Use of gibberellins for the treatment of prostatitis

A method for decreasing prostate mass comprising administering an effective amount of a gibberellin compound of the formula:

• ##STR3## wherein R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of H and a group --O--R.sup.20, wherein R.sup.20 is H, or together with R.sup.2 or R.sup.10 forms a double bond;
• R.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of H and a group --O--R.sup.21, wherein R.sup.21 is selected from the group consisting of H, and a glycoside group, or together with R.sup.4 forms a lactone ring or together with R.sup.1 or R.sup.3 forms a double bond;
• R.sup.3 is selected from the group consisting of H, .dbd.O and --O--R.sup.24, where R.sup.24 is selected from the group consisting of H and a glycoside group, or together with R.sup.2 forms a double bond;
• R.sup.4 is OH or together with R.sup.23 or R.sup.21 forms a lactone ring;
• R.sup.5 is H or --O--R.sup.22, where R.sup.22 is H or a glycoside group;
• R.sup.6 is H, OH or together with R.sup.7 forms a double bond;
• R.sup.7 is selected from the group consisting of H, .dbd.O, or --O--R.sup.25, where R.sup.25 is H, a glycoside group or together with R.sup.6 forms a double bond;
• R.sup.8 is H or --O--R.sup.26, where R.sup.26 is H or a glycoside;
• R.sup.9 is H or OH;
• R.sup.10 is selected from the group consisting of H, CH.sub.3, CHO, COOH and a glycoside ester of said COOH, CH.sub.2 O--R.sup.23 or --O--R.sup.23, where R.sup.23 is H or together with R.sup.4 forms a lactone ring or together with R.sup.1 forms a double bond;
• R.sup.11 is OH or is absent, with the proviso that the dotted line together with the solid line represent that there is a double bond between two of the three carbons connected by the dotted line when R.sup.11 is absent;
• R.sup.12 is selected from the group consisting of CH.sub.3, CH.sub.2 OH, COOH and a glycoside ester of said COOH;
• and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and lactones thereof, to a mammal in need of such treatment.