Chemical compounds

A steroid of the androstane series having a 3.alpha.-hydroxy group, a 3.beta.-hydrogen atom or methyl group, a 10-hydrogen atom or methyl group, two 11-hydrogen atoms or an 11-oxo group, a 17.alpha.-hydrogen atom, and a group at the 17.beta.-position selected from the group consisting of ##EQU1## -COOR.sup.3, -CN, -CHO and -CH(OR.sup.4).sub.2 wherein R.sup.1 is alkyl of 1-6 carbon atoms;

• phenyl;
• phenyl substituted by, alkoxy of 1-6 carbon atoms;
• benzyl or benzyl substituted by, alkoxy of 1-6 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.2 is H or an R.sup.1 group;
• or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached represent a monocyclic heterocyclic ring having 5 or 6 ring members where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 in said monocyclic heterocyclic ring are comprised of ring members selected from the group consisting of carbon atoms, carbon atoms and one nitrogen atom, carbon atoms and one oxygen atom and carbon atoms and one sulfur atom or such a ring substituted with alkyl of 1-6 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.3 is alkyl of 1-10 carbon atoms;
• alkyl of 1-10 carbon atoms substituted with, hydroxy, lower alkanoyloxy of 1-6 carbon atoms, cyano, halo, ##EQU2## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are as defined above except that R.sup.1 may be H, ethoxycarbonyl, alkoxy of 1-10 carbon atoms, monocyclic nitrogen heterocyclic;
• phenyl;
• phenyl substituted with alkoxy of 1-6 carbon atoms or halogen, phenylalkyl having 1-6 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety, monocyclic aralkyl having 1-6 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety substituted in the monocyclic aryl portion with, alkoxy of 1-6 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.4 is alkyl of 1-6 carbon atoms or (OR.sup.4).sub.2 represents alkylene-dioxy of 2-6 carbon atoms;
• there being a hydrogen atom in the 5.alpha.-position and an oxo-group in the 11-position when there is a methoxycarbonyl, CHO or -CH(OR.sup.4).sub.2 group in the 17.beta.-position and the 3.alpha.-hydroxy steroid nucleus is saturated or has a double bond in the 1,2-position and is otherwise unsubstituted.