Exemestane's 17-hydroxylated metabolite exerts biological effects as an androgen

Aromatase inhibitors (Al) are being evaluated as long-term adjuvant therapies and chemopreventives in breast cancer. However, there are concerns about bone mineral density loss in an estrogen-free environment. Unlike nonsteroidal Als, the steroidal Al exemestane may exert beneficial effects on bone through its primary metabolite 17-hydroexemestane. We investigated, 17-hydroexemestane and observed it bound estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) very weakly and androgen receptor (AR) strongly. Next, we evaluated 17-hydroexemestane in MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cells and attributed dependency of its effects on ER or AR using the antiestrogen fulvestrant or the antiandrogen bicalutamide. 17-Hydroexemestane induced proliferation, stimulated cell cycle progression and regulated transcription at high sub-micromolar and micromolar concentrations through ER in both cell lines, but through AR at low nanomolar concentrations selectively in T47D cells. Responses of each cell type to high and low concentrations of the non-aromatizable synthetic androgen R1881 paralleled those of 17-hydroexemestane. 17-Hydroexemestane down-regulated ER alpha protein levels at high concentrations in a cell type-specific manner similarly as 17 beta-estradiol, and increased AR protein accumulation at low concentrations in both cell types similarly as R1881. Computer docking indicated that the 17 beta-OH group of 17-hydroexemestane relative to the 17-keto group of exemestane contributed significantly more intermolecular interaction energy toward binding AR than ER alpha. Molecular modeling also indicated that 17-hydroexemestane interacted with ERot and AR through selective recognition motifs employed by 17 beta-estradiol and R1881, respectively. We conclude that 17-hydroexemestane exerts biological effects as an androgen. These results may have important implications for long-term maintenance of patients with Als.