Irradiation (medium-pressure mercury lamp, Pyrex filter) of cholest-4-ene-3, 6-dione (I) in cyclohexane resulted in the efficient hydrogen abstraction by I from the solvent to give cholestane-3, 6-dione (II) and 4ξ-cyclohexyl-5ξ-cholestane-3, 6-dione (III). On irradiation in benzene, I also afforded II.