The influence of structural modification on progesterone and androgen receptor binding of norethisterone. Correlation with nuclear magnetic resonance signals.

The relative binding affinities (RBA) of eight progestogens structurally derived from 17 alpha-ethinyl-19-nortestosterone (norethisterone) have been estimated a) for the progesterone receptor from human premenopausal endometrium and b) for the androgen receptor in human mammary carcinoma in vitro. Introduction of a methylene group at C-11, a methyl group at C-18, or a double bond between C-15 and C-16 of the norethisterone molecule increases the RBA to the progesterone receptor. As a rough approximation, the substituent effects seem to be additive. RBA to the androgen receptor follows a more complex pattern when norethisterone is structurally modified. An additional methyl at C-18 enhances affinity to the androgen receptor. The double bond between C-15 and C-16 has no effect except when introduced into desogestrel, where it reduces RBA to the lowest value in the study. The methylene group at C-11 increases androgen RBA when present as the only substituent, but reduces androgen RBA when together with any other substituent. The complete assignment of 13C-NMR signals has been achieved for all 8 steroids investigated. The 13C-resonance signal of C-17 shows a correlation with the RBA to the progesterone receptor, and with the progestogen/androgen RBA ratios.