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 and biological evaluation of substituted exo-1-(4-pyridyl)-1a,2,3,7b-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopropa[a]naphthalene s as inhibitors of estrogen biosynthesis is described [H (1); 4-OCH3 (2); 5-OCH3 (3); 6-OCH3 (4); 1-CH3, 6-OCH3 (5); 4-OCH3, 7-Br (6); 6-OCH3, 5-Br (7); 4-OH (8); 5-OH (9); 6-OH (10)]. The synthetic key step--the formation of the cyclopropyl ring--was accomplished using the conditions of a modified Wolff-Kishner reduction (N2H5OH/KOH; delta T) and yielded exclusively the exo-configurated diastereomers. The racemic compounds 1-10 showed an inhibition of human placental aromatase (P450 arom) exhibiting relative potencies (rp) from 3.7 to 303 (compounds 8 and 4, respectively; rp of aminoglutethimide (AG) identical to 1, fadrozole = 359). The enantiomers of 4 and 7 were separated by LPLC on tribenzoyl cellulose and by crystallization of the diastereomeric tartrates (4). (1aS,2S,7bS)-(+)-4 (absolute configuration determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis) is the active P450 arom inhibiting enantiomer of 4 and shows a rp value of 617. Compound 4 is a reversible inhibitor showing a competitive type of inhibition and a type II difference spectrum. In vitro 4 influenced other steroidogenic P450 enzymes either not at all (bovine adrenal P450 scc) or only marginally (rat testicular P450 17, bovine adrenal P450 18). In ACTH-stimulated rat adrenal tissue, 4 was less active, inhibiting corticosterone and aldosterone formation compared to AG and fadrozole, respectively. In vivo 4 was not superior to AG as far as the inhibition of the uterotrophic activity of androstenedione (juvenile SD rats) and the reduction of the plasma estradiol concentration (pregnant mares' serum gonadotropin-primed SD rats) are concerned. Compound 4 shows marked antitumor activity in the dimethylbenzanthracene-induced mammary carcinoma of the SD rat: in the postmenopausal model it is at least as active as AG; in the premenopausal experiment it is clearly superior to AG. No induction of hepatic P450 enzymes was observed in the latter experiment. The rp value of 4 toward rat ovarian P450 arom, i.e., 23 (rp of AG identical to 1), is markedly decreased compared to the human enzyme (rp value of 303). From this fact it must be concluded that 4 should be more active in the human than in the rat.

The (E)-2-(4-pyridylmethylene)-1-indanones(E)-1-(E)-5[(E)-1,H;(E)-2,4- OCH3; (E)-3,5-OCH3; (E)-4,4-OH;(E)-5,5-OH] were obtained by aldol condensation of the corresponding 1-indanones with 4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde, and in case of the OH compound (E)-4 subsequent ether cleavage of (E)-2. The synthesis of the (Z)-isomers (Z)-1-(Z)-3[(Z)-1,H;(Z)-2,4-OCH3; (Z)-3,5-OCH3] was accomplished by UV irradiation of the corresponding (E)-isomers. Catalytic hydrogenation of (E)-1-(E)-3 gave the 2-(4-pyridylmethyl)-1-indanones 6-8 (6, H; 7,4-OCH3; 8,5-OCH3). The 2-(4-pyridylmethyl)-substituted indans 11-13 (11,H; 12,4-OCH3; 13,5-OCH3) and the tetralins 16-19 (16,H;17,5-OCH3;18,6-OCH3;19,7-OCH3) were obtained by reduction of the corresponding ketones using N2H4/KOH. The 2-(4-pyridylmethyl)-substituted indanones 9 (4-OH) and 10 (5-OH), indans 14 (4-OH) and 15 (5-OH), and tetralins 20-22 (20,5-OH; 21,6-OH; 22,7-OH) were synthesized by ether cleavage of the corresponding OCH3 compounds. All compounds showed inhibition of human placental aromatase exhibiting relative potencies from 0.9 [(E)-4] to 163 [18; aminoglutethimide (AG) potency identical to 1]. Compounds 13 and 18 showed competitive type of inhibition and a type II difference spectrum, indicating the interaction of the pyridyl-N with the central Fe(III) ion of the cytochrome P450 heme component.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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