The study of the influence of steroidal compounds on tumor cell cultures, cell growth, induction of apoptosis and/or cell cycle changes, is a common way of discovering potential therapeutics for treating people suffering from hormone-dependent problems and diseases. Because of the very high mortality rate associated with this class of disease, therapeutics for treating different types of cancers are among the most important. This work presents the synthesis of two stereoisomeric 16,17-secoandrostane mesyloxy derivatives and their 17-hydroxy precursors. Compounds were structurally analyzed by X-ray crystallography, and their antiproliferative activity, influence on the cell cycle and potential to induce apoptosis were investigated.
16,17-seco mesyloxy androstane derivatives; X-ray crystallography; tumor cell cytotoxicity; apoptosis; cell cycle
