Hormonal Lithium compounds

Lithium Compounds Lithium carbonate, which is obtained iiom lithium ore, is the primary source of other lithium compounds. Significant quantities of lithium carbonate are also used in the preparation of porcelain enamels, glazes, and special glass. When purified, the carbonate is used as a source of lithium ion for the treatment of manic-depressive disorders. The physiological action of lithium ion in this treatment is not completely understood, although lithium ion is known to inhibit certain biochemical reactions involved in hormone action. 

Although the past three years have witnessed many ingenious syntheses of the two insect juvenile hormones, the preparation of the naturally-occurring dextrorotatory Cl8 hormone (cis-epoxide) has only recently been achieved. Indeed, in two independent studies, both enantiomeric pairs of the cis- and trans-epoxides. have been prepared and it has been firmly established that the two chiral centres have the 10R,11S configurations in the naturally-occurring material. Findlay et al. have now published full details of their previously announced synthesis of the two juvenile hormones and other double-bond isomers. In an earlier synthesis of the C18 hormone, Corey et al. used the dienol (30 R = Et) as a key intermediate and now they have described two new stereospecific routes to this compound (Scheme 2). In the first synthesis the lactone (27) was converted into the hydroxy-olefin (28) by hydrolysis, esterification, tosylation, and lithium... 

In much the same vein, condensation with lithium acetylide affords the corresponding 17a-ethynyl-17/3-hydroxyl derivative. None of these target compounds showed much in the way of hormonal activity. 

Both these compounds, 143a and b, needed to investigate the mechanism of biosynthesis of the plant growth hormone ethylene, have been prepared according to the reaction scheme in equation 6599. 144a and b have been prepared by reduction of unlabelled or deuterated ethyl bromoacetate with lithium aluminium deuteride-anhydrous aluminium chloride. Subsequently, 143a and 143b have been synthesized with 4-methylbenzene-... 

Some example compounds include aminogluthethimide cyanoketone and ketoconazole (affect hormone synthesis) lithium (interferes with steroidogenic enzymes) endosulphan, lindane, and malathion (affect hormone release and storage) DDT... 

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