Androgenic and Anabolic Activities of Some Newly Synthesized Epiandrosterone and Progesterone Derivatives

Derivatives of eplandrosterone and progesterone were synthesized. The androgenic and the anabolic activities of some of tlieln were investigated on prepubertal male albino rats of 21 days old by:-i determining tlie weight gain of the body, levator ani muscle, ventral prostate gland, testis, selniilal vesicles, vas deferens and epididymis, iiesti~natioi~ of serum luteinizing (LH) hor~none, iiiliistopatliological examination of the testis and ventral prostate glands. The results from this study showed that the presence of an appended substituted 2aminopyridine ring at the C17 of testosterone gave the maximuin a~idrogenic activity, whereas the presence of a substituted piperidine ring fused to ring D of 5 aandrostane exhibited tlie maxiini~in anabolic activity. However, f i ls io~~ of a pyrazoline moiety with the ring D of 5 aandrostane led to a compo~und with considerable androgenic and anabolic act~v~ty.


Introduction
A~idrogens are a class of steroids responsible for tlie primary and secondary sex characteristics of the male.In addition, these steroids have bee11 found to possess potent anabolic promoting properties.The androgens are formed by the Leydig cells of the testis which is regulated by tlie gonadotropic luteinizing hormone (LH).The latter is secreted by tlie (Jcells of the anterior pitiltary gland under tlie control of the liypotlialainic gonadotropinreleasing l~oni~one.LH polypeptide -cliaiii is bioclie~nically unique and confers the LH biological and i l ~~~~~l ~~~o l o g i c n l specificity "'". I -Department of P~~arrnaceutical Scieiices (Pharmacology group) National Research Center, Dokki.Cairo, Egypt.2-Depart~nent of Pathology, Tlieodore Billiarz Research Instittitr, Iln baba, Giza, Egypt.
Testosterone is the predoininant circiilating inale sex horinone that is produced mainly by the testis.In addition to its androgenic properties, testosterone also exhibits anabolic characteristics '4'.
More extensive presentation of the topic of androgens as well as the anabolic and androgenic properties evoked by inany epiandrosterone and progesterone derivatives are cited in several published treatise^("^.
The resolts issued from these studies encotlraged the biological investigation of soine newly synthesized epiandrosterone and progesterone derivatives, having different chemical fiinctionalities at rings A, B and C, with the aiin to find new compotmds exhibiting selective androgenic with minor or no anabolic properties.

Materials:
Animals: Phannacological tests were conducted on prepubertal inale albino rats of 21 days old for the screening and bioassay of androgenic and anabolic activities.Aniinals were obtained froin Aniinal House Colony of National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt.All animals were allowed free access to water and kept on a constant standard diet.

Drugs and chemicals:
Testosteroile (BDH, England) was used in this study.All other chemicals were of analytical grade.

Experimental design:
Groups of iininattrre male albino rats (n=8) of 21 days old received, subcutaneously the individual target compounds as well as testosterone as a reference standard at a total dose level of 0.7 ing/kg according to the following design: Group (1 ): received the vehicle (7% tween-80) Group (2): received the standard reference Group (3): this group was subdivided into four subgrolips, each subgroup received individually one of the newly synthesized compounds.The dose of testosterone was given as reported by Laurence and Bennett (1 982) ' ".

Methods:
Evaluation of the androgenic and anabolic activities:('0) The methods described by Hershberger el al. was followed for the investigation of the androgenic as well as the anabolic activities of the synthesized colnpounds (s-13d), (s-33g), (s-2%) and (s-711).Groups of prepubertal inale albino rats (n=8) of 2 1 days old, were kept on constant diet and tap water.Each animal was given daily subcutaneous injection of one of the test compollnds as well as testosterone as reference standard at a dose level of 0.1 mg/kg for seven days.On the 8"' days (22 to 26 hours after the last injection) the animals were weighed than sacrificed.Blood sainples were collected.Dissection of the levator ani muscle, ventral prostate gland, testis, seminal vesicles, vasdiferens and epididyinis were carried out and were weighed.Sainples of testis and prostate tissues were fixed in Bouin's solution for histopatl~ological exa~nination.
The ratio of the weight gain of the levator ani muscle to the weight gain of the ventral prostate gland was calculated, where the gain in weight of the levator ani muscle indicates the anabolic effect and the gain in weight of the ventral prostate gland shows the androgenic effect of the tested compound.Seruin preparation for hormone assay: The blood was collected froin rats, senlin was separated by centrifugation at 200 r.p.in.for 10 minutes.The senlin was stored frozen at -20°C until ~lsed for luteinizing horinone estimation.

Evaluation of serum luteinizinp (LH) l~orinone:(~'.'~)
Coat-A-co~lnt LH-IRMA is an iininn~loradioinetric assay designed for the quantitative ineasureinent of luteinizing honnone.The assay based on inonoclonal and polyclonal anti-LH antibodies: IIz5-labeled anti -LH polyclonal antibodies in liquid phase, and inonoclonal anti-LH antibodies iininobilized to the wall of a polystyrene tube.In the procedure: -LH captured between monoclonal anti-LH antibodies iinrnobilized on the inside surface of the polystyrene tube and the radio-labeled polyclonal anti-LH tracer.
-Unbound 112' -labeled anti-LH antibodies were removed by decanting the reaction mixture and washing the tube, this reduces nonspecific binding to a very low level, and ensures excellent low-end precision.
-The LH concentration is directly proportional to the radioactivity present in the tube after the wash step.The radioactivity is counted using ail aatoinatic galnina counter (Riastar -Packard, Canberro Company), which is a sodiuin iodide solid centillator counter for horinonal assay.The concentration of LH in the sample is obtained by comparing the sample counts per-minute with those obtained for the set of calibrators provided.

Histo~atholo~ical technique:
At the end of the experiment (8 days) samples of rats' testis were fixed in Bouin's solution.The tissues were blocked into paraffin wax.However, prostatic specimens were fixed in 10% forinaldehyde.Sections of 5p1n thickness were obtained and stained with he~natoxyline and eosin (H&E)(13 and Masson trichrome stain"".
Several methods have been proposed for quantitatively assessing the gerin cell elements in the testicular biopsies 15.Two inethods were applied in this study: A-Score of 1 to 10, each tubule cross section was examined according to the following criteria 10:Coinplete sperinatogenesis and perfect tubules 9:Many sperlnatozoa present but disorganized spermatogenesis.B-Estimation of the degree of sperinatogenesis in testicular biopsy by establishing the gerin cell: Sertoli cell ratio which is relatively constant at about 13: 1.An average of twelve Sertoli cells per tubular cross section is considered normal, ap roximately half the genn cell elements should be in the spennatid stage .
The data collected fiom different groups of rats were statistically analysed.Statistical analysis.for significance difference between the mean value were performed by means of Students?(18)test.P values lower than 0.05 were considered to be significant.
Froin this study it is deduced that, these compounds, at a total dose level of 0.7 inglkg, exhibit significant (ps 0.05) androgenic as well as anabolic effects which are illustrated through the following investigated parameters: -

A)Andro~enic activity (Table 1):
A significant ( p s 0.05) effect was observed on the testis and the inale secondary sex organ weigllts of prepubertal rats following treatment with the tested compounds (s-13d, s-33g, s-25c and s-711).
S~lbcutaneo~ls administration of coinpound (s-13d) exhibited a significant increase in weights of epididyinis, seininal vesicles and ventral prostate by 134, 47 and 205% respectively, coinpared to control value.
Regarding compound (s-33g), it exerted a significant increase in weights of testis, epididyinis, seininal vesicles, vasdiferens and ventral prostate by 100, 189, 58, 77 and 230% respectively, coinpared to control value.On the other hand, there was no significant increase above the control value in weight of testis, epididyinis, seminal vesicles as well as vasdiferens of prepubertal rats injected (s.c.) with compound (s-2 5c) at a total dose level of 0.7 ingkg.At the same time, compound (s-2%) showed a significant (p< 0.05) increase in weight of ventral prostate by 90% with respect to control value.In addition, the newly synthesized co~npound (s-711) produced a significant increase in weight of epididyinis, seminal vesicles and ventral prostate with respect to control value by 1 17, 1 1 and 60% respectively.

Serum luteinizing hormone level (Table 2, Fig. a):
Systemic administration of testosterone at a total dose level of 0.7 mgkg to the prepubertal inale rats was accompanied by a significant ( p s 0.05) decrease in LH level by 47% with respect to control value.Furtherinore, the results present in table (2) and Fig.(a) showed that colnpound (s-33g) at the same dose level induced a significant (ps 0.05) inhibition in ser~lln LH level by 38% with respect to control value.However, no significant effect was detected on seruin LH level following silbcidaneous administration of co~npound (s-13d), (s-25c) or (s-711).B) Anabolic activitv:-1 -Body weight gain: (Table 1) Administration of compounds (s-13d) and (s-33g) each at a total dose level of 0.7 mgkg did not significantly increase body weight of prepilbertal inale rats above control value.However, colnpounds (s-25c) and (s-7h) at the same dose level produced a significant ( ~5 0 .0 5 ) increase in total body weight: (55.1 1 and 59.898 respectively) compared to control value (47.8 18).Moreover, results in table (1) showed that the percent increase in body weight of rats given compound (s-25c.0.7inglkg) was 1 5.269and 12.676 relative to control and testosterone value respectively; while body weight gains in prepubertal rats given compound (s-711) at the same dose level was increased by 25 and 22 % with respect to control and testosterone value respectively.Thus co~npo~lnd (s-711) displays a pronounced increase in body weight of prepubertal rats than coinpound (s-2 5c).2-Levator ani muscle weight: [Table 1) Subcutaneous injection of compounds (s-13d), (s-33g), (s-2%) and (s-711) at a total dose level of 0.7 mgkg produced a significant increase in weight of levator ani ~nuscle by 203, 148, 248 and 296% respectively, coinpared to control value.Furthermore, a significant increase was detected in weight of levator ani inuscle of prepubertal rats treated with the tested compounds, by 165, 1 16,204 and 246% respectively, relative to testosterone value.
In conclusion, it could be deduced froin the results shown in table land 2 as well as fig.(a), that coinpound (s-33g) at a dose level of 0.7 inglkg exhibited the most potent androgenic activity with least anabolic effect.Whereas, compound (s-711) evoked a pronounced anabolic effect with least androgenic property.

Histopathological examination
The histopathological examination of the rats' testis injected with coinpound (s-33g) showed regular distribution of semineferous tubules, no thickening of basement ineinbrane with normal thickness of the tunica propria.There was average proportions of sperinatogonia , sperinatocystes and spennatids.Spennatozoa and Sertoli cells showed relative increainent.The interstitiuin showed average n~unber of Leyding cells with no infla~ninatory cells and no fibrous tissue deposition.There was hyperplasia of the mesotl~elial cells of the tunica albugenia with no adhesions.Sertoli cell proliferation was moderately greater in treated rats than in control one Fig.(1&2).The score at 10 was 35%; at 9 was 60% and at 8 was 5% of the tubules.Regarding compound (s-13d), seinineferous tubules showed preserved sperinatogenesis, there was good layering with increased tubular size.Many sperinatozoa were present but with disorganized sperinatogenesis.The score at 10 was 25%; at 9 was 65%; at 8 was 5% and at 7 was 5%, of the tubules.Sertoli cell proliferation was mildly greater than that of control Fig. (3&4).Furtherinore, compound (s-25c) induced preserved elongated seinineferoos tubules wit11 good layering , although there was no inature sperins.Focal areas of hydropic degeneration were evident in some tubules.Leydig cells were usually normal but on occasion were found to be reduced in size and number.Sertoli cell proliferation was moderately increased.T11e score at 10 was 10%; at 9 it was 10%; at 8 was 1 5%; at 7 was 60% and 6 at was 5% of the tubules Fig. (5&6).On the other hand, coinpo~lnd (s-711) showed a decrease in number and size of seinineferous tubules wit11 evident atrophy and increased thickness of the tunica propria.They showed l~oinogeneous acidopl~ilic secretion and 11ydropic degeneration of the lining germ cell.There was halt of the maturation sequence at the stage of secondary sperinatocytes wit11 sloughing of some.No sperinatids or spermatozoa were present despite the presence of abundant cells in devision.Atrophy of the interstitiuin was evident.The tubules were populated by Sertoli cells with thickening of the basement ineinbrane i.e tubular hyalinization, the score at 10 was 2%; at 9 was 3 %; at 8 was 5%; at 7 was 5%; at 6 was 10 %; at 5 was 65%; and at 4 was 10%; of the tubles.The l~istopatl~ological examination of the rats' prostate injected wit11 compound (s-33g) induced well developed l~yperplasia of the glandular component.The glands often contain an inspissated secretion, the nuclei were regular and centerally located.Papillary infoldings were common.A continuous basal cell layer was seen immediately above a well-developed basement ineinbrane (Fig. 9).Stroinal proliferation in the periductal and interlobular areas of a concentric or an eccentric quality was evident with colnpounds (s-l3d) and (s-2%).It was fonned of more smooth in~lscle and less elastic tissue than the control (Fig. 10).On the other hand, the prostate gland was within normal in case of compoui~d (s-711).Based on the present investigation it could be concluded that, the presence of an appended substituted 2-aininopyridine ring at the C-17 of testosterone gave the inaximum androgenic activity, whereas the presence of a substituted piperidine ring fused to ring D of 5 aandrostane exhibited the maxiinurn anabolic activity.However, fusion of a pyrazoline moiety with the ring D of 5 aandrostane lead to a compound with considerable androgenic and anabolic activity.

Table ( 1 )
Compariso~l study of body, testis and male secondarv sex organ weiehts ("'of prepubertal rats treated with testosterone, different from normal control value at p10.05 Treatment Group Control Testosterone (S-13d) (S-33g) (s-25g) (S-7h) d) Significantly different from testosterone value at p10.05 a) Absolute weight (g), data are presented as mean rt s.e, number of animals in each group (n=8) b) The ratio of the weight gain of the Ievator ani muscle to the weight gain of the ventral prostate .