The synthesis and biological evaluation of 3-alkyl-substituted 3-(4-aminophenyl)piperidine-2,6-diones as inhibitors of estrogen biosynthesis are described [H (1), methyl (2), ethyl (3), n-propyl (4), isopropyl (5), n-butyl (6), isobutyl (7), sec-butyl (8), n-pentyl (9), isopentyl (10), 2-methylbutyl (11), sec-pentyl (12), n-hexyl (13), n-heptyl (14)]. In vitro compounds 4-14 showed a stronger inhibition of human placental aromatase compared to aminoglutethimide (AG, compound 3), which recently has become used for the treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer. The most active derivative, compound 10, showed a 93-fold stronger inhibition than AG. With the exception of 5, 7, and 8, all other compounds exhibited similar or decreased inhibition of bovine adrenal desmolase compared to AG. Compounds 4 and 6-12 showed a stronger inhibition of the plasma estradiol concentration of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) primed Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats compared to the parent compound. Compounds 4, 6-8, 10, and 12 inhibited the testosterone-stimulated tumor growth of ovariectomized 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene (DMBA) tumor-bearing SD rats more strongly than AG. Being stronger and more selective inhibitors of the estrogen biosynthesis than AG, some of the newly developed derivatives of AG might be better candidates for the treatment of the hormone-dependent human breast cancer.

The enantiomers of the potent nonsteroidal inhibitor of aromatase fadrozole hydrochloride 3 have been separated and their absolute configuration determined by X-ray crystallography. On the basis of a molecular modeling comparison of the active enantiomer 4 and one of the most potent steroidal inhibitors reported to date, (19R)-10-thiiranylestr-4-ene-3,17-dione, 7, a model describing the relative binding modes of the azole-type and steroidal inhibitors of aromatase at the active site of the enzyme is proposed. It is suggested that the cyanophenyl moiety present in the most active azole inhibitors partially mimics the steroid backbone of the natural substrate for aromatase, androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, 1. The synthesis and biological testing of novel analogues of 3 used to define the accessible and nonaccessible volumes to ligands in the model of the active site of aromatase are reported.

The (E)-2-(4-pyridylmethylene)-1-tetralones 1-7 (1, H; 2, 5-OCH3; 3, 6-OCH3; 4, 7-OCH3; 5, 5-OH; 6, 6-OH; 7, 7-OH) were obtained by aldol condensation of the corresponding 1-tetralones with 4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde, and in the case of the OH compounds 5 and 7 subsequent ether cleavage of the OCH3-substituted 2-(4-pyridylmethylene)-1-tetralones. Catalytic hydrogenation of 1-4 gave the 2-(4-pyridylmethyl)-1-tetralones 8-11 (8, H; 9, 5-OCH3; 10, 6-OCH3; 11, 7-OCH3). Subsequent ether cleavage of 9-11 led to the corresponding OH compounds 12-14 (12, 5-OH; 13, 6-OH; 14, 7-OH). The enantiomers of 11 and 12 were separated semipreparatively by HPLC on triacetylcellulose. All compounds (1-14) showed an inhibition of human placental aromatase exhibiting relative potencies from 2.2 to 213 [compounds 6 and (+)-12, respectively; aromatase inhibitory potency of aminoglutethimide (AG) = 1]. The compounds exhibited no or only a weak inhibition of desmolase [cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme; maximum activity shown by 12, 23% inhibition (25 microM); AG, 53% inhibition (25 microM)]. In vivo, however, the compounds were not superior to AG as far as the reduction of the plasma estradiol concentration and the mammary carcinoma (MC) inhibiting properties are concerned (PMSG-primed SD rats as well as DMBA-induced MC of the SD rat, pre- and postmenopausal experiments, and the transplantable MXT-MC of the BD2F1 mouse). This is due to a fast decrease of the plasma E2 concentration inhibiting effect as could be shown by a kinetic experiment. In addition, select compounds inhibited rat ovarian aromatase much less than human placental aromatase (12, factor of 10). Estrogenic effects as a cause for the poor in vivo activity of the test compounds could be excluded, since they did not show affinity for the estrogen receptor.

The synthesis of 3-cycloalkyl-substituted 3-(4-aminophenyl)piperidine-2,6-diones is described [cyclopentyl (1), cyclohexyl (2)]. The enantiomers of 2 were separated either by using HPLC on optically active sorbent or by crystallization of the brucine salt of the phthalamic acid of 2. The absolute configuration of the (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of 2 were assigned as S and R, respectively, by comparing the CD spectra to those of the enantiomers of aminoglutethimide (AG, 3-(4-aminophenyl)-3-ethylpiperidine-2,6-dione). The compounds were tested in vitro for inhibition of human placental aromatase, the cytochrome P450-dependent enzyme which is responsible for the conversion of androgens to estrogens. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited aromatase by 50% at 1.2 and 0.3 microM, respectively (IC50 AG = 37 microM). According to the findings with AG, the (+)-enantiomer of 2 was responsible for the inhibitory activity, being a 240-fold more potent aromatase inhibitor in vitro than racemic AG. On the other hand, (+)-2 displayed a strongly reduced inhibition of desmolase (cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme) compared to AG (relative activity = 0.3). Thus (+)-2 is of interest as a potential drug for the treatment of estrogen-dependent diseases, e.g. mammary tumors.

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