Synthesis of sulfonate analogs of bile acids

Sulfonate analogs of C23 and C24 bile acids were synthesized from norcholic, norchenodeoxycholic, norursodeoxycholic, nordeoxycholic, norhyodeoxycholic, cholic, deoxycholic, hyodeoxycholic, and lithocholic acids. The principal reactions used were (1) reduction of the bile acids with NaBH4 to the corresponding bile alcohols, (2) selective tosylation of the terminal hydroxyl group, (3) iodination of the tosyl esters with NaI, and (4) treatment of the iodides with Na2SO3 to form the sulfonate analogs of the bile acids. The sulfonate analogs showed polarity similar to that of taurine-conjugated bile acids on thin-layer chromatography. The carbon 13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data for the sulfonate analogs were tabulated.