Homopterocarpanes as bridged triarylethylene analogues: synthesis and antagonistic effects in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells

A series of new compounds structurally derived from 6a,12a-dihydro-6H,7H-[1]-benzopyran-[4,3-b]-benzopyran (homopterocarpane) was efficiently synthesized by reduction of the corresponding pyrilium salts obtained by treatment of selected flavanones and aldehydes with anhydrous HClO4. Cytotoxic effects on the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and antiestrogenic activity (only for compounds which resulted more active than tamoxifen (TAM)) on MCF-7 cells stimulated by 17β-estradiol were evaluated. In vivo antiestrogenic activity and the relative binding affinity were also assessed. Some of the new compounds (4c, 4h, 4i and 4l) showed a biological activity in the micromolar range, and were more potent than TAM taken as the reference.