Concise synthesis of 2-methoxyestradiol from 17β-estradiol through the C(sp2)-H hydroxylation

The Versatile and Strategic O-Carbamate Directed Metalation Group in the Synthesis of Aromatic Molecules: An Update

The aryl O-carbamate (ArOAm) group is among the strongest of the directed metalation groups (DMGs) in directed ortho metalation (DoM) chemistry, especially in the form Ar-OCONEt2. Since the last comprehensive review of metalation chemistry involving ArOAms (published more than 30 years ago), the field has expanded significantly. For example, it now encompasses new substrates, solvent systems, and metalating agents, while conditions have been developed enabling metalation of ArOAm to be conducted in a green and sustainable manner. The ArOAm group has also proven to be effective in the anionic ortho-Fries (AoF) rearrangement, Directed remote metalation (DreM), iterative DoM sequences, and DoM-halogen dance (HalD) synthetic strategies and has been transformed into a diverse range of functionalities and coupled with various groups through a range of cross-coupling (CC) strategies. Of ultimate value, the ArOAm group has demonstrated utility in the synthesis of a diverse range of bioactive and polycyclic aromatic compounds for various applications.

Opposite estrogen effects of estrone and 2-hydroxyestrone on MCF-7 sensitivity to the cytotoxic action of cell growth, oxidative stress and inflammation activity

There are many kinds of estrogens, and endogenous estrogens produce a variety of estrogen metabolites with similar structure but with different physiological effects after metabolism in vivo. Studies have shown that estrone (E1) widely occurs in the environment and animal-derived food. Because of its estrogen effect, E1 can have adverse effects on the human body as an endocrine disruptor. In this study, we found that E1 and 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OH-E1), the hydroxylation metabolite of estrogen, have opposite proliferative effects on breast cancer cells (MCF-7) through cell proliferation experiments and comparison of their effects by molecular docking and detection of ROS, Ca²⁺, and cell pathway proteins. The effects of 2-methoxyestrone (2-MeO-E1) and 16α-hydroxyestrone (16α-OH-E1) on the biochemical and protein levels of MCF-7 were further studied to compare the effects of metabolic sites and modes on estrogen effects. Hydroxylation of E1 at the C2 site weakened the estrogen effect, down-regulated the expression of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and protein kinase B (Akt) pathway proteins, inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells, and enhanced anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammation. Methoxylation at the C2 position also inhibited the expression of inflammatory and oxidative stress pathway proteins but did not greatly affect the estrogen effects. However, hydroxylation on C16 had no significant effect on the biological effects of estrogen. Therefore, the structural changes of estrogen on C2 are important reasons for the different physiological effects of estrogen and its metabolites. Thus, by regulating the gene Cytochrome P450 1B1(CYP1B1), which affects the hydroxylation metabolism of estrogen, and promoting the hydroxylation of estrone at the C2 position, the estrogen effect of estrone can be effectively reduced, thus reducing the harm its poses in food and the environment.

Concise synthesis of 2-methoxyestradiol through C(sp2)-H methoxylation

An efficient and concise synthesis of 2-methoxyestradiol (4) from 17β-estradiol (1) has been achieved in three synthetic steps with a 63.3% overall yield. The key step was the palladium-catalyzed direct C(sp²)-H methoxylation of 2-aryloxypyridines. Using 2-pyridyloxyl as the directing group, Pd(OAc)₂ as the catalyst, PhI(OAc)₂ as the oxidant and methanol as both the methoxylation reagent and solvent, the methoxy group could be handily installed at the 2-position of 3-(2-pyridoxy) estradiol (2). Subsequently, the pyridyl group could be easily removed by nucleophilic substitution with a methoxy anion after being oxidized to a pyridyl N-oxide by m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, delivering the target product 2-methoxyestradiol (4) in quantitative yield. In contrast, when the pyridyl directing group was removed by the TfOMe-NaOMe/MeOH system as reported in the literature, TfOMe inevitably methylated the 17-OH of 2-methoxy-3-(2-pyridoxy) estradiol (3). In effect, we have fortuitously found a new method to cleave the pyridyl directing group, which is highly suitable for substrates bearing hydroxy groups.