Steroid nitrite/nitrate ester derivatives useful as anti-inflammatory drugs

A compound having the formula:

• ##STR21## wherein the dotted lines indicates a single or a double bond;
• R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, nitrite ester (ONO), nitrate ester (ONO.sub.2), halogen, haloalkyl, heterocyclic group of 2 to 5 carbon atoms and 1 to 2 hetero atoms, nitroxyalkanoyl group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, sulfhydryl, lower thioalkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkoxy group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, alkylsilyloxy group of 3 to 8 carbon atoms, lower alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, wherein said group may optionally be substituted with hydroxy, halogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, lower alkoxy, amino, nitro, nitril, carboxyl and haloalkyl radicals, or R.sub.1 is OCO--R.sub.7 wherein R.sub.7 is alkanoic acid group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkenyl group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkynyl group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, or lower alkoxy group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms group;
• R.sub.2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, oxygen, nitrite ester (ONO), nitrate ester (ONO.sub.2), nitroxyalkanoyl group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkoxy group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, alkylsilyloxy group of 3 to 8 carbon atoms, and lower alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, wherein said group may optionally be substituted with hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, lower alkoxy, amino, nitro, nitril, carboxyl and haloalkyl radicals, or R.sub.2 is OCO--R.sub.8 wherein R.sub.8 is alkanoic acid group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkenyl group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkynyl group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms or lower alkoxy group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms group;
• R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxy, nitrite ester (ONO), nitrate ester (ONO.sub.2), nitroxyalkanoyl group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkenyl group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkynyl group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and lower alkoxy group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, wherein said group may optionally be substituted with hydroxy, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, lower alkoxy, amino, nitro, nitril, carboxyl and haloalkyl radicals;
• and a group of formula OCO--R.sub.9 wherein R.sub.9 is 2-furanyl, lower alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms or lower alkoxy group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
• R.sub.5 is hydrogen, or halogen;
• R.sub.6 is hydrogen, hydroxy, or oxygen;
• P and Q are independently selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, chloro, fluoro and alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
• X is lower alkyl group, or sulfur if R.sub.1 is a haloalkyl;
• and
• with the proviso that at least one of the following R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 or R.sub.4 is a nitrite ester (ONO) and that at least one of the following R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 or R.sub.4 is nitrate ester (ONO.sub.2).