Acetylenes disubstituted with 2-tetrahydropyranoxy-aryl and aryl of heteroaryl groups having retinoid-like biological activity

A compound of the formula wherein R.sub.1 -R.sub.5 independently are hydrogen, lower alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons, branched chain alkyl or cycloalkyl of 3 to 15 carbons, lower alkyl substituted cycloalkyl of 3 to 15 carbons;

• THP is a 2-tetrahydropyranyl group;
• X is S or O;
• Y is heteroaryl selected from a group consisting of thienyl, furyl, pyridazinyl, pirimidinyl, pyrazinyl, thiazolyl and oxazolyt, said groups being substituted with the R.sub.5 group defined above;
• A is (CH.sub.2), where n is 0-5, lower branched chain alkyl having 3-6 carbons, cycloalkyl having 3-6 carbons, alkenyl having 2-6 carbons and 1 or 2 double bonds, alkynyl having 2-carbons and 1 or 2 triple bonds;
• B is hydrogen, COOH or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, COOR.sub.8, CONR.sub.9 R.sub.10, --CH.sub.2 OH, CH.sub.2 OR.sub.11, CH.sub.2 OCOR.sub.11, CHO, CH(OR.sub.12).sub.2, CHOR.sub.13 O, --COR.sub.7, CR.sub.7 (OR.sub.12).sub.2, or CR.sub.7 OR.sub.13 O, where R.sub.7 is an alkyl group of 1-5 carbons, cycloalkyl group of 3-5 carbons or alkenyl group of 2 to 5 carbons, R.sub.8 is an alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbons, or a cycloalkyl group of 5 to 10 carbons, or R.sub.8 is phenyl or lower alkylphenyl, R.sub.9 and R.sub.10 independently are hydrogen, an alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbons, or a cycloalkyl group of 5-10 carbons, or phenyl or lower alkylphenyl, R.sub.11, is lower alkyl, phenyl or lower alkylphenyl, R.sub.12 is lower alkyl, and R.sub.13 is divalent alkyl radical of 2-5 carbons.