Compositions comprising vitamin D lumisterol analog precursors

A composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and an effective amount of a compound of the formula ##STR3## wherein the bond between carbons C-22 and C-23 is single or double bond;

• Y.sup.1 is hydrogen, F, CH.sub.3, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.3 or X.sup.1 ;
• U is hydrogen, --OH or --O--(C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkyl)-OH;
• Z.sup.1 is F, H or X.sup.1 ;
• Q.sup.a is CF.sub.3 or CH.sub.2 X.sup.1 ;
• Q.sup.b is CF.sub.3 or CH.sub.3 ;
• wherein X.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, --OH and OR.sup.1 ;
• wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen or a straight or branched chain glycosidic residue containing 1-20 glycosidic units per residue, or R.sup.1 is an orthoester glycoside moiety of the formula:
• ##STR4## wherein A represents a glucofuranosyl or glucopyranosyl ring;
• R.sup.2 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, or aryl, with the proviso that aryl is phenyl or phenyl substituted by chloro, fluoro, bromo, iodo, lower C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy;
• or naphthyl;
• and
• R.sup.3 is hydrogen or a straight or branched chain glycosidic residue containing 1-20 glycosidic units per residue;
• W is CH--CH.sub.3 or O;
• V is CH.sub.2 or O;
• with the proviso that both W and V are not both O;
• "a " is either a single bond between Q.sup.a and Q.sup.b or a hydrogen atom on Q.sup.a and Q.sup.b ;
• and with the further proviso that said compound is not a lumisterol or lumisterol glycoside.