Synthesis and Biological Activity of 2,22-Dimethylene Analogues of 19-Norcalcitriol and Related Compounds

J Med Chem. 2020 Jul 9;63(13):7355-7368. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00580. Epub 2020 Jun 24.

Abstract

Continuing our search for vitamin D analogues, we explored the modification of the steroidal side chain and inserted a methylene moiety in position C-22 together with either lengthening the side chain or introducing a ring at the terminal end. Our conformational studies confirmed that the presence of a methylene group attached to C-22 restricts the conformational flexibility of the side chain, which can result in changes in biological characteristics of a molecule. All synthesized 1α,25-dihydroxy-2,22-dimethylene-19-norvitamin D3 analogues proved equal to calcitriol in their ability to bind to the vitamin D receptor, and most of them exert significantly higher differentiation and transcriptional activity than calcitriol. The most active compounds were characterized by the presence of an elongated side chain or 26,27-dimethylene bridge. The synthetic strategy was based on the Wittig-Horner coupling of the known A-ring phosphine oxide with the corresponding Grundmann ketones prepared from a 20-epi-Inhoffen-Lythgoe diol derived from vitamin D2.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding, Competitive
  • Bone and Bones / drug effects
  • Bone and Bones / metabolism
  • Calcitriol / analogs & derivatives*
  • Calcitriol / pharmacology
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / methods
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Humans
  • Intestines / drug effects
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Male
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptors, Calcitriol / genetics
  • Receptors, Calcitriol / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Receptors, Calcitriol
  • VDR protein, human
  • Luciferases
  • Calcitriol
  • Calcium