PRODUCTION OF STEROID

PURPOSE:To obtain a steroid intermediate for a remedy for a pimple, etc., in high yield by enoletherifying the carbonyl of 20-spirox-4-en-3,21-dione at the 3-position, reducing and subjecting the lactone ring to ring opening, subjecting the resultant compound to ring closure and dehydrogenating it. CONSTITUTION:20-Spirox-4-ene-3,21-dione shown by the formula I is reacted with trimethyl orthoformic ester, etc., so that the carbonyl group at the 3-position is enoletherified, the lactone ring is reduced and subjected to ring opening with LiAlH4, to give a 3-alkoxy-17alpha-(3'-hydroxypropyl)-androsta-3,5(6)-diene-17beta- ol shown by the formula II (R is 1-10C alkyl, etc.). Then, this compound is treated with p-toluenesulfonyl chloride, etc., and subjected to ring closure to give a compound shown by the formula III, which is dehydrogenated with chloranil, to give the aimed 20-spirox-4,6-dien-3-one.