Abstract: Provided is a long chain carboxylic acid imide ester (I) represented by the following general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein W is a divalent long chain hydrocarbon group which may optionally be interrupted by one or more groups each independently selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, and a group of --N(R.sup.1)-- (R.sup.1 being a lower alkyl group) and X represents a divalent hydrocarbon group which may optionally be substituted, or salts thereof. The above long chain carboxylic acid imide ester or its salts is useful for modifying enzymes or proteins having biological activities to give their derivatives which have, while retaining most of the original biological activities, an extremely prolonged plasma half-life as compared with the proteins and have no antigenecities and can be administered to animals.

Abstract: Provided are novel superoxide dismutase derivatives represented by the following general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein [SOD] is a superoxide dismutase residue derived by removal of two mercapto groups, and W is a divalent long chain hydrocarbon residue which may optionally be interrupted by one or more groups each independently selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom and a group of -N(R)- (R being a lower alkyl group). The SOD derivatives retain most of the enzymatic activities of unmodified SOD and have much longer plasma half-life than unmodified SOD. They are effective for treating various diseases caused by active oxygen species.Also provided are chemical modifiers to prepare the above SOD derivatives.

Abstract: There are provided pregnane derivatives represented by formula ##STR1## wherein A.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group, A.sup.2 represents a substituent such as a hydroxyl group when A.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, or A.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom when A.sup.1 represents a hydroxyl group, or A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 are combined together to form an oxo group; D.sup.1 represents a substituent such as a hydroxyl group, and D.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, or D.sup.1 and D.sup.2 are combined together to form an epoxy group or a single bond; D.sup.3, D.sup.5 and D.sup.7 each represents a hydrogen atom, D.sup.4 represents a hydroxyl group, and D.sup.6 represents a substituent such as a hydroxyl group, or D.sup.3 and D.sup.4 may be combined together to form an epoxy group or a single bond, or D.sup.4 and D.sup.5 may be combined together to form a single bond, or D.sup.5 and D.sup.6 may be combined together to form an epoxy group or a single bond, or D.sup.6 and D.sup.

Abstract: Provided is a long chain carboxylic acid imide ester (I) represented by the following general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein W is a divalent long chain hydrocarbon group which may optionally be interrupted by one or more groups each independently selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom and a group of --N(R.sup.1)-- (R.sup.1 being a lower alkyl group) and X represents a divalent hydrocarbon group which may optionally be substituted, or salts thereof. The above long chain carboxylic acid imide ester or its salts is useful for modifying enzymes or proteins having biological activities to give their derivatives which have, while retaining most of the original biological activities, an extremely prolonged plasma half-life as compared with the proteins and have no antigenecities and can be administered to animals.

Abstract: Provided is a method of treating humans or animals suffering from a condition or disease characterized by excessive collagen destruction, which comprises administering to said human or animal an effective amount of a 12a-deoxytetracycline represented by the following general formula ##STR1## The method is effective in the treatment of various articular diseases characterized by excessive collagen destruction.

Abstract: Provided are novel superoxide dismutase derivatives represented by the following general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein [SOD] is a superoxide dismutase residue derived by removal of two mercapto groups, and W is a divalent long chain hydrocarbon residue which may optionally be interrupted by one or more groups each independently selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom and a group of --N(R)-- (R being a lower alkyl group). The SOD derivatives retain most of the enzymatic activities of unmodified SOD and have much longer plasma half-life than unmodified SOD. They are effective for treating various diseases caused by active oxygen species.Also provided are chemical modifiers to prepare the above SOD derivatives.

Abstract: Steroid compounds of the following general formulas (I), (II) and (III) are provided: ##STR1## In the above formulas, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each is a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl-protecting group, R is a group of the formula --CH.sub.2 --X (in which X is a substituent such as a hydroxyl group), a carboxyl group or a protected carboxyl group, A.sup.1 is an aryl group, a lower alkyl group or an aralkyl group, and Z.sup.1, Z.sup.2, Z.sup.3 and Z.sup.4 each is a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or a protected hydroxyl group.The above steroid compounds are useful as intermediates for the synthesis of vitamin D.sub.3 derivatives having a hydroxyl group at the 1.alpha.-position.

Abstract: There are provided pregnane derivatives represented by formula ##STR1## wherein A.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group, A.sup.2 represents a substituent such as a hydroxyl group when A.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, or A.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom when A.sup.1 represents a hydroxyl group, or A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 are combined together to form an oxo group; D.sup.1 represents a substitutent such as a hydroxyl group, and D.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, or D.sup.1 and D.sup.2 are combined together to form an epoxy group or a single bond; D.sup.3, D.sup.5 and D.sup.7 each represents a hydrogen atom, D.sup.4 represents a hydroxyl group, and D.sup.6 represents a substitutent such as a hydroxyl group, or D.sup.3 and D.sup.4 may be combined together to form an epoxy group or a single bond, or D.sup.4 and D.sup.5 may be combined together to form a single bond, or D.sup.5 and D.sup.6 may be combined together to form an epoxy group or a single bond, or D.sup.6 and D.sup.

Abstract: A method of producing .alpha.-dihydropolyprenyl monophosphates from .alpha.-dihydropolyprenols through .alpha.-dihydropolyprenyl dichlorophosphates in good yield and with ease is provided. A method of producing .alpha.-dihydropolyprenyl dichlorophosphates which are intermediate compounds useful for the first-mentioned method is also provided.

Abstract: A compound which is 4-(3,5-dihydroxy-3-methylpentylamide)butyric acid or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester; this compound being produced by reacting a salt or an ester of gamma-aminobutyric acid with beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl-delta-valerolactone, and as required, converting the resulting compound in the form of a salt or ester to a free acid, or as required, converting the resulting compound in the form of a free acid to its pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester; and useful as a medicament for preventing or treating an impediment in cerebral function.

Abstract: Polyprenols or esters thereof, which are similar in the trans and cis configurations to dolichol, or mixtures thereof are obtained from the leaves of plants belonging to the genus Pinus L. of the family Pinaceae by extraction, if necessary followed by hydrolysis, esterification or transesterification or a combination thereof. These polyprenyl compounds and mixtures thereof are useful as favorable starting materials for the synthesis of dolichol.

Abstract: Novel polyprenyl compounds have the general formula: ##STR1## represents a cis-isoprene unit, n is an integer of 11-19, Z.sup.1 is --CH.sub.2 OH or a functional precursor thereof, and either one of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is a hydrogen atom and the other is --S(O).sub.m R.sup.3 in which m is an integer of 0 (zero), 1 or 2 and R.sup.3 is a phenyl, naphthyl, pyridyl or thiazolinyl group or such group substituted with at least one lower alkyl and/or halogen substituent. The topic novel polyprenyl compounds can be synthesized from derivatives of the polyprenol which is obtainable from leaves of Ginkgo biloba or Cedrus deodara, among others, by extraction, if necessary followed by hydrolytic treatment. The novel polyprenyl compounds can be converted to mammalian dolichols or precursors thereof by reductive elimination of the --S(O).sub.m R.sup.3 group.

Abstract: There are provided polyprenyl compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein ##STR2## represent a trans-isoprene unit and a cis-isoprene unit, respectively, n is an integer of 11-19, Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 combinedly represent .dbd.O, .dbd.CH--COOH,.dbd.CH--COOR.sup.1, .dbd.CH--CN, .dbd.C(CN)COOR.sup.2, .dbd.CH--CO--NH.sub.2, .dbd.CH--CO--N(R.sup.3) (R.sup.4), .dbd.CH--CO--NHR.sup.5, .dbd.CH--CH.sub.2 --N(R.sup.3) (R.sup.4), .dbd.CH--CH.sub.2 --NHR.sup.5 or .dbd.CH--CHO or Z.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom and Z.sup.2 is --CH.sub.2 COOH, --CH.sub.2 COOR.sup.6, --CH(CN)COOR.sup.2, --CH.sub.2 CN, --CH.sub.2 --CO--NH.sub.2, --CH.dbd.CH--N(R.sup.3) (R.sup.4) or --CH.sub.2 --CH.dbd.N--R.sup.5, R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.6 each being a lower alkyl group, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 each independently being a lower-alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or aralkyl group or R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 combinedly representing an alkylene group containing 2-5 carbon atoms, and R.sup.5 being a lower-alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or aralkyl group.

Abstract: Provided is a long chain carboxylic acid imide ester (I) represented by the following general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein W is a divalent long chain hydrocarbon group which may optionally be interrupted by one or more groups each independently selected from the group consisting of an oxygen, atom, a sulfur atom, and a group of --N(R.sup.1)-- (R.sup.1 being a lower alkyl group) and X represents a divalent hydrocarbon group which may optionally be substituted, or salt thereof. The above long chain carboxylic acid imide ester or its salts is useful for modifying enzymes or proteins having biological activities to give their derivatives which have, while retaining most of the original biological activities, an extremely prolonged plasma half-life as compared with the proteins and have no antigenecities and can be administered to animals.