Synthesis and biological activity of 21,22-cyclosteroids and their derivatives.

Synthesis of 21,22-cyclosteroids has been achieved starting from pregnenolone acetate. The key transformation was the Kulinkovich reaction of 17-vinyl steroids with esters. The resulting cyclopropanols were further subjected to three-membered ring-opening under various conditions including to base-, palladium or visible light-promoted isomerization and cross-coupling reaction. A number of steroidal Δ2-6-ketones and 3ß-hydroxy-Δ5-enes with functional groups at C-21 - C-23 have been synthesized via the 21,22-cyclosteroids. The antiproliferative and antihormonal activity of the obtained compounds on the cell lines of prostate (22Rv1) and breast (MCF-7) cancer was studied. The androgen receptor activity was assessed by reporter assay when the expression of signalling proteins was evaluated by immunoblotting. (20S,22R)-22-Acetoxy-21,22-cyclo-5α-cholest-5-ene with the moderate antiandrogenic potency revealed IC50 values of 18.4 ± 1.2 and 14.6 ± 1.4 µM against MCF-7 and 22Rv1 cells, respectively, and its effects on the expression of AR-V7, cyclin D1 and BCL2 were explored.

Synthesis of B-ring-modified steroids through BF3-promoted rearrangement/substitution of 6ß-hydroxy-5,19-cyclosteroids.

The BF3·Et2O-promoted reaction of 3ß-acetoxy-5,19-cyclo-pregnan-6ß-ol-20-one with different nucleophiles was investigated. B-homo steroids (3ß-acetoxy-B-homo-6a-ß-alkoxy-pregna-5(10)-en-20-ones) were obtained with primary and secondary alcohols, while the reaction with common carboxylic acids selectively afforded the corresponding 3ß-acetoxy-6ß-(acyloxymethyl)-pregna-5(10)-en-20-ones. The transformations are supposed to proceed via the rearrangement of a cyclopropyl-methyl cation (bicyclobutonium) intermediate, which is regioselectively opened in dependence on the nucleophile employed. The method represents an efficient, diversity-oriented entry to new B-ring-modified steroids, which are of potential pharmaceutical relevance.

From cholapod to cholaphane transmembrane anion carriers: accelerated transport through binding site enclosure.

Cyclosteroidal "cholaphane" anion transporters show increased activities compared to acyclic "cholapod" analogues.

Four new 3,5-cyclosteroidal saponins from Dracaena surculosa.

Further search for steroidal compounds contained in Dracaena surculosa (Agavaceae) led to the isolation of two new 3,5-cyclospirostanol saponins (1, 2) and two new 3,5-cyclofurostanol saponins (3, 4). Their structural assignment was established by spectroscopic analysis and a few chemical transformations as (24S,25R)-1beta-[(beta-D-fucopyranosyl)oxy]-6beta-hydroxy-3alpha,5alpha-cyclospirostan-24-yl beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), (24S,25R)-1beta-[(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-6beta-hydroxy-3alpha,5alpha-cyclospirostan-24-yl beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), (25S)-1beta-[(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-6beta-hydroxy-22alpha-methoxy-3alpha,5alpha-cyclofurostan-26-yl beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), and (25S)-1beta-[(beta-D-fucopyranosyl)oxy]-6beta-hydroxy-22alpha-methoxy-3alpha,5alpha-cyclofurostan-26-yl beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), respectively.