Stilbestrol
Stilbestrol, or stilboestrol, also known as 4,4'-dihydroxystilbene or 4,4'-stilbenediol, is a stilbenoid nonsteroidal estrogen and the parent compound of a group of more potent nonsteroidal estrogen derivatives that includes, most notably, diethylstilbestrol. The term "stilbestrol" is often used incorrectly to refer to DES, but they are not the same compound.
Stilbestrol itself is an active estrogen but is less potent than DES and other derivatives.
Stilbestrol derivatives
The stilbestrol estrogenic drugs include the following:- Acefluranol
- Benzestrol
- Bifluranol
- Dienestrol
- * Dienestrol acetate
- Diethylstilbestrol
- * Diethylstilbestrol diacetate
- * Diethylstilbestrol dilaurate
- * Diethylstilbestrol dipalmitate
- * Diethylstilbestrol dipropionate
- * Diethylstilbestrol disulfate
- * Diethylstilbestrol monobenzyl ether
- * Dimestrol
- * Fosfestrol
- * Furostilbestrol
- * ICI-85966
- * Mestilbol
- Dimethylstilbestrol
- Hexestrol
- * Diaethiphenum
- * Hexestrol diacetate
- * Hexestrol dicaprylate
- * Hexestrol diphosphate
- * Hexestrol dipropionate
- * Phenestrol
- Methestrol
- * Methestrol dipropionate
- Pentafluranol
- Terfluranol
Mechanism of action
The stilbestrol estrogens bind with high affinity to both ERα and ERβ.Closely related compounds
Estrogens closely related to the stilbestrols include paroxypropione and the anise and fennel-derived compounds anol, dianol, anethole, dianethole, and photoanethole. The triphenylethylene group of estrogenic drugs that includes triphenylethylene itself, estrobin, chlorotrianisene, broparestrol, ethamoxytriphetol, clomifene, tamoxifen, and more recently developed derivatives is also very closely related structurally to the stilbestrols.Resveratrol is a stilbenoid with estrogenic properties that is not technically a stilbestrol derivative.