ANDROSTAN

Ketopregnan-21-oic Acids, the 17(3-Carboxy Androstanes, and the D-Homocorticoids. In the course of studies on the metabohsm of fluocoitolone (103) the formation of the water-soluble carboxyhc acid (105, R = H) was reported. As a free 21-hydroxyl is not necessary for antiinflammatory activity, it was concluded that the esters (105, R = alkyl) of the preceding metabohte would possess antiinflammatory activity on topical administration but would be devoid of systemic activity when hydrolysis to the free acid occurs followed by... 

Methods for reconstmcting the C-17 side chain from intermediates such as androstendione have been developed. These are used when commercial considerations favor the production of androstanes, but pregnanes are the ultimate goal (25,30). 

A number of steroids have been regioselectively acylated ia a similar manner (99,104). Chromobactenum viscosum hpase esterifies 5a-androstane-3P,17P-diol [571-20-0] (75) with 2,2,2-triduoroethyl butyrate ia acetone with high selectivity. The hpase acylates exclusively the hydroxy group ia the 3-position giving the 3P-(monobutyryl ester) of (75) ia 83% yield. In contrast, bacillus subtilis protease (subtihsia) displays a marked preference for the C-17 hydroxyl. Candida iylindracea]i 2Lse (CCL) suspended ia anhydrous benzene regioselectively acylates the 3a-hydroxyl group of several bile acid derivatives (104). 

The reaction of 6-amino-5-(l,2-diethoxycarbonylhydrazino)pyrimidines with enamines represents another convenient method for the preparation of pteridines. Fusion of 5-(l,2-diethoxycarbonylhydrazino)-2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (281) with an excess of mor-pholinocyclohexene leads to 2,4-diaminotetrahydrobenzo[g]pteridine, and with the morpholinoenamine (282) from 17/3-hydroxy-5a-androstan-3-one regioselective condensation to the fused pteridine (283) takes place in almost quantitative yield (equation 101) (71CC83). 6-Amino-5-nitroso- and 6-amino-5-phenylazo-pyrimidines react similarly, imitating the Timmis-type reaction (72CPB1428). 

In 1959 Clinton and coworkers reported the first synthesis of some pyrazole fused androstane derivatives and described their biological activity (B-76MI40404). Stanazolol (695) or 17-methyl-2iT-5o -androst-2-eno[3,2-c]pyrazol-17/3-ol was 10 times as active as 17a -methyltestosterone in improving nitrogen retention in rats (B-80MI40406), and its myotrophic activity was only twice that of 17a-methyltestosterone. It is used as an anabolic steroid with no lasting adverse side effects. 

As first demonstrated by Stork,the metal enolate formed by metal-ammoni reduction of a conjugated enone or a ketol acetate can be alkylated in liquic ammonia. The reductive alkylation reaction is synthetically useful since ii permits alkylation of a ketone at the a-position other than the one at whicf thermodynamically controlled enolate salt formation occurs. Direct methyl-ation of 5a-androstan-17-ol-3-one occurs at C-2 whereas reductive methyl-... 

The presence of an a-bromo substituent may cause anomalies. With NaBH4, 2a-bromo-5a-cholestan-3-one gives a mixture of epimers, in which the 3p-o predominates. 4 -Bromo-17)5-hydroxy-5)5-androstan-3-one acetate gives 25% of the 315,4 -bromohydrin and 34% of the 3a,4)5-compound. Reduction of 7a-bromo-3)5,5a-diacetoxycholestan-6-one gives exclusively 7a-bromocholestane-3)5,5a,6a-triol 3,5-diacetate,whereas reduc-... 

There is no generally reliable rule of thumb to predict whether an axial or equatorial proton will exchange faster. For instance, in the examples discussed above, the slowest rate of exchange is found for the S -axial proton in 5a-androstan-7-one (1) [see(2)-(4)] and the 2fi-equatorial proton in 5a-androstan-l 1-one (5) [see (6)-(9)]. Furthermore, the results of base-catalyzed exchange cannot necessarily be predicted from the corresponding... 

Deuteration of 3 -Hydroxy-5a-androstan-7-one at C-6 and C-8 by Exchange with Deuterium Oxide-5% Sodium Deuterioxide in Methanol-OD... 

A solution of 3j5-hydroxy-5a-androstan-7-one (10, 50 mg) in methanol-OD (4 ml) is saturated with deuterium oxide containing 5 % sodium deuterioxide (prepared by reacting sodium with deuterium oxide) and heated under reflux for 3 days. (If the heated solution becomes turbid due to supersaturation, a few drops of methanol-OD should be added until a clear solution is obtained. The use of a drying-tube on top of the condenser is advisable to avoid isotope dilution from moisture.)... 

After cooling, the reaction mixture is diluted with ether, the organic phase washed with ice-cold water and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. Evaporation of the solvent and crystallization of the residue from ether-hexane gives 6,6,8j5-d3-5a-androstan-3j5-ol-7-one (11) in 84% yield mp 141-142,5° isotopic composition 6% d2,93% da and 1 %... 

Enolizalion of conjugated or /3,y-unsatiirated enones and dienones in O-deiiterated solvents facilitates the introduction of deuterium labels into positions as far as three and five carbon atoms away from a given ketone function. Exchange of the activated hydrogens in androst-4-en-3-one (12) provides a good illustration of the potential of this method. Saturation of the double bond (section V) in the deuterated enone (13) followed by back exchange of the a-deuteriums (section II-B) proves to be an excellent method for the preparation of 6,6-d2-5a-androstan-3-one (15). ... 

It has been reported recently that 17/ -acetoxy-5a,14a-androstan epimerizes at C-14 when photolyzed in cyclohexane solution in the presence of mercuric bromide. When the reaction is carried out in perdeuterated cyclohexane, the product consists of 55 % d - and 12% d2-labeled species. This reaction may develop into an interesting deuteration technique if the incorporated deuterium can be securely assigned to the epimerized position. 

The successful preparation of Il,ll-d2-5l5-androstan-3o -oh and 11,11-d2-(25R)-5a-spirostane in 83% and 91% isotopic purity by Raney nickel treatment of the 11,1 l-d2-12-ethylene thioketal derivatives further confirms the low degree of isotope scrambling with C-12 keto steroids. 

Deuteration at C-3 by Reduction of 5a.-Androstan-3-one Oxime with Lithium Aluminum Deuteride... 

A solution of 5a-androstan-3-one oxime (112 0.6 g) in dry ether (40 ml) is added dropwise to a boiling suspension of lithium aluminum deuteride (1.6 g) in dry ether (80 ml). The reaction mixture is heated under reflux for... 

The saturation of linear dienones provides a means of labeling even more remote sites. Labeling of the C-2 and C-3 positions of androstan-7-... 

---