PREPARATION OF STEROID

PURPOSE:To obtain the titled compound which is an intermediate for preparing a diuretic agent spironolactone in high yield by easy operation, by reacting an acetylenic adduct of a reaction product of caustic potash of high purity with an alcohol with a 3beta-hydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one. CONSTITUTION:Caustic potash >=90%, preferably >=93%, purity is reacted with an alcohol in an aprotic organic solvent, e.g. THF, at 20-50 deg.C to give a reaction product, which is then reacted with acetylene at -5-+10 deg.C. The resultant acetylenic adduct is then reacted with 3beta-hydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one at -50- +20 deg.C, preferably -5-+10 deg.C, for several minutes-several hours. The reaction mixture is then neutralized with an aqueous solution of an acid to afford the aimed 17alpha-ethynylandrost-5-ene-3,17-diol.