Cyclopentane(ENE)heptenoic or heptanoic acids and derivatives thereof useful as therapeutic agents

A method of treating incontinence, inflammation, immune regulation and disorders of bone metabolism which comprises applying to a patient in need of treatment, an amount sufficient to treat such disorders of a compound of formula (I)

• wherein either the cyclopentane(ene) radical or the α or ω chain may be unsaturated and the dotted lines represent the presence or absence of a double bond;
• R is a hydrocarbyl radical or a heteroatom substituted hydrocarbyl radical comprising up to ten carbon atoms and one or more of the hydrogen or carbon radicals in said hydrocarbyl radical may be substituted with oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus or halogen;
• R1, R2 and R3 are selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, hydrocarbyloxy and heteroatom substituted hydrocarbyloxy wherein said hydrocarbyl radical comprises up to 20 carbon atoms;
• Y represents 2 hydrogen radicals or an oxo radical and X represents a hydroxyl, a hydrocarbylcarboxy, a hydrocarbyloxy, an amino or a mono or dialkyl amino radical;
• provided, however, at least one of R1, R2 and R3 is a hydrocarbyloxy or heteroatom substituted hydrocarbyloxy radical.