Diethylstilbestrol monobenzyl ether (brand names Monozol, Hypantin, Pituitrope), also known as benzelstilbestrol, is a
synthetic
Synthetic may refer to:
Science
* Synthetic biology
* Synthetic chemical or compound, produced by the process of chemical synthesis
* Synthetic elements, chemical elements that are not naturally found on Earth and therefore have to be created in ...
,
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 ...
estrogen
Estrogen (also spelled oestrogen in British English; see spelling differences) is a category of sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three ...
of the
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 potency (pharmacology), potent nonsteroidal estrogen chemical derivative, de ...
group and an
ether
In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group, a single oxygen atom bonded to two separate carbon atoms, each part of an organyl group (e.g., alkyl or aryl). They have the general formula , where R and R†...
of
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 ...
(DES) that is described as a
pituitary gland
The pituitary gland or hypophysis is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans, the pituitary gland is located at the base of the human brain, brain, protruding off the bottom of the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus contr ...
inhibitor (
antigonadotropin
An antigonadotropin is a drug which suppresses the activity and/or downstream effects of one or both of the gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). This results in an inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituit ...
) and was formerly marketed but is now no longer available.
It was first synthesized by
Wallace & Tiernan Company in 1952, and was described by them as having only weak estrogenic activity.
The drug was used to treat
gynecological conditions and
infertility
In biology, infertility is the inability of a male and female organism to Sexual reproduction, reproduce. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy organism that has reached sexual maturity, so children who have not undergone puberty, whi ...
in women.
See also
*
List of estrogen esters § Ethers of nonsteroidal estrogens
References
Estrogen ethers
4-Hydroxyphenyl compounds
Synthetic estrogens
{{Genito-urinary-drug-stub