Use of DHEA and DHEA-sulfate for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

1. A method for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease comprising administering to a subject need of such treatment a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent and a therapeutically effective amount of an active agent selected from a non-glucocorticoid steroid having the chemical formula

wherein the broken line represents a single or a double bond; R is hydrogen or a halogen; the H at position 5 is present in the alpha or beta configuration or the compound of chemical formula I comprises a racemic mixture of both configurations;

and R 1 is hydrogen or SO 2 OM, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of H, Na, sulfatide

wherein R 2 and R 3 , which may be the same or different, are straight or branched (C 1 -C 14 ) alkyl or glucuronide

or a non-glucocorticoid steroid of the chemical formula

wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R7, R8, R9, R10, R12, R13, R14 and R19 are independently H, OR, halogen, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl or (C 1 -C 10 ) alkoxy, R5 and R11 are independently OH, SH, H, halogen, pharmaceutically acceptable ester, pharmaceutically acceptable thioester, pharmaceutically acceptable ether, pharmaceutically acceptable thioether, pharmaceutically acceptable inorganic esters, pharmaceutically acceptable monosaccharide, disaccharide or oligosaccharide, spirooxirane, spirothirane, —OSO2R20, —OPOR20R21 or (C 1 -C 10 ) alky, R5 and R6 taken together are ═O, R10 and R11 taken together are ═O; R15 is (1) H, halogen, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl, or (C 1 -C 10 ) alkoxy when R16 is —C(O)OR22, (2) H, halogen, OH or (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl when R16 is halogen, OH or (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl, (3) H, halogen, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkenyl, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkynyl, formyl, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkanoyl or epoxy when R16 is OH, (4) OR, SH, H, halogen, pharmaceutically acceptable ester, pharmaceutically acceptable thioester, pharmaceutically acceptable ether, pharmaceutically acceptable thioether, pharmaceutically acceptable inorganic esters, pharmaceutically acceptable monosaccharide, disaccharide or oligosaceharide, spirooxirane, spirothirane, —OSO2R20 or —OPOR20R21 when R16 is H, or R15 and R16 taken together are ═O; R17 and R18 are independently (1) H, —OH, halogen, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl or —(C 1 -C 10 ) alkoxy when R6 is H, OR, halogen, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl or —C(O)OR22, (2) H, (C 1 -C 10 )alkylamino, ((C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl)n amino-(C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkoxy, hydroxy (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkoxy —(C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl, (halogen)m (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl, (C 1 -C 10 ) alkanoyl, formyl, (C 1 -C 10 ) carbalkoxy or (C 1 -C 10 ) alkanoyloxy when R15 and R16 taken together are ═O, (3) R17 and R18 taken together are ═O; (4) R17 or R18 taken together with the carbon to which they are attached form a 3-6 member ring containing 0 or 1 oxygen atom; or (5) R15 and R17 taken together with the carbons to which they are attached form an epoxide ring; R20 and R21 are independently OH, pharmaceutically acceptable ester or pharmaceutically acceptable ether; R22 is H, (halogen)m (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl or (C 1 -C 10 ) alkyl; n is 0, 1 or 2; and m is 1, 2 or 3; or pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable salts thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pharmaceutical composition is of respirable or inhalable particle size.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said particle size is about 0.1 μm to 500 μm in size.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said particle size is about 0.1 μm to 10 μm in size.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said particle size is about 0.5 μm to 10 μm in size.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein said particle size is about 10 μm to 500 μm in size.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pharmaceutical composition is an aerosol or spray.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said active agent is in an amount effective for reducing or depleting levels of, or reducing sensitivity to, adenosine, producing bronchodilation, or increasing levels of ubiquinone or lung surfactant, or treating bronchoconstriction, lung inflammation or allergies or a respiratory, lung or malignant disease or condition.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising about 0.05 to about 40% w/w of said active agent.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising about 1 to about 20% w/w of said active agent.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said active agent is dehydroepiandrosterone or dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said active agent is a compound of formula (I), wherein R is Br, R 1 is H, and the broken line represents a double bond, or 16-alpha bromoepiandrosterone.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said active agent is a compound of formula (I), wherein R is F, R 1 is H and the broken line represents a double bond, or 16-alpha-fluoro epiandrosterone.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said active agent is a compound of formula (I), wherein R and R 1 are each hydrogen and the broken line represents a double bond, or etiocholanolone.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (I), wherein R is H, R 1 is SO 2 OM and M is a sulfatide group as defined above, and the broken line represents a single bond, or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the compound of formula (I), R is halogen selected from Br, Cl or F, R 1 is H, and the broken line represents a double bond.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (I) is 16-alpha-fluoro epiandrosterone.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (III) or (IV), is selected from those wherein R15 and R16 together are ═O, R5 is —OH, or —OSO2R20, or R is H, and pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable salts thereof.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (I) is 16-alpha-bromo epiandrosterone.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said pharmaceutical composition is a systemic or topical formulation.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said systemic or topical formulation is in the form of a formulation selected from buccal, sublingual, dermal, intraocular, vaginal, rectal, intraarticular, intrapulmonary, respirable, oral, inhalable, nasal, topical, parenteral, or transdermal formulation.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said oral formulation is one selected from capsules, cachets, lozenges, tablets, powder, granules, solutions, suspensions and emulsions.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition further comprises folinic acid.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein said active agent is dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate.