Alkyne gem‐Hydrogenation: Formation of Pianostool Ruthenium Carbene Complexes and Analysis of Their Chemical Character

Parahydrogen (p‐H2) induced polarization (PHIP) NMR spectroscopy showed that [CpXRu] complexes with greatly different electronic properties invariably engage propargyl alcohol derivatives into gem‐hydrogenation with formation of pianostool ruthenium carbenes; in so doing, less electron rich CpX rings lower the barriers, stabilize the resulting complexes and hence provide opportunities for harnessing genuine carbene reactivity. The chemical character of the resulting ruthenium complexes was studied by DFT‐assisted analysis of the chemical shift tensors determined by solid‐state 13C NMR spectroscopy. The combined experimental and computational data draw the portrait of a family of ruthenium carbenes that amalgamate purely electrophilic behavior with characteristics more befitting metathesis‐active Grubbs‐type catalysts

Inhaled ciclesonide versus inhaled budesonide or inhaled beclomethasone or inhaled fluticasone for chronic asthma in adults: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Ciclesonide is a new inhaled corticosteroids licensed for the prophylactic treatment of persistent asthma in adults. Currently beclomethasone dipropionate, budesonide and fluticasone propionate are the most commonly prescribed inhaled corticosteroids for the treatment of asthma but there has been no systematic review comparing the effectiveness and safety ciclesonide to these agents. We therefore aimed to systematically review published randomised controlled trials of the effectiveness and safety of ciclesonide compared to alternative inhaled corticosteroids in people with asthma. METHODS: We performed literature searches on MEDLINE, EMBASE, PUBMED, the COCHRANE LIBRARY and various Internet evidence sources for randomised controlled trials or systematic reviews comparing ciclesonide to beclomethasone or budesonide or fluticasone in adult humans with persistent asthma. Data was extracted by one reviewer. RESULTS: Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was variable. There were no trials comparing ciclesonide to beclomethasone. There was no significant difference between ciclesonide and budesonide or fluticasone on the following outcomes: lung function, symptoms, quality of life, airway responsiveness to a provoking agent or inflammatory markers. However, the trials were very small in size, increasing the possibility of a type II error. One trial demonstrated that the combined deposition of ciclesonide (and its active metabolite) in the oropharynx was 47% of that of budesonide while another trial demonstrated that the combined deposition of ciclesonide (and its active metabolite) in the oropharynx was 53% of that of fluticasone. One trial demonstrated less suppression of cortisol in overnight urine collection after ciclesonide compared to fluticasone (geometric mean fold difference = 1.5, P < 0.05) but no significant difference in plasma cortisol response. CONCLUSION: There is very little evidence comparing CIC to other ICS, restricted to very small, phase II studies of low power. These demonstrate CIC has similar effectiveness and efficacy to FP and BUD (though equivalence is not certain) and findings regarding oral deposition and HPA suppression are inconclusive. There is no direct comparative evidence that CIC causes fewer side effects since none of the studies reported patient-based outcomes

2-Phenylindoles with sulfur containing side chains. Estrogen receptor affinity, antiestrogenic potency, and antitumor activity

The 2-phenylindole system has been identified as a suitable structure for the design of non-steroidal pure estrogen antagonists [E. von Angerer et al., J. Steroid Biochem. Molec. Biol. 49 (1994) 51-62]. Derivatives with an amide function in the side chain antagonized the stimulatory effect of estrogens both in vitro and in vivo, and showed no agonistic activity when given alone. The findings of other groups who studied steroidal antiestrogens prompted us to replace the amide function by sulfide, sulfoxide, sulfone, sulfonamide and related groups. The compounds with polar sulfur functions retained the high binding affinity for the calf uterine estrogen receptor (RBA: 1-5% of estradiol; ICI 182,780; 6.2%). The estrogenic effect was quantified in a transcription assay using HeLa cells cotransfected with the expression vector HEG0 for the human estrogen receptor and a reporter plasmid that harbored a Vit. A2 ERE and the luciferase gene driven by a thymidine kinase promotor. Pentylsulfide, -sulfinyl, and -sulfonyl groups, linked to the indole nitrogen by a decamethylene spacer, were devoid of any transcriptional activity. These results were confirmed in the mouse uterine weight test. The sulfone (ZK 164,015) completely abolished the effect of a standard dose of estrone at a daily dose of 7 mg/kg. This compound strongly inhibited the growth of hormone-sensitive human MCF-7 breast cancer cells with an IC50-value close to 1 nM. Similar activity was found for the steroidal sulfoxide ICI 182,780. We were also able to demonstrate significant antineoplastic activity in vivo for some of these new 2-phenylindole derivatives

1-Benzyl-2-phenylindole- and 1,2-diphenylindole-based antiestrogens. Estimation of agonist and antagonist activities in transfection assays

In the 2-phenylindole system, the side chain at the nitrogen atom dominates the endocrine profile both in respect to the reduction of estrogenic action and the increase of antiestrogenic potency. In previous papers we reported on 2-phenylindoles with aliphatic side chains and various functional groups [Biberger, C. and von Angerer, E., J. Steroid Biochem. Molec. Biol., 1996, 58, 31-43 and references therein]. In this study, we incorporated one or two phenyl rings into the side chain in order to lower the flexibility of the side chain. The sulfone group which was used as a polar function was linked to various positions of a benzyl or a phenyl group attached to the indole moiety. The relative binding affinities (RBA) ranged from 1.5 to 8.4% of estradiol. Agonist and antagonist activities were estimated in transfection assays using transiently transfected HeLa cells (cotransfected with the HEG0 vector) and stably transfected MCF-7/2a human breast cancer cells. The reporter plasmid contained the ERE from the Vitellogenin 2A gene, a viral tk promotor and the luciferase gene. Many of the new derivatives showed no or only very low estrogenic activity except for the compound 4e which contained two benzyl elements in the side chain. The antiestrogenic potency was very variable when concentrations 100-fold higher than that of estradiol were applied. The compound with the para-substituted benzyl fragment (4b) proved to be a pure antagonist in the transfection assays. It antagonized the effect of estradiol (10 nM) with an IC50 value of 10(-7) M. It also inhibited strongly the growth of estrogen-sensitive human MCF-7 mammary carcinoma cells (IC50, 3 nM). Its activity was comparable to the one of the corresponding aliphatic 2-phenylindole derivative ZK 164.015. The data from the transcription and proliferation assays suggest that a phenyl ring can be incorporated into the side chain of pure antiestrogens without reducing their potency, provided the aromatic ring is para-substituted and a methylene group between the indole nitrogen and the phenyl group can act as hinge

Studies on heterocycle-based pure estrogen antagonists

2-Phenylindoles and isosteric structures such as benzo[b]furans and benzo[b]thiophenes were used as estrogen receptor binding moiety for the syntheses of new nonsteroidal antiestrogens. The antiestrogenic potency was considerably enhanced following the introduction of polar functional groups into the side chain in position 1 (indole) or 3 (benzofuran, benzothiophene). The amino compounds could be characterized as mixed agonist/antagonists. Among the derivatives with an amide group compounds without any agonistic activity both in vitro and in vivo were identified. The amide function can be replaced by alkylthio or alkylsulfonyl groups without changing the endocrine profile very much. In this study, the estrogenic activity was determined in a new transcription assay with luciferase as the reporter. The results obtained in this assay were in very good agreement with those from the conventional mouse uterine weight test. Antitumor activity was determined in hormone-sensitive MCF-7 breast cancer cells. There was no difference in activity between partial and pure estrogen antagonists. However, the derivatives with sulfur containing side chains were much more active than the corresponding heterocycles with amino or carbamoyl functions. They reached IC50-values of about 1 nM. 2-Phenylindoles and 2-phenylbenzothiophenes were rather similar in their potencies whereas the benzofuran derivatives were less active probably due to their lower binding affinities for the ER

1-Carbamoylalkyl-2-phenylindoles: relationship between side chain structure and estrogen antagonism

The 2-phenylindole system has proved to be a versatile structure for the design of potent antiestrogens, especially when functional groups have been introduced into the alkyl side chain in position 1. In analogy to steroidal structures such as ICI 164,384 a number of 2-phenylindoles with carbamoylalkyl and aminoalkyl side chains were synthesized. They bind to the calf uterine estrogen receptor with relative binding affinities between 2.1 and 21 (estradiol = 100). The antiestrogenic effect of these compounds was demonstrated by the inhibition of transcriptional activity which was measured in a new luciferase assay with the EREwtc luc as reporter plasmid. The derivative with a methyl-n-propyldodecanamide side chain (4h) antagonized the effect of estradiol (10(-9) M) completely at concentrations of 10(-7) M and higher. As a sensitive model for quantification of estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects in vitro we used HeLa-cells cotransfected both with the reporter plasmid and estrogen receptor expression vectors HEG0 and HE0. In cells transfected with these vectors transcriptional activity was strongly dependent on side chain structure. With mutated receptors we were able to show that this activity was mainly due to TAF-1 whereas TAF-2 remained silent. When we studied the effect of some of the new compounds in vivo using the mouse uterine weight assay, we observed a correlation between transcriptional activity in transfected HeLa cells and estrogenic effects in mice. Two of the 1-carbamoylalkyl-2-phenylindoles (4f, 4h) proved to be "pure" antiestrogens both in vitro and in vivo. In estrogen-sensitive MCF-7 breast cancer cells, they strongly inhibit cellular growth. Some of the IC50-values were close to 10(-8) M

1-Carbamoylalkyl-2-phenylindoles: relationship between side chain structure and estrogen antagonism

The 2-phenylindole system has proved to be a versatile structure for the design of potent antiestrogens, especially when functional groups have been introduced into the alkyl side chain in position 1. In analogy to steroidal structures such as ICI 164,384 a number of 2-phenylindoles with carbamoylalkyl and aminoalkyl side chains were synthesized. They bind to the calf uterine estrogen receptor with relative binding affinities between 2.1 and 21 (estradiol = 100). The antiestrogenic effect of these compounds was demonstrated by the inhibition of transcriptional activity which was measured in a new luciferase assay with the EREwtc luc as reporter plasmid. The derivative with a methyl-n-propyldodecanamide side chain (4h) antagonized the effect of estradiol (10(-9) M) completely at concentrations of 10(-7) M and higher. As a sensitive model for quantification of estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects in vitro we used HeLa-cells cotransfected both with the reporter plasmid and estrogen receptor expression vectors HEG0 and HE0. In cells transfected with these vectors transcriptional activity was strongly dependent on side chain structure. With mutated receptors we were able to show that this activity was mainly due to TAF-1 whereas TAF-2 remained silent. When we studied the effect of some of the new compounds in vivo using the mouse uterine weight assay, we observed a correlation between transcriptional activity in transfected HeLa cells and estrogenic effects in mice. Two of the 1-carbamoylalkyl-2-phenylindoles (4f, 4h) proved to be "pure" antiestrogens both in vitro and in vivo. In estrogen-sensitive MCF-7 breast cancer cells, they strongly inhibit cellular growth. Some of the IC50-values were close to 10(-8) M