Method for treating male sexual dysfunction

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, said method comprising administering to a male mammal in need of such treatment, an amount effective to treat said dysfunction in said male mammal of a compound of the formula E--DHC].sub.n (Ia) or a non-toxic pharmaceuticaly acceptable salt thereof, wherein E-- is the residue of an estrogen containing at least one reactive hydroxyl functional group, said residue being characterized by the absence of a hydrogen atom from at least one of said reactive functional groups in said estrogen; n is a positive integer equal to the number of said functional groups from which a hydrogen atom is absent; and [DHC] is the reduced, biooxidizable, blood-brain barrier-penetrating, lipoidal form of a dihydropyridine⃡pyridinium salt redox carrier.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 2, wherein n is 1 or 2.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 2, wherein E-- is the residue of a natural or semisynthetic estrogen.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 2, wherein E-- is the residue of a 3-monohydroxy, 17-monohydroxy or 3,17-dihydroxy steroid having an aromatic A-ring.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 2, wherein E-- is a residue of estradiol.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 2, wherein E-- is the residue of a 3- or 17-monoester of estradiol.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 2, wherein E-- is the residue of estradiol benzoate, estradiol cypionate, estradiol enanthate, estradiol undecylate, estradiol valerate, estradiol propionate or estradiol undecenylate.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 2, wherein E-- is the residue of estrone.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 2, wherein E-- is a residue of estriol.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 2, wherein E-- is a residue of ethinyl estradiol.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 2, wherein E-- is the residue of mestranol.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 2, wherein E-- is the residue of quinestrol, estrazinol or estrofurate or a residue of nylestriol.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 2, wherein [DHC] is ##STR110## wherein the alkylene group can be straight or branched and having 1 to 3 carbon atoms; R o is a radical identical to the corresponding portion of a natural amino acid; p is 0, 1 or 2, provided that, when p is 2, then the alkylene groups can be the same or different and the R o radicals can be the same or different; the dotted line in formulas (a'), (b') and (c') indicates the presence of a double bond in either the 4 or 5 position of the dihydropyridine ring; the dotted line in formulas (d'), (e') and (f') indicates the presence of a double bond in either the 2 or 3 position of the dihydroquinoline ring; R 1 is C 1 -C 7 alkyl, C 1 -C 7 haloalkyl or C 7 -C 10 aralkyl; R 3 is C 1 -C 3 alkylene; X is --CONR'R" wherein R' and R", which can be the same or different, are each H or C 1 -C 7 alkyl, or X is --CH═NOR'" wherein R'" is H or C 1 -C 7 alkyl; the carbonyl-containing groupings in formulas (a') and (c') and the X substituent in formula (b') can each be attached at the 2, 3 or 4 position of the dihydropyridine ring; the carbonyl-containing groupings in formulas (d') and (f') and the X substituent in formula (e') can each be attached at the 2, 3 or 4 position of the dihydroquinoline ring; and the carbonyl-containing groupings in formulas (g') and (j') and the X substituent in formula (h') can each be attached at the 1, 3 or 4 position of the dihydroisoquinoline ring.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 14, wherein p is 0.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 14, wherein p is 1.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 14, wherein p is 1 or 2, alkylene is --CH 2 -- and R o is H, --CH 3 , --CH(CH 3 ) 2 , --CH 2 --CH(CH 3 ) 2 , ##STR111## --(CH 2 ) 2 --SCH 3 , --CH 2 --CONH 2 or --CH 2 CH 2 --CONH 2 .

Claim 19

A method according to claim 14, wherein R 1 is --CH 3 .

Claim 20

A method according to claim 14, wherein R 3 is --CH 2 CH 2 --.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 14, wherein X is --CONH 2 .

Claim 22

A method according to claim 14, wherein the depicted carbonyl-containing groupings in formulas (a') and (c') and the X substituent in formula (b') are attached at the 3-position of the dihydropyridine ring; the depicted carbonyl-containing groupings in formulas (d') and (f') and the X substituent in formula (e') are attached at the 3-position of the dihydroquinoline ring; and the depicted carbonyl-containing groupings in formulas (g') and (j') and the X substituent in formula (h') are attached at the 4-position of the dihydroisoquinoline ring.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 14, wherein [DHC] is ##STR112## wherein R 1 is C 1 -C 7 alkyl, C 1 -C 7 haloalkyl or C 7 -C 10 aralkyl, the dotted line indicates the presence of a double bond in either the 4 or 5 position of the dihydropyridine ring and the carbonyl group can be attached at the 2, 3 or 4 position of the dihydropyridine ring.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 22, wherein [DHC] is ##STR113##

Claim 25

A method according to claim 23, wherein E-- is a residue of estradiol.

Claim 26

A method according to claim 2, wherein the compound of formula (Ia) is 17 β-[(1-methyl-1,4-dihydro-3-pyridinyl)carbonyloxy]estra-1,3,5(10)-trien-3-ol.