,12-aziridino analogue of neuroactive steroids

Abstract Reaction of 11-pregnene-3,20-dione ( 6 ) or 3-α-acetoxy-11-pregnen-20-one ( 12 ) with trimethylsilylethanesulfonyl (‘Ses’) iminoiodinane 5 in the presence of copper (I) triflate gave the corresponding α,α-11,12-aziridino steroids 7 and 13 in 53 and 45% yields, respectively. The Ses group of each compound was removed using the TASF reagent and the resulting free aziridine NH was methylated to afford the 11α,12α-N-methyl aziridinosteroids 9 and 15 , respectively. The latter is a conformationally constrained analogue of the endogenous neurosteroid pregnanolone ( 1 ).

Simple synthetic approach to 6-oxa steroids. Synthesis of 6-oxa-5β-pregnane-3,20-dione

A two-step synthesis of 19-functionalized 6-oxapregnanes from a 5α,6β-dihydroxypregnane is described. Deoxygenation at C-19 afforded a 6-oxapregnane, which was converted into 6-oxa-5β-pregnane-3,20-dione 7. An insight into the mechanism of formation of the key intermediate, a 5,6-secosteroid, via a hypoiodite type reaction is also given.

Metabolism of gramine in Hordeum vulgare plants: A time course study

Abstract Intact Hordeum vulgare plants quantitatively degrade [α- 14 C] gramine to 14 CO 2 .

The glucocorticoid properties of the synthetic steroid pregna-1,4-diene-11β-ol-3,20-dione (ΔHOP) are not entirely correlated with the steroid binding to the glucocorticoid receptor

The natural steroid 11beta-hydroxyprogesterone is not only a modulator of 11beta-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase activity, but also an efficient inducer of tyrosine aminotransferase activity in hepatocytes. In contrast with the low affinity for the mineralocorticoid receptor. 11beta-hydroxyprogesterone binds well to both the glucocorticoid receptor and the carrier protein transcortin. It is accepted that the introduction of a 1:ene double bond into 3-keto 4:ene steroids increases the glucocorticoid potency, so that 3-keto-1,4:diene steroids show improved chemical stability and are more potent glucocorticoids than their respective 4:ene analogs. The steroid pregna-1,4-diene-11beta-ol-3,20-dione (deltaHOP) had previously been described as an anti-inflamatory compound and an inhibitor of macromolecular biosynthesis in thymocytes and lymphocytes. In such studies, deltaHOP also exhibited some particular glucocorticoid properties which made it attractive as a tool for the study of the mechanism of action of glucocorticoids. In the present paper we show that deltaHOP possesses some classical biological actions of glucocorticoids such as deposition of glycogen in rat liver, induction of TAT activity in hepatocytes, and inhibition of the uptake of leucine and thymidine by thymocytes. It also exhibits minimal sodium-retaining properties. Consistent with these biological effects, deltaHOP shows a 70 times lower relative binding affinity for the mineralocortioid receptor than aldosterone, but a reasonable affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor, and is as efficient as dexamethasone in dissociating the 90 kDa heat shock protein from the glucocorticoid receptor heterocomplex. However, the inhibition of the uptake of amino acids and nucleotides observed in the presence of deltaHOP is not efficiently blocked when thymocytes are coincubated in the presence of steroids with known antiglucocorticoid activity. deltaHOP is similarly inefficient in inducing chloramphenicol-acetyl transferase activity in cells transfected with a plasmid that possesses two canonical glucocorticoid-responsive elements. Unlike most glucocorticoids, deltaHOP does not induce the fragmentation of DNA in a regular pattern characteristic of apoptosis and it does not reduce thymus weight. This unusual dissociation of glucocorticoid parameters makes deltaHOP a useful tool to discriminate between mechanisms of action by which steroids can exert their biological effects.

Neuroprotective action of synthetic steroids with oxygen bridge. Activity on GABAA receptor

Allopregnanolone (A) and pregnanolone (P) are able to modify neural activities acting through the GABAA receptor complex. This capacity makes them useful as anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, or anti-stress compounds. In this study, the performance of seven synthetic steroids (SS) analogous of A or P containing an intramolecular oxygen bridge was evaluated using different assays. Competition assays showed that compounds 1, 5, 6 and 7 affected the binding of specific ligands for the GABAA receptor in a way similar to that of A and P, whereas compounds 3 and 4 stimulated [(3)H]-flunitrazepam and reduced [(35)S]-TBPS binding. The enzyme 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) produces the precursor for A and P, and its activity is regulated by steroids. The action of several SS on 3β-HSD activity was tested in different tissues. All SS analyzed inhibit its activity, but compound 5 was the least effective. Finally, the neuroprotective role of two SS was evaluated in cerebral cortex and hippocampus cultures subjected to hypoxia. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) increase was prevented by A, P, and compounds 3 and 5. Only A, P and compound 5 prevented neurofilament (NF160/200) decrease in hippocampus cultures, whereas A and compound 5 partially prevented NF200 and NF160 decreases respectively in cerebral cortex cultures. A prevented microtubule associated protein (MAP 2b) decrease in cerebral cortex cultures, while in hippocampus cultures only compounds 3 and 5 had effect. All steroids prevented MAP 2c decrease in both brain regions.

Synthesis and GABAA receptor activity of 2,19-sulfamoyl analogues of allopregnanolone

The synthesis of new analogues of allopregnanolone with a bridged sulfamidate ring over the beta-face of ring A has been achieved from easily available precursors, using an intramolecular aziridination strategy. The methodology also allows the synthesis of 3alpha-substituted analogues such as the 3alpha-fluoro derivative. GABA(A) receptor activity of the synthetic analogues was evaluated by assaying their effect on the binding of [(3)H]flunitrazepam and [(3)H]muscimol. The 3alpha-hydroxy-2,19-sulfamoyl analogue and its N-benzyl derivative were more active than allopregnanolone for stimulating binding of [(3)H]flunitrazepam. For the binding of [(3)H]muscimol, both synthetic analogues and allopregnanolone stimulated binding to a similar extent, with the N-benzyl derivative exhibiting a higher EC(50). The 3alpha-fluoro derivative was inactive in both assays.

Influence of calf serum on glucocorticoid-responses of certain progesterone derivatives

UNLABELLED The following in vitro glucocorticoid (GC) parameters of progesterone (P), 1-ene progesterone (deltaP), 11beta-hydroxyprogesterone (HOP), 11beta-1-ene progesterone (deltaHOP) and dexamethasone (Dexa) were assayed in the presence or absence of bovine calf serum (BCS): binding to thymus cytosol, dissociation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-heat shock protein 90 (hsp90) complex (diss.), tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) induction in hepatocytes and the inhibition of 3H-uridine and 35S-methionine uptake by thymocytes. Without BCS, steroids were in most cases active in this general order: Dex > deltaHOP > HOP > deltaP > P. BCS abolished all activities in P and deltaP, but left them unaltered in all other steroids, except diss. in HOP, which diminished intermediately. Binding of P, deltaP, HOP and deltaHOP to GR and CBG paralleled their in vivo activating effects on glycogen deposition. CONCLUSIONS in this steroid series, BCS, but not CBG, inhibits GC responses of P and deltaP. 11-Beta hydroxylation frees those molecules from the inhibitory effects of BCS.