14 alpha-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,6,17-trione as a mechanical-based irreversible inhibitor of estrogen biosynthesis

Microbial biotransformation of bioactive and clinically useful steroids and some salient features of steroids and biotransformation

Steroids are perhaps one of the most widely used group of drugs in present day. Beside the established utilization as immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, progestational, diuretic, sedative, anabolic and contraceptive agents, recent applications of steroid compounds include the treatment of some forms of cancer, osteoporosis, HIV infections and treatment of declared AIDS. Steroids isolated are often available in minute amounts. So biotransformation of natural products provides a powerful means in solving supply problems in clinical trials and marketing of the drug for obtaining natural products in bulk amounts. If the structure is complex, it is often an impossible task to isolate enough of the natural products for clinical trials. The microbial biotransformation of steroids yielded several novel metabolites, exhibiting different activities. The metabolites produced from pregnenolone acetate by Cunning hamella elegans and Rhizopus stolonifer were screened against tyrosinase and cholinesterase showed significant inhibitory activities than the parent compound. Diosgenin and its transformed sarsasapogenin were screened for their acetyl cholinesterase and butyryl cholinesterase inhibitory activities. Sarsasapogenin was screened for phytotoxicity, and was found to be more active than the parent compound. Diosgenin, prednisone and their derivatives were screened for their anti-leishmanial activity. All derivatives were found to be more active than the parent compound. The biotransformation of steroids have been reviewed to a little extent. This review focuses on the biotransformation and functions of selected steroids, the classification, advantages and agents of enzymatic biotransformation and examines the potential role of new enzymatically transformed steroids and their derivatives in the chemoprevention and treatment of other diseases. tyrosinase and cholinesterase inhibitory activities, severe asthma, rheumatic disorders, renal disorders and diseases of inflammatory bowel, skin, gastrointestinal tract.

Biological transformations of steroidal compounds: a review

Microbial transformation is an important tool for structural modification of organic compounds, especially natural products with complex structures like steroids. It can be used to synthesize chemical structures that are difficult to obtain by ordinary methods and as a model of mammalian metabolism due to similarity between mammalian and microbial enzyme systems. During recent years research has been focused on the structural modifications of bioactive steroids by using various microorganisms, in order to obtain biologically potent compounds with diverse structures. Steroidal compounds are responsible for important biological functions in the cells and manifest a variety of activities. This article covers the microbial transformation of sterols, steroidal hormones and some new types of steroids known as bufadienolides. Emphasis has placed on reporting metabolites that may be of general interest and on the practical aspects of work in the field of microbial transformations. The review covers the literature from 1994 to 2011.

Biotransformation of adrenosterone by filamentous fungus, Cunninghamella elegans

Microbial transformation of adrenosterone (1) by suspended-cell cultures of the filamentous fungus Cunninghamella elegans resulted in the production of five metabolites 2-6, which were identified as 9alpha-hydroxyadrenosterone (2), 11-ketotestosterone (3), 6beta-hydroxyadrenosterone (4), 9alpha-hydroxy-11-ketotestosterone (5), and 6beta-hydroxy-11-ketotestosterone (6). Structures of new metabolites 2, 5, and 6 were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

Aromatase inhibitors: past, present and future

For the cellular physiology of sex steroid sensitive cells, the androgen/estrogen ratio may be more important than only one hormone action per se, in both sexes. This ratio is controlled in vertebrates by aromatase; its gene expression can be inhibited in different ways, and this is crucial for the treatment of estrogen-dependent diseases such as breast cancer, or gynecomastia in males for instance. To reach this goal, new steroidal and non-steroidal inhibitors are continuously being developed, and some of them are used as first or second line agents. Aromatase inhibition is also an essential tool for studying the role of estrogens in the adult, or during development. Aromatase inhibitors have shown in particular that estrogens are essential also in males for skeletal maturation and bone mineralization, development of masculine dendritic morphology in male brain linked to mating behaviour, and testicular function. Testosterone is often the prohormone converted in situ in active estrogens, at these levels. Several strategies can be used for aromatase inhibition. The first ones employed were blind screening or deductions from in vivo observations, which led for instance to the discovery of the role of aminoglutethimide in aromatase inhibition. Subsequently, in the years 1975-1990, the molecular modeling of compounds to mimic the substrate shape of the enzyme constituted the major idea. Hundreds of chemicals were synthesized by numerous authors, ranging from the well-known and very efficient 4-OHA to complicated imidazole or indane derivatives tested by sophisticated comparative molecular field analyses. Reticulum-bound active aromatase has not as yet been X-ray analyzed. Thus, aromatase inhibitors were also used more recently to probe and understand the active site conformation of the enzyme and its modelization was obtained from comparisons with bacterial-related cytochromes. We developed a mammalian model considerably closer to human aromatase in order to study the active site shape with new potent aromatase non-steroidal inhibitors. This model is equine aromatase. This enzyme was biochemically characterized, purified, and cloned by our group. It allowed testing, by site-directed mutagenesis, predictive hypotheses in human aromatase which contributed to designing of new inhibitors. The understanding of the functioning of an essential member of the cytochrome P450 family, which is necessary for cellular detoxification, was also facilitated. Inhibition of aromatase activity has also been carried out with antibodies directed to the catalytic site and at the gene level by knock-out or by control of factor-specific promoters. This may result in different mRNA synthesized by alternative splicing. We have also obtained specific inhibition of aromatase activity in human cells with antisense stable phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides directed against aromatase mRNA tertiary structures. Besides known steroidal and non-steroidal inhibitors, the antiaromatase effects of compounds found in our daily environment such as dietary flavonoids or xenobiotic pollutants have also been described. Finally, we underline that all these aromatase inhibitors, or methods of aromatase inhibition, can modulate the estrogenic balance essential not only for female, but also for male physiology, including gonadal function.

Mechanism for aromatase inactivation by a suicide substrate, androst-4-ene-3,6,17-trione. The 4 beta, 5 beta-epoxy-19-oxo derivative as a reactive electrophile irreversibly binding to the active site

Aromatase is a cytochrome P450 enzyme complex that catalyzes the conversion of androst-4-ene-3,17-dione to estrone through three sequential oxygenations of the 19-methyl group. Androst-4-ene-3,6,17-trione (1) is a suicide substrate of aromatase. The inactivation mechanism for steroid 1 has been studied to show that the inactivation reaction proceeds through the 19-oxo intermediate 3. To further clarify the mechanism, 4 beta, 5 beta-epoxyandrosta-3,6,17,19-tetraone (6) was synthesized as a candidate for a reactive electrophile involved in irreversible binding to the active site of aromatase, upon treatment of compound 3 with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of NaHCO3. The epoxide 6 inhibited human placental aromatase in a competitive manner (Ki = 30 microM); moreover, it inactivated the enzyme in an active-site-directed manner in the absence of NADPH (K1 = 88 microM, kinact = 0.071 min-1). NADPH and BSA both stimulated the inactivation rate without a significant change of the K1 in either case (kinact: 0.133 or 0.091 min-1, in the presence of NADPH or BSA, respectively). The substrate androst-4-ene-3,17-dione protected the inactivation, but a nucleophile, L-cysteine, did not. When both the epoxide 6 and its 19-methyl analog 4 were subjected separately to reaction with N-acetyl-L-cysteine in the presence of NaHCO3, the 19-oxo steroid 6 disappeared from the reaction mixture more rapidly (T1/2 = 40 sec) than the 19-methyl analog 4 (T1/2 = 3.0 min). The results clearly indicate that the 4 beta, 5 beta-epoxy-19-oxo compound 6, which is possibly produced from 19-oxo-4-ene steroid 3 through the 19-hydroxy-19-hydroperoxide intermediate, is a reactive electrophile that irreversibly binds to the active site of aromatase.

Microbial transformation of steroids: contribution to 14 alpha-hydroxylations

The regioselective and stereoselective hydroxylation of steroids by fungal strains previously known for their hydroxylation capabilities, such as Thamnostylum (= Helicostylum) piriforme ATCC 8992, Mucor griseocyanus ATCC 1207a, Actinomucor elegans (= Mucor parasiticus) MMP 3122 (Mucorales), and Zygodesmus sp. ATCC 14716, was investigated with special interest for the 14 alpha-hydroxylation reaction. A preliminary screening had shown that some of these microorganisms were adequate for the production of 14 alpha-hydroxylated derivatives of the following steroids: progesterone, 5 beta-pregnane-3,20-dione, 3 beta-hydroxy-5 beta-pregnane-20-one, 3 beta-hydroxy-5 beta-17 (alpha H)-etianic acid methyl ester, androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, and testosterone. About 20 metabolites have been isolated and purified by silicagel chromatography and semi-preparative reverse-phase HPLC. These metabolites have been fully characterized by 1H, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry. All the identified metabolites were hydroxylated at some distinct positions, such as 6 beta-, 7 alpha-, 9 alpha-, 14 alpha-, 15 beta-, or dihydroxylated at 6 beta,14 alpha-,7 alpha,14 alpha-, 9 alpha,14 alpha-, 14 alpha,15 alpha-, 14 alpha,15 beta-positions; nine of these metabolites have not been reported previously. The relationship between the structural features of the investigated steroids and the site-specific hydroxylation has been delineated, and progesterone was found to be the best substrate for the production of 14 alpha-hydroxylated derivative, using T. piriforme.

Aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of breast cancer

A number of inhibitors of estrogen synthesis are now becoming available which could be of value in the treatment of breast cancer. 4-Hydroxyandrostenedione (4-OHA), the first of these compounds to enter the clinic has been found to be effective in postmenopausal patients who have relapsed from tamoxifen. Thus, in studies of 240 patients, 26% patients experienced partial or complete response to treatment. An additional 25% patients had disease stabilization. 4-OHA is a potent selective, steroidal inhibitor which causes inactivation of aromatase in vitro. It is effective in reducing concentrations of ovarian estrogens in rats and of ovarian and peripheral estrogens in non-human primate species. The compound has been shown to lower serum estrogen levels in postmenopausal breast cancer patients. However, not all of these patients experienced disease remission, suggesting that their tumors were hormone insensitive rather than that the dose of 4-OHA was suboptimal. In trials of patients who had not received prior tamoxifen treatment, 4-OHA (250 mg i.m. every 2 weeks) was found to induce complete or partial tumor regression in 33% of patients. The response of patients was not significantly different from that observed in patients treated with tamoxifen (30 mg o.d) of 37%. No significant difference between treatments was observed for disease stabilization, the duration of response or median survival. Several other steroidal aromatase inhibitors have been studied, such as 7 alpha-substituted androstenedione derivatives. MDL 18962 [10-(2-propynyl)estr-4-ene-3,17-dione] and FCE 24304 (6-methylen-androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione) are currently in clinical trials. Non-steroidal inhibitors of cytochrome P-450 enzymes, such as imidazole and triazole derivatives have been developed which are highly selective for aromatase. Three triazoles which are very potent and selective inhibitors are vorazole (6-[(4-chlorophenyl)(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-methyl]1-methyl-1H- benzotriazole R 76713, arimidex 2,2'[5-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl methyl)-1,3-phenylene]bis(2-methylpropiononitrile) (ZD1033) and letrozole 4-[1-(cyanophenyl)-1-(1,2,4-triazolyl)methyl]benzonitril (CGS 20267). These compounds reduce serum estradiol concentration to undetectable levels in breast cancer patients. These highly potent inhibitors provide the opportunity to determine whether a further degree of estrogen suppression will be important in producing greater clinical response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Aromatase, its inhibitors and their use in breast cancer treatment

Aromatase, a cytochrome P450 enzyme, catalyses the rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of estrogens. Many processes in male and female development and reproduction and especially in the growth of hormone-dependent cancers, are dependent on estrogens. Therefore, controlling estrogen production by inhibition of aromatase is a logical treatment strategy. Two classes of aromatase inhibitors, steroidal and non-steroidal compounds, are now coming into use. Among the steroid substrate analogs, 4-hydroxyandrostenedione has been shown to be effective in breast cancer patients with advanced disease and was recently approved for treatment in the United Kingdom. Several highly potent and selective non-steroidal inhibitors are now in clinical trials. The variety of compounds that act as aromatase inhibitors should provide breast cancer patients with a number of new treatment options.