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C H Robinson

Publications and source records attributed to C H Robinson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Mechanism of human placental aromatase: a new active site model.

Based on Akhtar's ferric peroxide mechanism and on recent studies in our own laboratory, we present a detailed proposal for aromatase action. This picture can account for the known stereochemical consequences at C-19 observed by others using isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen. The postulated process involves anchoring of the 19-hydroxymethyl and 19-oxo groups at the active site by a glutamate residue, which also serves to activate the 19-oxo group for attack by ferric peroxy species in the third oxidative step.

Androgens↗
PubMed1991

Inhibition of human placental aromatase by novel homologated 19-oxiranyl and 19-thiiranyl steroids.

Novel homologated 19-oxiranyl- and 9-thiiranylandrost-4-ene-3,17-diones (8a,b and 9a,b, respectively) have been synthesized. The configuration and conformation of compound 8a have been established by X-ray crystallographic analysis. All four compounds have been shown to be competitive inhibitors of human placental aromatase. The thiiranes were more potent inhibitors than the corresponding oxiranes, and the 2'S isomers (8b and 9b) were better inhibitors than the 2'R (8a and 9a) diastereomers in each series. Spectroscopic studies with purified human placental aromatase suggest that the oxiranyl oxygen and thiiranyl sulfur of 2'S compounds 8b and 9b coordinate to the enzyme's heme iron.

Androstenedione↗
PubMed1991

Lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase (P45014DM): effects of P45014DM inhibitors on sterol biosynthesis downstream of lanosterol.

Lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase (P45014DM) is the cytochrome P450 enzyme complex responsible for an early step in cholesterol biosynthesis, namely the 14 alpha-demethylation of lanosterol. We have synthesized a novel series of steroidal substrate analogues, designed to be specific and potent inhibitors of P45014DM. We describe here the effects of these compounds on sterol biosynthesis downstream from lanosterol, focusing ultimately on their efficacy as inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis. Results using a radio-high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay show that in rat liver microsomal preparations, with [24,25-3H]dihydrolanosterol as substrate, the compounds do indeed inhibit the biosynthesis of sterols downstream from lanosterol. A range of inhibitory potencies was observed, and the key enzyme being inhibited was believed to be P45014DM. Inhibitor efficacy was readily correlated with non-metabolized [24,25-3H]dihydrolanosterol, formation of 4,4-dimethyl-cholest-8-en-3 beta-ol, and formation of lathosterol, a sterol believed to be an excellent indicator of whole body cholesterol biosynthesis in humans.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Conversion of 19-oxo[2 beta-2H]androgens into oestrogens by human placental aromatase. An unexpected stereochemical outcome.

Aromatase is a cytochrome P-450 enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of androgens into oestrogens via sequential oxidations at the 19-methyl group. Despite intensive investigation, the mechanism of the third step, conversion of the 19-aldehydes into oestrogens, has remained unsolved. We have previously found that a pre-enolized 19-al derivative undergoes smooth aromatization in non-enzymic model studies, but the role of enolization by the enzyme in transformations of 19-oxoandrogens has not been previously investigated. The compounds 19-oxo[2 beta-2H]testosterone and 19-oxo[2 beta-2H]androstenedione have now been synthesized. Exposure of either of these compounds to microsomal aromatase, in the absence of NADPH, for an extended period led to no significant 2H loss or epimerization at C-2, leaving open the importance of an active-site base. However, in the presence of NADPH there was an unexpected substrate-dependent difference in the stereoselectivity of H loss at C-2 in the enzyme-induced aromatization of 19-oxo[2 beta-2H]-testosterone versus 19-oxo[2 beta-2H]androstenedione. The aromatization results for 17 beta-ol derivative 19-oxo[2 beta-2H]-testosterone correspond to about 1.2:1 2 beta-H/2 alpha-H loss from unlabelled 19-oxotestosterone. In contrast, aromatization results for 19-oxo[2 beta-2H]androstenedione correspond to at least 11:1 2 beta-H/2 alpha-H loss from unlabelled 19-oxoandrostenedione. This substrate-dependent stereoselectivity implies a direct role for an enzyme active-site base in 2-H removal. Furthermore, these results argue against the proposal that 2 beta-hydroxylation is the obligatory third step in aromatase action.

Androstenedione↗
PubMed1990

Conversion of a 3-desoxysteroid to 3-desoxyestrogen by human placental aromatase.

Human placental aromatase is a cytochrome P-450 enzyme system which converts androgens to estrogens by three successive oxidative reactions. The first two steps have been shown to be hydroxylations at the androgen 19-carbon, but the third step remains unknown. A leading theory for the third step involves ferric peroxide attack on the 19-oxo group to produce a 19,19-hydroxyferric peroxide intermediate and subsequent collapse to estrogen. We had previously developed a nonenzymatic peroxide model reaction which was based on the above-mentioned theory, and we demonstrated the importance of 3-ketone enolization in facilitating aromatization. This study discusses the synthesis and nonenzymatic and enzymatic study of a 3-desoxy-2,4-diene-19-oxo androgen analogue. This compound was found to be a potent nonenzymatic model substrate and competitive inhibitor of aromatase (Ki = 73 nM). Furthermore, in an unprecedented event, this compound served as a substrate for aromatase, with conversion to the corresponding 3-desoxyestrogen.

Aromatase↗
PubMed1989

Tritium release from [19-3H]-19,19-difluoroandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione during inactivation of aromatase.

Aromatase is a cytochrome P-450 enzyme involved in the conversion of androst-4-ene-3,17-dione to estrogen via sequential oxidations at the 19-methyl group. Previous studies from this laboratory showed that 19,19-difluoroandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (5) is a mechanism-based inactivator of aromatase. The mechanism of inactivation was postulated to involve enzymic oxidation at, and hydrogen loss from, the 19-carbon. The deuteriated analogue 5b has now been synthesized and shown to inactivate aromatase at the same rate as the nondeuteriated parent (5). We conclude that C19-H bond cleavage is not the rate-limiting step in the overall inactivation process caused by 5. [19-3H]-19,19-Difluoroandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (5b) with specific activity of 31 mCi/mmol was also synthesized to study the release of tritium into solution during the enzyme inactivation process. Incubation of [19-3H]19,19-difluoroandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione with human placental microsomal aromatase at differing protein concentrations resulted in time-dependent NADPH-dependent, and protein-dependent release of tritium. This tritium release is not observed in the presence of (19R)-10 beta-oxiranylestr-4-ene-3,17-dione, a powerful competitive inhibitor of aromatase. We conclude that aromatase attacks the 19-carbon of 19,19-difluoroandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione, as originally postulated.

Androstenedione↗
PubMed1987

Inhibition of aromatase cytochrome P-450 by 10-oxirane and 10-thiirane substituted androgens. Implications for the structure of the active site.

The mechanism of inhibition of estrogen synthetase (P-450arom) by 19R- and 19S-isomers of 10-oxiranyl-and 10-thiiranyl-4-estrene-3,17-dione was investigated using human placental microsomes and purified enzyme preparations. The 19R-isomers were potent inhibitors and exhibited affinities 36-fold (10-oxirane) and 80-fold (10-thiirane) greater than the respective 19S-isomers. Kinetic experiments showed that inhibition by the 19R-isomers is competitive with respect to substrate; inhibition constants for the (19R)-10-oxirane (Ki = 10 nM) and the 19R-10-thiirane (Ki = 2 nM) indicate that each binds with greater affinity than the androgen substrates androstenedione and testosterone. Inhibition time courses and kinetic data were consistent with high affinity, reversible binding. Spectral titrations of microsomal preparations and purified P-450arom showed that binding of the 19R-isomers shifts the Soret maximum of the ferric enzyme to 411 nm (10-oxirane) or 425 nm (10-thiirane); addition of excess androstenedione reversed the spectral changes, producing the high spin form of the enzyme with a Soret peak at 393 nm. These spectral shifts suggest that the oxygen atom of the 10-oxirane and the sulfur atom of the 10-thiirane are bound to the heme iron in the inhibitor complexes. These results suggest that the high affinities of the inhibitors arise from their dual interaction with the androgen binding site and with the heme. Coordination of the C19 heteroatom to the heme indicates that C19 of androgen substrates may be positioned sufficiently close to the heme to allow direct attack by an iron-bound oxidant. Stereoselective binding of the 19R-isomers by P-450arom further suggests that the heme is likely to be positioned above C1 and C2 of the A ring.

Androgens↗
PubMed1982

Inhibition and inactivation of estrogen synthetase (aromatase) by fluorinated substrate analogues.

19,19-Difluoroandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (1) and 19-fluorcandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (2) have been synthesized, and the interaction of these compounds with the estrogen synthetase (aromatase) activity of human placental microsomes has been studied. 1 has been found to cause time-dependent, irreversible inactivation of this enzyme (Ki = 1 micron, kinact = 0.023 min-1). A possible mechanism of this process is enzymatic generation of an acyl fluoride through oxidation of 1. Compound 2 does not cause inactivation, and this substrate analogue has been shown to be converted to estrone in high yield by this enzyme system.

Androstenedione↗
PubMed1982

4-Ethenylidene steroids as mechanism-based inactivators of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases.

The synthesis of 4-ethenylidene-5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol (5) and of 4-ethenylidene-5 alpha-androstane-3, 17-dione (4) is described. Compound 5 is a competitive inhibitor of solubilized bovine microsomal adrenal delta-5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, with Ki = 2.7 microM, and is converted by the enzyme to the corresponding 3-ketone. Compound 4 is shown to irreversibly inactivate the enzyme in a time-dependent manner (t 1/2 = 31 min; 55 microM; pH = 7.0). The substrate, dehydroepiandrosterone, protects against inactivation by compound 4. In contrast, compound 5 is not oxidized at the 3-position by the 3 beta-(and 17 beta)-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from P. testosteroni, but is oxidized at the 17-position. Nevertheless, the 4-ethenylidene-3,17-diketone (4) causes irreversible time-dependent inactivation (t 1/2 = 28 min; 64 microM; pH = 7.0) when incubated directly with this bacterial enzyme, acting as an affinity label.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗
PubMed1982

Design of mechanism-based inactivators of human placental aromatase.

This article reviews the design and study, in our own laboratory and in other laboratories, of new 10 beta-substituted analogs of estr-4-ene-3,17-dione. These compounds, along with a number of known analogs, have been evaluated as reversible or irreversible inhibitors of human placental microsomal aromatase. The only irreversible inhibitors in the group surveyed here are the 10 beta-difluoromethyl, 10 beta-propargyl, and 10 beta-allenyl derivatives of estr-4-ene-3,17-dione. Possible mechanisms for the inactivation processes are discussed. The effects of incorporating the 19-methyl group of adrost-4-ene-3,17-dione into a ring of three, four, five or six carbons are also described.

Aromatase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1981

Inactivation of aromatase in vitro by 4-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione and 4-acetoxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione and sustained effects in vivo.

4-Hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione (4-OHA) and 4-acetoxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione (4-AcA), in addition to being competitive inhibitors of aromatase, cause time-dependent, irreversible, loss of enzyme activity in both human placental and rat ovarian microsomes. In vivo, treatment of rats with 4-OHA also causes loss of ovarian aromatase activity. To test whether this loss of activity could have in vivo significance, rats with hormone-dependent, mammary tumors were treated with 4-OHA on alternate weeks. Tumor regression continued to occur during the weeks without treatment. These findings suggest that inactivation of aromatase is important in the mechanism of action of the compounds in vivo.

Androstenedione↗
PubMed1981

Pigmentary glaucoma: an ultrastructural study.

Trabeculectomy blocks from both eyes of a patient with pigmentary glaucoma were examined by light microscopy, SEM, and TEM. Evidence of a development angle anomaly was not found. The pigment granules packed within the trabecular meshwork were probably responsible for the glaucoma in this disease. Evidence suggested that melanin granules may contain a large amount of protein, unsaturated lipid, or both.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Comparison of spontaneous and experimentally induced canine prostatic hyperplasia.

Spontaneous prostatic hyperplasia in the beagle appears to progress with age from a glandular to a cystic histological appearance. Prostatic hyperplasia can be induced in young beagles with intact testes by treatment for 4 mo with either dihydrotestosterone or 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol, alone, or with either of these steroids in combination with 17 beta-estradiol. In contrast, the induction of prostatic hyperplasia in young castrated beagles, in which the gland had been allowed to involute for 1 mo, requires the administration of both 17 beta-estradiol and either 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol or dihydrotestosterone. Testosterone and 17 beta-estradiol, either singly or in combination, did not produce the hyperplastic condition in intact or castrated beagles. The experimentally induced prostatic hyperplasia is identical in pathology to the glandular hyperplasia that occurs naturally in the aging dog with intact testes. However, cystic hyperplasia was not produced by any of the treatments tested in young animals.

Androstane-3,17-diol↗