Analogs of the abortifacient aminoglutethimide

1-Alkyl analogues of aminoglutethimide. Comparative inhibition of cholesterol side chain cleavage and aromatase and metabolism of the 1-propyl derivative, a highly selective inhibitor of aromatase

A homologous series of 1-n-alkyl-derivatives of aminoglutethimide (AG) has been synthesised and tested for inhibitory activity towards the cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme (desmolase) from bovine adrenals and human placental aromatase in an attempt to find a selective aromatase inhibitor. Activity against desmolase declined from an IC50 value of 30 microM for the parent drug to 220 microM for the n-propyl derivative but increased again thereafter. Against aromatase, activity was least for the methyl and ethyl derivatives and highest (IC50 = 1.6 microM) for the hexyl and octyl analogues. The optimal ratio IC50 (desmolase):IC50 aromatase of 44 was found for the n-propyl derivative, which was therefore selected for preliminary metabolism studies using rat and mouse liver microsomes and hepatocytes and in these species in vivo. There were parallels with AG, most notably in the analogous formation from the n-propyl derivative of an arylhydroxylamine in the mouse.

Effects of aminoglutethiumide and its metabolite, N-acetylaminoglutethimide, on bovine adrenocortical and human placental cytochromes P-450scc

The ability of aminoglutethimide to inhibit cholesterol conversion to pregnenolone was lost upon acetylation of the arylamine nitrogen. This appears to be due to failure of N-acetyl-d-aminoglutethimide to bind to cytochrome P-450scc, since it does not produce the altered low spin form of the enzyme formed upon binding of d-aminoglutethimide. These findings provide further evidence for a role of the free arenamine function in aminoglutethimide and related inhibitors.

Inhibition of bovine adrenocortical cytochrome P-450scc by 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine

The effect of 3,3'=dimethoxybenzidine (o-dianisidine) on the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone was investigated in a reconstituted side chain cleavage system using enzymes purified from bovine adrenal cortex; d-p-aminoglutethimide was also assayed under similar conditions for comparison. 3,3'-Dimethoxybenzidine was found to be a potent inhibitor of pregnenolone formation, causing 50% inhibition at a concentration of 1.5 microM when using 70 microM cholesterol - this dose is approximately one fourth that required of 3-methoxybenzidine and one twentieth that required of benzidine for equal inhibition. In the same system, d-p-aminoglutethimide exhibited an I50 value of about 55 microM. No effects of 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine on adrenodoxin reductase or adrenodoxin activities could be detected, and inhibition of side chain cleavage could be relieved by dilution suggesting that the inhibitor acts by reversibly binding to cytochrome P-450scc.

The absolute configuration of the enantiomers of glutethimide and aminoglutethimide

Aminoglutethimide (Elipten¿ CIBA) was resolved into the optical antipodes I and II. The endocrinological properties and the absolute configuration of both enantiomers I and II were determined. Most of the steroidal synthesis inhibition was found in the (+) enantiomer II. On the basis of circular dichroism, the R-configuration was assigned to the (+) enantiomer II.