The present invention provides a method of treating
ocular hypertension or
glaucoma which comprises administering to an animal having
ocular hypertension or
glaucoma therapeutically effective amount of a compound represented by the general formula I; wherein the dashed line indicates the presence or absence of a bond, the hatched wedge indicates the alpha (down) configuration, and the
solid triangle indicates the beta (up) configuration; B is a single, double, or triple
covalent bond; n is 0-6; X is CH2, S or O; Y is any pharmaceutically acceptable salt of CO2H, or CO2R, CONR2, CONHCH2CH2OH, CON(CH2CH2OH)2,CH2OR, P(O)(OR)2, CONRSO2R, SONR2, or R is H, C1-6
alkyl or C2-6 alkenyl; R<2 >and R<3 >are C1-6 linear
alkyl which may be the same or different, and may be bonded to each other such that they form a ring incorporating the carbon to which they are commonly attached; R<4>is
hydrogen, R, C(=O)R, or any group that is easily removed under physiological conditions such that R<4 >is effectively
hydrogen; R<5 >is
hydrogen or R; R<6 >is i) hydrogen; ii) a linear or branched
hydrocarbon containing between 1 and 8 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more double or triple bonds, or
oxygen or
halogen derivatives of said
hydrocarbon, wherein 1-3 carbon or hydrogen atoms may be substituted by O or a
halogen; or iii) aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C3-8 cycloalkyloxy, C3-8 cycloalkyl, C6-10
aryl or C3-10 heteroaryl, wherein one or more carbons is substituted with N, O, or S; and which may contain one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of
halogen, trihalomethyl, cyano, nitro, amino, hydroxy, C6-10
aryl, C3-10 heteroaryl, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C1-6
alkyl, OR, SR, and SO2R. Some of the compounds of the present invention and some of their methods of preparation are also novel an nonobvious.