Synthesis and GABA(A) receptor activity of oxygen-bridged neurosteroid analogs.
Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry 2008 Jan 30; In press
Alvarez L LD, Veleiro A AS, Baggio R RF, Garland M MT, Edelsztein V VC, Coirini H H, Burton G G
Departamento de Química Orgánica and UMYMFOR (CONICET-UBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Three analogs of neuroactive steroids were prepared (4-6) in which 1,11- or 11,19-oxygen bridges give a constrained conformation. Their 3D structures were obtained by ab initio calculations and in the case of 3alpha-hydroxy-11,19-epoxypregn-4-ene-20-one (4), confirmed by X-ray analysis. Biological activity of the synthetic steroids was assayed in vitro using t-[(3)H]butylbicycloorthobenzoate as radiolabeled ligand for the GABA(A) receptor. The activity of compound 4 was similar to that of allopregnanolone (1). 1alpha,11alpha-Epoxypregnanolone (6) was more active than pregnanolone (2).
Keywords: GABA neurosteroid neuroactive steroids