The present invention provides a sterol derivative or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof having an activity to promote proliferation of neural stem cells. Namely, the present invention provides a sterol derivative represented by the general formula (I) (wherein Y represents optionally substituted lower alkyl or the like; X
a
and X
b
are the same or different, and represent a bond or the like; R
1
, R
2
, R
3
, R
4
, R
7
and R
8
are the same or different, and represent a hydrogen atom or the like; R
5
and R
6
are the same or different, and represent a hydrogen atom or the like; R
9
represents a hydrogen atom or the like; R
10
and R
11
together represent a bond or the like; and R
12
represents a hydrogen atom or the like) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
本发明提供了一种
甾醇衍
生物或其药学上可接受的盐,具有促进神经干细胞增殖的活性。即,本发明提供了一种由通式(I)表示的
甾醇衍
生物(其中,Y表示可选择的取代的低碳基或类似物;Xa和Xb相同或不同,表示键或类似物;R1、R2、R3、R4、R7和R8相同或不同,表示氢原子或类似物;R5和R6相同或不同,表示氢原子或类似物;R9表示氢原子或类似物;R10和R11一起表示键或类似物;R12表示氢原子或类似物)或其药学上可接受的盐。