ABSTRACT
[structure: see text]. The NK-1 receptor antagonist 1 has been prepared in seven steps from phenylglycine methyl ester. The key steps are a double ring closing metathesis reaction of tetraene 7 to prepare spirocycle 6 and a reductive Heck reaction to introduce the aryl moiety. This latter reaction discriminates the olefins of compound 6 and proceeds in a highly regio- and stereoselective manner.
Subject(s)
Aza Compounds/chemical synthesis , Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists , Spiro Compounds/chemical synthesis , Aza Compounds/pharmacology , Hydrogenation , Spiro Compounds/pharmacology , StereoisomerismABSTRACT
Finasteride (MK-0906), a drug used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a highly specific inhibitor of steroid 5 alpha-reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone (T) to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in animals and humans. In a study to evaluate the effect of finasteride on the growth of green alga, Selenastrum capricornutum, the parent drug was not detected by HPLC in the posttreatment (14 day) samples, suggesting complete biotransformation. Thermospray LC/MS, followed by NMR analysis, indicated that the major algal metabolite was 11 alpha-hydroxy-finasteride. This metabolite has negligible in vitro bioactivity against human prostatic 5 alpha-reductase; its potency is only 2% that of finasteride. The primary metabolite of finasteride produced by the green alga involved a biotransformation not previously observed in mammalian and human studies. The green alga effectively deactivates the drug, thereby mitigating any potential environmental impact.