3,7-DITHIAPROSTANOIC ACID, ITS PRODUCTION AND PHARMACEUTICAL AGENT CONTAINING THE SAME

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a novel compound useful for preventing and/or curing immune diseases, asthma, abnormal osteogenesis, nerve cell death, hepatopathy, nephritis, hypertension, myocardial ischemia, sleep disorder, etc. SOLUTION: This 3,7-dithiaprostanoic acid derivative is a compound expressed by formula I [R1 is OH, a 1-6C alkyloxy, the formula, NR6R7 (R6 and R7 are each H or a 1-6C alkyl); R2 is H or OH; R3 is a single bond or a 1-6C alkylene; R4 is a substituted 1-8C alkyl, phenoxy, a (substituted) furil, a substituted phenyl or the like; R5 is H or a 1-6C alkyl; formula II is a double bond or a single bond and, when R2 is H, a 1-6C alkylene expressing R3 may be substituted with OH], e.g. methyl 11α,15α-dihydroxy-9-oxo-16-(3- methoxymethylphenyl)-17,18,19,20-tetranol-3,7-dithiaprost-13E-enoate. The compound of formula I is produced, e.g. by method in which a compound of formula III (R10 is a 1-6C alkyl) is hydrolyzed by using an enzyme to obtain a compound of formula IV or the like.