NO130112B

1,260,398. 18 - Methyl - 5α - H - androstanes. SCHERING A.G. 24 Feb., 1969 [24 Feb., 1968], No. 9800/69. Heading C2U. Novel steroids of the formula (in which R is H or acyl and A-B is -C(CH 3 )=CH- or -CH(α-OR1)-CH 2 -, R1 being H or acyl) are prepared by reducing 18 - methyl - 17# - hydroxy - #4 - androsten-3- one or an acylate thereof to the corresponding ring A saturated compounds and, if desired, dehydrogenating in the 1,2-position and, if desired, introducing a 1-methyl group into the #1-compound or, if desired, converting the #1- compound to a ring A saturated 1α-hydroxy or -acyloxy compound. Free 17-ols may be acylated and 17-acylates hydrolysed. 1,2- Dehydrogenation may be effected by 2-halogenation followed by dehydrohalogenation, or by a direct chemical or microbiological method. Introduction of a 1-methyl group may be effected via a 1,2-pyrazoline compound in known manner, or by converting the #1 steroid to a 1-hydroxy-2-halo-ring A saturated steroid, eliminating the halogen, forming a 3-ketal, oxidizing to a 1-ketone, reacting this with a methyl Grignard reagent and treating the product with an acid. Introduction of a 1α- hydroxy group may be effected as indicated above or by epoxidizing the 1,2-double bond and then splitting the 1,2-epoxide, if necessary with protection of the 3-keto group. 17# - Hydroxy - 18 - methyl - #4 - androsten-3- one is prepared from 3-methoxy-17#-acetoxy-18- methyl - #1,3,5(10),8,14 - estrapentaene by catalytic hydrogenation to the corresponding 1,3,5(10, 8-tetraene, Birch reduction to 3-methoxy-17#- hydroxy - 18 - methyl - #2,5(10) - estradiene, acylation to the 17-acetate, cleavage to 17#- acetoxy - 18 - methyl - #5(10) - estren - 3 - one reduction to the corresponding 3#-ol (and the epimeric 3α-ol which is converted to the 3#-ol by conversion to 3α-mesyloxy-17#-acetoxy-18- methyl - #5(10)-estrene, conversion of this to 3# - formyloxy - 17# - acetoxy - 18 - methyl - #5(10)- estrene and hydrolysis of this), conversion with methylene iodide and Zn-Cu couple to 17#- acetoxy - 18 - methyl - 5,10# - methylene - 5#- estran-3#-ol, oxidation of this to the corresponding 3-one (which may be hydrolysed to 17#-hydroxy - 18 - methyl - 5,10# - methylene - 5# - estran- 3-one), and conversion of this to the required product, which may be acylated to give the 17 - acetate, the 17 - propionate and the 17- heptanoate. The novel steroids have anabolic and androgenic activity and may be made up into pharmaceutical compositions with sui