Derivatives of long chain fatty alcohols, their uses, particularly as cytotrophic and cytoprotective molecules, and pharmaceutical compositions containing them

Derivatives of fatty alcohols, characterized by the following general formula:

• R.sub.1 --/A--(X).sub.y --B/.sub.p --R.sub.2
• in which
• p is equal to 1 or 2,
• y=0 or 1,
• A-(X).sub.y --B is a hydrocarbon chain of 11 to 50 carbon atoms, wherein said hydrocarbon chain is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more alkyl groups of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or by one or more OR.sub.a groups, R.sub.a representing H or an alkyl group of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, in which:
• A and B, identical or different, are saturated or unsaturated aliphatic chain;
• X is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon chain
• R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, identical or different, represent:
• a group of formula (A):
• ##STR58## containing a single or a double bond and being unsubstituted or substituted by one or more --CH.sub.3 and/or --OH and/or --OR groups, R being defined below, and/or an oxy (=0) group,
• a --OR group, in which R represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a ##STR59## group, in which R' represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, provided that at least one of the pair of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 represent a group of the formula (A).