Ring-substituted 1,2-dialkylated 1,2-bis(hydroxyphenyl)ethanes. 2. Synthesis and estrogen receptor binding affinity of 4,4'-, 5,5'-, and 6,6'-disubstituted metahexestrols.

The syntheses of symmetrically 4,4'-, 5,5'-, and 6,6'-disubstituted derivatives of the mammary tumor inhibiting antiestrogen metahexestrol [meso-3,4-bis(3-hydroxyphenyl)hexane] (1) are described [4,4'-substituents: F, (2), Cl (3), Br (4), I (5), CH2N (CH3)2 (6), CH3 (7), CH2OCH3 (8), CH2OC2H5 (9), CH2OH (10), NO2 (11), NH2 (12), N(CH3)2 (13), COCH3 (14), and C2H5 (15); 5,5'-substituents: OH (16) and Cl (17); 6,6'-substituents: OH (18), F (19), Cl (20), and CH3 (21)]. The synthesis of 1-3, 16, and 19 was accomplished by reductive coupling of the propiophenones with TiCl4 /Zn and subsequent hydrogenation of the cis-3,4- diphenylhex -3- enes . Compounds 17, 18, 20, and 21 were synthesized by coupling the 1-phenyl-1-propanols with TiCl3 /LiAlH4 and separation of the meso diastereomers, while 4-15 were obtained by substitution of metahexestrol . The binding affinity of these compounds to the calf uterine estrogen receptor was measured relative to that of [3H]estradiol by a competitive binding assay. The test compounds showed relative binding affinity (RBA) values between 15 and less than 0.01% that of estradiol. Only compound 21 showed an estrogen receptor binding affinity exceeding that of metahexestrol (15 and 10%, respectively). Compounds exhibiting RBA values of greater than 0.5% were evaluated in the mouse uterine weight test. They showed a similar (2 and 12), slightly increased (19 and 21), or strongly enhanced (7 and 20) estrogenicity compared to that of metahexestrol . Compounds 1, 2, 7, 12, and 21 exhibited antiestrogenic activity inhibiting the estrone-stimulated uterine growth (24 to 60% inhibition).