PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING CONTIGNASTEROL COMPOUNDS

Abstract: A composition for the prevention of inflammatory or allergic reaction or the treatment of cardiovascular or haemodynamic disorders comprising a compound of formula (I), where R = (a), and the trans isomer of formula (II), where R = (b), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Description: Pharmaceutical compositions comprising contignasterol compounds. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a new composition of matter, contignasterol, which is useful as an anti-inflam¬ matory agent, an anti-allergen, as an agent used in the treatment of cardiovascular and haemodynamic disorders, and other diseases. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Marine organisms have been the source of many steroids and a number of groups which have chemical and pharmacological activity. An article in Journal Organic Chemistry, 1992, 57, 2996-2997, entitled "Two Unique Pentacyclic Steroids with Cis C/D Ring Junction from Xestosponαia bercrquistia Fromont, Powerful Inhibitors of Hiεtamine Release", N. Shoji et al. , discloses xestobergsterol A (1) (23S-16/3, 23- cyclo-3c_, 6c., 7/3, 23-tetrahydroxy-5α;, 14β-cholestan-15-one) and B (2) (23S-16/3, 23-cyclo-l / 3, 2β , 3α, 6α, 7/3, 23- hexahydroxy-5c_, l4j8-cholestan-15-one) , potent inhibitors of histamine release from rat mast cells induced by anti-IgE, are the first report of steroids with both the C IA /C 23 bond and cis C/D ring junction. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to new compositions of matter, and the use of these compositions in the treatment of disease. The basic compound, contignasterol (1), as well as its related compounds, have a new chemical struc¬ ture as drawn below. It belongs to the steroid class of natural products but it contains a unique set of functional groups attached to the basic cholestane steroid carbon skeleton. The combination of features which make the structure of contignasterol (1) unique are: i) the 3CU- hydroxyl, ii) the 4/3-hydroxyl, iii) the 6α;-hydroxy1, iv) the 7/3-hydroxyl, v) the 14/3-hydrogen configuration, vi) the 15-ketone functionality, and vii) the cyclic hemiacetal functionality in the steroid side chain which is formed between a hydroxyl functionality at C22 and an ethanal substituent (i.e. a methylene carbon at 28 and an aldehyde carbon at 29) attached at C24. Contignasterol (1) exists as a mixture of R and S stereoisomers at C29. Otherwise the stereochemistry is as drawn in 1. In broad terms, the invention pertains to a novel group of contignasterol compounds having the following generic formula: contignasterol nucleus (ring C/D cis) and the trans isomer H 14-epicontignasterol nucleus (ring C/D trans) where R = H The compounds identified above (1 to 9) can be used to prevent inflammatory or allergic reaction when they are administered at a concentration in the range of 0.1 to 100 mg/1, and a pharmaceutically acceptable acid or salts thereof; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The compounds identified above (1 to 9) can be used in the treatment of cardiovascular and haemodynamic disorders, when they are administered at 0.1 to 100 mg/1 in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The invention also relates to a method of treat¬ ing inflammation, asthma, allergic rhinitis, rashes, psoriasis, arthritis, thrombosis and hypotension or hyper- tension where platelets are involved in a mammal comprising treating the mammal with a therapeutic amount of any one or more of the compounds described above (1 to 9) . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Contignasterol (1) was isolated from extracts of specimens of the marine sponge Petrosia contignata which were collected by R. Andersen and T. Allen at Madang, Papua New Guinea. The details of the purification and structure elucidation of contignasterol (1) have been published in an article entitled "Conginasterol, Highly Oxygenated Steroid with the 'Natural' 14/3 Configuration from the Marine Sponge Petrosia Contignata Thiele", 1899, in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, Vol. 57, pgs. 525-528, which appeared on January 17, 1992, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. The sponge Petrosia contignata Thiele was identified by Dr. R. van Soest. A voucher specimens is deposited at the Zoological Museum of Amsterdam. We initiated studies of Petrosia contignata because its extracts were active in a L1210 in vitro cytotoxicity assay (ED 50 « 5 μg/mL) . A family of previously described poly-brominated diphenyl ethers was found to be responsible for the biological activity. Extracts of the sponge Petrosia contignata Thiele contain the highly oxygenated steroid contignasterol (1) . Contigna¬ sterol is apparently the first steroid from a natural source known to have the "unnatural" I4j3 proton configur¬ ation, 15-Dehydro-14 / 3-ansomagenin, a steroidal aglycon isolated from the saponins of the plant Solanum vespetiiio also has the 14/3 proton configuration. However, the authors expressed considerable doubt about whether the 14 / 3 con¬ figuration exists in the natural product or was formed by epimerization during the workup. See: Gonzalez, A.G. ,• Barreira, R.F.; Francisco, C.G.; Rocia, J.A.; Lopez, E.S. Ann. Quimica 1974, 70, 250. Aplykurodins A and B, two 20- carbon isoprenoids that are possibly degraded steroids, have relative stereochemistries that would correspond to the 14/3 proton configuration in a putative steroidal precursor. See Miyamoto, T.,- Higuchi, R. , • Komori, T. ; Fujioka, T.; Mihashi, K. Tetrahedron Lett. 1986, 27, 1153. The cyclic hemiacetal functionality in the side chain of contignasterol is also without precedent in previously described steroids. Specimens of P. contignata (2.5 kg wet weight) were collected by hand using SCUBA at Madang, Papua New Guinea, and transported to Vancouver frozen over dry ice. The frozen sponge specimens were immersed in methanol (3 L) and soaked at room temperature for 48 hours. Concentration of the decanted methanol in vacuo gave an aqueous suspension (1800 mL) that was sequentially extracted with hexanes (4 X 500 mL) and chloroform (4 X 1 L) . Evaporation of the combined chloroform extracts in vacuo gave a brown solid (2.1 g) that was subjected to Sephadex LH 20 chromatography (3:1 MeOH/H 2 0) and reversed-phase HPLC (3:1 MeOH/H,0) to give contignasterol (1) as colorless crystals (153 mg: mp 239-41°C) . Contignasterol (1) gave a parent ion in the EIHRMS at m/z 508.3394 Da corresponding to a molecular formula of C 29 H 48 0 7 (ΔM-0.6 mmu) . The 13 C NMR spectrum of l contained 44 resolved resonances (see Experimental Section) and the 1 H NMR spectrum contained a number of resonances (i.e., δ 5.16) that integrated for less than one proton suggesting that the molecule existed as two slowly inter- converting isomeric forms . Two of the resonances in the 13 C NMR spectrum of 1 had chemical shifts appropriate for acetal carbons (δ 95.6 (CH) and 90.4 (CH) ) . An HMQC experiment showed correlations from each of these two carbon resonances to resonances in the 1 H NMR spectrum of 1 that each integrated for less than one proton. These data were consistent with the presence of a hemiacetal function¬ ality in contignasterol that was undergoing slow sponta¬ neous epimerization. 1 R=R'=H 4 R=H 2 R=Ac R'=H 5 R=Ac 3 R=R'=Ac Acetylation of contignasterol with acetic anhydride in pyridine gave a mixture of polyacetates that were separated on HPLC to give the tetraacetate 2 as the major product and the pentaacetate 3 as one of the minor products. Evidence for the formation of the tetraacetate 2 came from its 13 C (δ 20.4, 20.6, 20.7, 20.8, 169.1, 169.3, 169.4, 172.7) and Η NMR spectra (δ 1.61(s) , 1.71(s) , 1.82(s) , and 1.88(s)) which contained resonances that could be readily assigned to the four acetyl residues (Table I) . A peak at mz 616.3605 DA (C 35 H 52 0 9 ΔM-0.6 mmu) that could be assigned to a [M + (C 37 H 5ή O π ) - HOAc] fragment was the highest mass observed in the EIHRMS of the tetraacetate 2. The observation of only the expected 37 resolved resonances in the 13 C NMR spectrum of 2 (Table I) indicated that the acetylation reaction had successfully eliminated the effects of the hemiacetal epimerization that had compli¬ cated the NMR data collected on 1. Consequently, the structure of contignasterol was solved by analysis of the much simpler spectroscopic data collected on the tetra¬ acetate 2. Experimental Data Contignasterol (1) : obtained as colorless needles from MeOH/H 2 0 (=10:1) , mp 239-41°C; FTIR (film) 1719 cm '1 ; Η NMR (500 MHz, DMSO-_ ή ) δ 6.21 (bs) , 5.94 (bs) , 5.72 (bs) , 5.16 (bs) , 4.53 (bm) , 4.50 (bm) , 4.34 (bs) , 4.16 (bm) , 4.04 (bs) , 3.88 (bs) , 3.78 (bt, J = 10.5 Hz) , 3.62 (bs) , 3.22 (bt, J = 9.4 Hz) , 3.05 (bs) , 3.00 (bs) , 2.38 (bm) , 2.09 (bd, J = 20.0 Hz) , 1.13 (s) , 0.93 (s) ppm; 13 C NMR (125 MHz, DMSO-c δ 219.4, 219.3,- 95.6, 90.4, 75.2, 73.9, 73.8, 70.3, 70.2, 68.6, 68.0, 67.7, 50.7, 50.5, 46.3, 45.8, 45.0, 44.9, 41.3, 41.2, 40.0, 38.8, 38.6, 38.3, 38.2, 36.9, 35.7, 35.5, 34.6, 34.0, 32.5, 32.1, 31.9, 31.8, 23.6, 20.1, 19.6, 19.3, 19.2, 18.9, 18.8, 16.7, 16.7, 14.8 ppm; EIHRMS M + m/z 508.3394 (C, 9 H 4 „0 7 ΔM -0.6 mmu) ; EILRMS m/z 508, 490, 472, 457, 447, 408, 319, 264, 246, 221, 203, 155, 119, 109. Contignasterol Tetraacetate (2) : Contignasterol (1) (18.0 mg) was stirred in pyridine (2 mL) and acetic anhydride (2 mL) at room temperature for 18 hours. The reagents were removed in vacuo, and the resulting gum was purified using normal-phase HPLC (3:2 ethyl acetate/hexane) to yield the tetraacetate 2 (5.8 mg) and the pentaacetate 3 (■= 1 mg) . 2: colorless oil; [a] D + 63° (CH 2 C1 2 , c 0.34); FTIR (film) 3477, 1748, 1736 cm 1 ; Η NMR see Table 1; 13 C NMR see Table I; EIHRMS (M + - HOAc) m/z 616.3605 (C 3J H 52 0 9 ΔM-0.6 mmu) ; EILRMS m/z 616, 556, 513, 496, 436, 123, 60, 43. Contignasterol pentaacetate (3): colorless oil; Η NNR (400 MHz, benzene-cU δ 0.75 (d, J = 6.5 Hz, 3 H) , 0.76 (d, J = 6.6 Hz, 3 H) , 0.77 (d, J = 6.8 Hz, 3 H) , 0.94 (Ξ, 3 H) , 1.24 (s, 3 H) , 1.54 (s, 3 H) , 1.80 (s, 3 H) , 1.86 (s, 3 H) , 1.89 (s, 3 H) , 1.95 (s, 3 H) , 2.10 (dd, J = 3.4, 12.4 Hz) , 2.31 (dd, J = 10.3, 20.0 Hz) , 2.39 (bs) , 3.32 (m) , 5.10 (m) , 5.45 (dd, J = 9.0, 12.0 Hz), 5.47 (bs) , 5.60 (dd, J = 2.2, 9.0 Hz), 6.54 (dd, J = 9.1, 10.6 Hz) . Contignasterol Reduction Product 4: ΝaBH 4 (21 mg) was added to a solution of contignasterol (1) (12.5 mg) in isopropyl alcohol (10 mL) . The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour and quenched with H 2 0 (10 L) . The resulting suspension was extracted with EtOAc (2 X 10 mL) , and the ethyl acetate layer was washed with 1 N HC1 (10 mL) and H 2 0 (10 mL) . Purification of the ethyl acetate soluble material using reversed-phase HPLC (25:75 H 2 0/MeOH) gave the reduction product 4 (7.6 mg, 61%) : white solid. Reduction Product Pentaacetate 5: Reduction product 4 (7.6 mg) was stirred in pyridine (1 mL) and acetic anhydride (1 mL) at room temperature for 17 hours. The reagents were removed in vacuo, and the resulting gum was purified on normal-phase HPLC (1:1 ETOAc/Hex) to give the pentaacetate 5: colorless oil; Η NMR (400 MHz, benzene- d 6 ) δ 0.74 (d, J = 6.8 Hz, H27) , 0.76 (d, J = 6.8 Hz, H26) , 0.87 (m H23) , 1.03 (d, J = 6.8 Hz, H21) , 1.04 (s, H19) , 1.07 (s, H18) , 1.21 (m, H28), 1.25 ( , HI), 1.25 (m, H25) , 1.26 (m, H16) , 1.48 (m, H23'), 1.59 (s, OAc) , 1.60 (m, H2'), 1.62 (m, H28'), 1.63 (m, H5) , 1.72 (s, OAC), 1.76 (s, OAc), 1.80 (m, H17) , 1.82 (s, OAc), 1.91 (m, H20) , 1.99 (m, H8), 2.00 (m, H2), 2.08 (s, OAc), 2.15 (dd, J = 3.6, 7.8 Hz, H14) , 3.54 (dd, J = 5.9, 9.4 Hz, H22) , 3.82 (bm, H4) , 5.07 (dd, J ___ 8.9, 11.2 Hz, H7) , 5.18 (bm, H3) , 5.25 (m, H15) , 5.32 (dd, J = 8.9, 12.2 Hz, H6) , 5.75 (dd, J = 2.2, 9.7 Hz, H29) ppm; EIHRMS (M + - HOAc) m/z 660.3871 (C 37 H 56 O, 0 ΔM -0.2 mmu); EILRMS m/z 660, 642, 615, 600, 540. The basic cholestane nucleus structures which makes contignasterol different from others are: i) a 3α- hydroxyl, ii) a 6o;-hydroxyl, iii) a 7/3-hydroxyl, iv) the 14/3 proton configuration and v) a 15 ketone functionality (i.e. 1) . The side chain R could be a) linear alkyl groups CH 3 .(CH 2 ) n . where n = 0 to 10, (b) the standard cholestane side chain II, or c) oxidized versions of these variations, including in particular the C22 hydroxyl version III and the C23 hydroxyl version IV. R = wvw II rrr IV The invention includes the following structures numbered from 1 to 9. Compound 1 consists of the contigna¬ sterol (cis) nucleus and the natural side chain R. This compound shows 47% inhibition. Compound 2 consists of the epicontignasterol nucleus (C/D trans) and the natural side chain. This compound has been tested and shows 25% inhibi¬ tion. Compound 3 has the contignasterol (cis) nucleus with a methyl acetal in the side chain. It shows 12% inhibi¬ tion. The remaining compounds (4 to 9) , on the basis of results to date, should be active and are easy to syn- thesize. H contignasterol nucleus (ring C/D cis) H 14-epicontignasterol nucleus (ring C/D trans) The biological data in Table 4 below demonstrates that conversion of the hemiacetal functionality in contig¬ nasterol (1) to a methyl acetal (3) leads to a significant decrease in the potency (47% inhibition at 10 μM for 1 to 12% inhibition at 10 μM for 3) . This indicates that either a hemiacetal functional group or a hydroxyl group must be present at C29 for full biological potency. It is reason¬ able to assume that the isopropyl group attached to C24 and the C21 methyl group in the side chain of contignasterol and 14-epicontignasterol are not required for biological activity. Side chains that are lacking the C24 isopropyl and C21 methyl groups have two less chiral centers and therefore they are much simpler to synthesize. The side chain in Compounds 4 and 7 retains the hemiacetal func- tional group but simply eliminates the C24 isopropyl substituent and the C21 methyl group. The side chain in Compounds 5 and 8 simply replaces the hemiacetal functional group in Compounds 4 and 7 with an alcohol functional group. The side chain in Compounds 6 and 9 places an alcohol functionality on an acyclic appendage the same number of bonds removed from the nucleus as the hydroxyl functional group in the natural side chain found in contignasterol (1) and 14-epicontignasterol (2) . Biolocrical Activity Anti-Allergic Activity A major test to confirm the anti-allergic prop¬ erty of ccontignasterols is the histamine release from human basophils. It has been discovered that contigna¬ sterol as defined in the first paragraph of the Summary inhibits histamine release from human basophils present in the blood. We used 1 X 10 human blood leukocytes from allergic (allergy to grass pollen) individuals and prepared leukocytes. The leukocytes were then challenged with anti- human IgE for the release of histamine. The leukocytes were either exposed to 50 μg/ml of contignasterol or saline alone (control) . The amount of histamine released from the leukocytes was measured using radioenzymatic assay. As shown in Table 1, contignasterol inhibited the release of histame by 30-40%. These results suggested that contigna- sterol is useful as an anti-allergic drug. TABLE 1 Histamine Release (% of Total) Control (no drug) , challenge with anti-IgE 36.4 Contignasterol (50 μg/ml) , challenge with anti-IgE 19.0 Basal release 9.8 Anti-Asthma Activity We have used the contignasterol as defined in paragraph one of the Summary to block bronchoconstriction induced in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs were sensitized to ovalbumine (OA) that can serve as an antigen. The trachea from these animals after exposure to the antigen (OA) contracted in a similar manner as to in vivo situation. Where the tissue was pretreated with contigosterol, the tissue did not significantly contract after being exposed to the antigen. Table 2 shows the protective effect of contignasterol on OA-induced contraction of tracheal tissues. TABLE 2 Contraction (% of Maximal) Contignasterol (μg/ml) treated 1 10 50 0.00 0.00 0.00 -7.7 -8.0 0.0 -8.5 -8.0 0.0 27.5 6.0 5.5 30 16.0 11.1 39 16.6 16.6 39.7 29.6 22 The data from Table 2 clearly demonstrates that contigna- Ξterol inhibited airway smooth muscle contraction induced by the antigen (OA) . Anti-Thrombolytic Activity of Contignasterol It was discovered that contignasterol inhibited aggregation of platelets caused by platelet activating factor (PAF) and collagen. PAF is a local mediator of thrombosis. Similarly, collagen exposure of vessel walls leads to the formation of thrombolytic clot in the vessels . Therefore, prevention of the formation of blood clots has direct implication in the treatment of thrombosis and associated cardiovascular diseases. Table 3 shows that contignasterol inhibits platelet aggregation in response to PAF and collagen. TABLE 3 Contignasterol Concentration Aggregation (% of Control] μg/ml PAF Collagen 0 5 10 20 30 50 PAF and collagen were used at their maximal concentrations to which induced 100% aggregation of platelets. Data from Table 3 clearly demonstrates that contignasterols are potential anti-thrombolytic agents that have usefulness in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases that platelets have a major role. Table 4 illustrates the relative potencies of different isomers of contignasterol against allergen- induced challenge. TABLE 4 Isomer of Contignasterol rCQNCl Inhibition Cis-Contignasterol (Compound 1) lOμM 43 Trans Contignasterol (Compound 2) lOμM 25 Methyl-acetal Contignasterol (Compound 3) lOμM 12 As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.

Claims: CLAIMS : 1. A composition for the prevention of inflammatory or allergic reaction or the treatment of cardiovascular or haemodynamic disorders comprising a compound of the for¬ mula: contignasterol nucleus (ring C/D cis) M H 14-epicontignasterol nucleus (ring C/D trans) where R = and pharmaceutically acceptable salts therof, and a pharma¬ ceutically acceptable carrier. 2. A composition according to claim l wherein the compound is administered at a concentration of 0.1 to 100 mg/1. 3. A composition for the prevention of inflammatory or allergic reaction or the treatment of cardiovascular or haemodynamic disorders comprising a compound of the for¬ mula: H contignasterol nucleus (ring C/D cis) where R = 14-epicontignasterol nucleus (ring C/D trans) where R = and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 4. A composition according to claim 3 wherein the compound is administered at a concentration of 0.1 to 100 mg/1. 5. A composition for the prevention of inflammatory or allergic reaction or the treatment of cardiovascular or haemodynamic disorders comprising a compound of the for¬ mula: contignasterol nucleus (ring C/D cis) e and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 6. A composition for the prevention of inflammatory or allergic reaction or the treatment of cardiovascular or haemodynamic disorders comprising a compound of the for¬ mula: 'and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 7. A composition for the prevention of inflammatory or allergic reaction or the treatment of cardiovascular or haemodynamic disorders comprising a compound of the for¬ mula: e H and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 8. A composition for the prevention of inflammatory or allergic reaction or the treatment of cardiovascular or haemodynamic disorders comprising a compound of the for¬ mula: e H and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Inventors: ALLEN THERESA M, ANDERSEN RAYMOND J, BURGOYNE DAVID L, ALLEN, THERESA, M., ANDERSEN, RAYMOND, J., BURGOYNE, DAVID, L.
Applicants: ALLEN THERESA M, ANDERSEN RAYMOND J, BURGOYNE DAVID L, UNIV BRITISH COLUMBIA, ALLEN, THERESA, M., ANDERSEN, RAYMOND, J., BURGOYNE, DAVID, L., THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A61K31
IPC codes: A61K31, A61P9, A61P29, A61P37, C07J9, C07J17