Skip to Content
MilliporeSigma
All Photos(4)

Key Documents

T5648

Sigma-Aldrich

Tamoxifen

≥99% (TLC), powder, PKC inhibitor

Synonym(s):

trans-Tamoxifen, (Z)-1-(p-Dimethylaminoethoxyphenyl)-1,2-diphenyl-1-butene, trans-2-[4-(1,2-Diphenyl-1-butenyl)phenoxy]-N,N-dimethylethylamine

Sign Into View Organizational & Contract Pricing


About This Item

Linear Formula:
C6H5C(C2H5)=C(C6H5)C6H4OCH2CH2N(CH3)2
CAS Number:
Molecular Weight:
371.51
EC Number:
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12161501
PubChem Substance ID:
NACRES:
NA.54

product name

Tamoxifen, ≥99%

sterility

(Not packaged in a sterile environment)

Assay

≥99%

mp

97-98 °C (lit.)

solubility

H2O: insoluble <0.1% at 20 °C
chloroform: soluble 50 mg/mL, clear, colorless to faintly yellow
2-propanol: soluble
DMSO: soluble
ethanol: soluble
methanol: soluble
propylene glycol: soluble

antibiotic activity spectrum

neoplastics

Mode of action

enzyme | inhibits

originator

AstraZeneca

storage temp.

2-8°C

SMILES string

CC\C(c1ccccc1)=C(/c2ccccc2)c3ccc(OCCN(C)C)cc3

InChI

1S/C26H29NO/c1-4-25(21-11-7-5-8-12-21)26(22-13-9-6-10-14-22)23-15-17-24(18-16-23)28-20-19-27(2)3/h5-18H,4,19-20H2,1-3H3/b26-25-

InChI key

NKANXQFJJICGDU-QPLCGJKRSA-N

Looking for similar products? Visit Product Comparison Guide

General description

Tamoxifen (TC), a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), is used against breast cancer in both men and women. It also acts as a prophylactic agent against breast cancer in women. This protein kinase C inhibitor and anti-angiogenetic factor is a prodrug that is metabolized to active metabolites 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) and endoxifen by cytochrome P450 isoforms CYP2D6 and CYP3A4. In breast cancer, the gene repressor activity of tamoxifen against ERBB2 is dependent upon PAX2. TC blocks estradiol-stimulated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production in breast tumor cells. Patients with estrogen receptor-positive tumors are more likely to benefit from tamoxifen. It exhibits both estrogenic agonist and antagonist effects by selectively binding to estrogen receptors in different parts of the body.

This nonsteroidal triphenylethylene derivative suppresses tumor growth and has been reported to be a carcinogen and teratogen in animals. Additionally, TC may also protect bone from estrogen-deficiency bone loss, lower plasma cholesterol, and have been implicated in liver carcinogenesis in rats. Other actions of TC include the reduction of plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor, induction of cells surrounding cancer cells to secrete transforming growth factor β, and inhibition of membrane lipid peroxidation, likely by decreasing membrane fluidity.

Application

Tamoxifen has been used:
  • in the MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) assay and crystal violet staining assay to access cell viability
  • to induce Dicer ablation in Dicer-conditional mice, to study the effects of Dicer deficiency on adipocyte differentiation and function.
  • to study its biological effects on the glucocorticoid (GC)-resistant cell line Jurkat, derived from acute lymphoblastic leukemia of T lineage (T-ALL)
  • to study the physiological effects of tamoxifen treatment on the hypothalamus-POA mediated by estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in mice
  • to induce Cre recombinase activity for gene manipulation.
  • to facilitate the recombination of the ect2flox allele in mouse organs
  • to study its effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglial activation

Biochem/physiol Actions

Protein kinase C inhibitor. Induces apoptosis in human malignant glioma cell lines. Tamoxifen and its metabolite 4-hydroxytamoxifen are selective estrogen response modifiers (SERMs) that act as estrogen antagonists in mammary gland. Blocks estradiol-stimulated VEGF production in breast tumor cells.

Features and Benefits

This compound is a featured product for ADME Tox research. Click here to discover more featured ADME Tox products. Learn more about bioactive small molecules for other areas of research at sigma.com/discover-bsm.
This compound was developed by AstraZeneca. To browse the list of other pharma-developed compounds and Approved Drugs/Drug Candidates, click here.

Preparation Note

Tamoxifen is soluble in chloroform at 50 mg/ml and yields a clear, colorless to faint yellow solution. It is also soluble in methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol and propylene glycol. Stock solutions of tamoxifen can also be prepared in DMSO at 10 mM. However, it is practically insoluble in water (solubility is <0.01%, 20° C). Solutions are sensitive to UV light, and DMSO solutions are stable when stored at -20° C in the dark.

Storage and Stability

Tamoxifen is relatively stable. The powder should be stable for at least two years when stored desiccated at 2-8C, protected from light.

Other Notes

This product is not packaged in a sterile environment.

Pictograms

Health hazardEnvironment

Signal Word

Danger

Hazard Statements

Hazard Classifications

Aquatic Acute 1 - Aquatic Chronic 1 - Carc. 1A - Repr. 1B

Storage Class Code

6.1C - Combustible acute toxic Cat.3 / toxic compounds or compounds which causing chronic effects

WGK

WGK 3

Flash Point(F)

Not applicable

Flash Point(C)

Not applicable

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

Already Own This Product?

Find documentation for the products that you have recently purchased in the Document Library.

Visit the Document Library

Microglia-Specific Expression of Olfml3 Is Directly Regulated by Transforming Growth Factor ?1-Induced Smad2 Signaling
Neidert N, et al.
Frontiers in Immunology, 9, 1728-1728 (2018)
Bon-Kyoung Koo et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112(24), 7548-7550 (2015-05-30)
Rnf43 (RING finger protein 43) and Znrf3 (zinc/RING finger protein 3) (RZ) are two closely related transmembrane E3 ligases, encoded by Wnt target genes, that remove surface Wnt (wingless-int) receptors. The two genes are mutated in various human cancers. Such
Meimei Liu et al.
Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 213, 105220-105220 (2019-06-16)
Tamoxifen (TAM) is an antiestrogenic agent and can enter the aquatic environment in wastewater. It has been reported that TAM can induce hepatic steatosis in vertebrates, however, the effects of TAM exposure on lipid metabolism of hepatopancreas in crustaceans remains
Anna Barkovskaya et al.
Scientific reports, 10(1), 16992-16992 (2020-10-14)
In this study, we probed the importance of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) activity for the survival of tamoxifen-sensitive (TamS) and tamoxifen-resistant (TamR) breast cancer cells. Tamoxifen is an antagonist of estrogen receptor (ERα), a transcription factor expressed in over 50% of
Tamoxifen
Farrar MC and Jacobs TF
StatPearls [Internet] (2023)

Articles

We presents an article on Autophagy in Cancer Promotes Therapeutic Resistance

Discover Bioactive Small Molecules for ADME/Tox

Related Content

Explore protein pathway analysis through chemical library screening, investigating protein interactions, and modulating signaling pathways with small molecules.

Chromatograms

application for HPLC, application for SPE

Our team of scientists has experience in all areas of research including Life Science, Material Science, Chemical Synthesis, Chromatography, Analytical and many others.

Contact Technical Service