De Novo Synthesis of Possible Candidates for the Inagami-Tamura Endogenous Digitalis-like Factor.

De novo synthesis of possible candidates for the Inagami-Tamura endogenous digitalis-like factor (EDLF) was achieved to validate a previously proposed structure. Our synthetic approach involves a highly regio- and diastereoselective Mizoroki-Heck reaction and a Friedel-Crafts-type cyclodehydration to construct steroidal tetracycle 14 as a versatile common intermediate leading to seven 2,14β-dihydroxyestradiol analogues 1a-c, 2a-c, and 3 as possible candidates. By comparing the potency of inhibitory activity against Na/K-ATPase between the synthesized candidates and the EDLF, it was found that the proposed structure is not likely to be a true structure of the Inagami-Tamura EDLF.