Doisynolic acid is a
synthetic,
nonsteroidal A nonsteroidal compound is a drug that is not a steroid nor a steroid derivative. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are distinguished from corticosteroids as a class of anti-inflammatory agents.
List of nonsteroidal steroid receptor mo ...
,
orally active estrogen
Estrogen or oestrogen is a category of sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three major endogenous estrogens that have estrogenic hormonal ac ...
that was never marketed.
The reaction of
estradiol
Estradiol (E2), also spelled oestradiol, is an estrogen steroid hormone and the major female sex hormone. It is involved in the regulation of the estrous and menstrual female reproductive cycles. Estradiol is responsible for the development o ...
or
estrone
Estrone (E1), also spelled oestrone, is a steroid, a weak estrogen, and a minor female sex hormone. It is one of three major endogenous estrogens, the others being estradiol and estriol. Estrone, as well as the other estrogens, are synthesized ...
with
potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula K OH, and is commonly called caustic potash.
Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which exp ...
, a
strong base, results in doisynolic acid as a degradation product, which retains high estrogenic activity, and this reaction was how the drug was discovered, in the late 1930s.
The drug is a highly active and potent estrogen by the oral or subcutaneous route.
The reaction of
equilenin or
dihydroequilenin with potassium hydroxide was also found to produce
bisdehydrodoisynolic acid, the levorotatory isomer of which is an estrogen with an "astonishingly" high degree of potency, while the dextrorotatory isomer is inactive.
Doisynolic acid was named after
Edward Adelbert Doisy
Edward Adelbert Doisy (November 13, 1893 – October 23, 1986) was an American biochemist. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943 with Henrik Dam for their discovery of vitamin K (K from "Koagulations-Vitamin" in German) an ...
, a pioneer in the field of estrogen research and one of the discoverers of estrone.
Doisynolic acid is the parent compound of a group of synthetic, nonsteroidal estrogens with high oral activity.
The synthetic, nonsteroidal estrogens
methallenestril
Methallenestril () (brand names Cur-men, Ercostrol, Geklimon, Novestrine, Vallestril), also known as methallenoestril () and as methallenestrol, as well as Horeau's acid, is a synthetic nonsteroidal estrogen and a derivative of allenolic acid and ...
,
fenestrel
Fenestrel ( INN, USAN) (developmental code name ORF-3858) is a synthetic, nonsteroidal estrogen that was developed as a postcoital contraceptive in the 1960s but was never marketed. Synthesized by Ortho Pharmaceutical in 1961 and studied exten ...
, and
carbestrol were all derived from doisynolic acid and are seco-
analogues of the compound.
Doisynoestrol
Doisynoestrol (brand names Fenocyclin, Surestrine, Surestryl; former developmental code name RS-2874), also known as fenocycline, as well as ''cis''-bisdehydrodoisynolic acid 7-methyl ether (BDDA ME), is a synthetic nonsteroidal estrogen of the d ...
, also known as fenocycline, is ''cis''-bisdehydrdoisynolic acid methyl ether, and is another estrogenic derivative.
See also
*
Allenolic acid
*
Diethylstilbestrol
Diethylstilbestrol (DES), also known as stilbestrol or stilboestrol, is a nonsteroidal estrogen medication, which is presently rarely used. In the past, it was widely used for a variety of indications, including pregnancy support for those with a ...
*
Stilbestrol
Stilbestrol, or stilboestrol, also known as 4,4'-dihydroxystilbene or 4,4'-stilbenediol, is a stilbenoid nonsteroidal estrogen and the parent compound of a group of more potent nonsteroidal estrogen derivatives that includes, most notably, dieth ...
*
Chlorotrianisene
Chlorotrianisene (CTA), also known as tri-''p''-anisylchloroethylene (TACE) and sold under the brand name Tace among others, is a nonsteroidal estrogen related to diethylstilbestrol (DES) which was previously used in the treatment of menopausal ...
*
Triphenylethylene
Triphenylethylene (TPE) is a simple aromatic hydrocarbon that possesses weak estrogenic activity. Its estrogenic effects were discovered in 1937. TPE was derived from structural modification of the more potent estrogen diethylstilbestrol, which is ...
References
Synthetic estrogens
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