Glycoprotein isolated from Styrax japonica Siebold et al. Zuccarini inhibits oxidative and pro-inflammatory responses in HCT116 colonic epithelial cells and dextran sulfate sodium-treated ICR mice.

This study was carried out to investigate the anti-inflammatory potentials of a 38 kDa glycoprotein isolated from Styrax japonica Siebold et al Zuccarini (SJSZ glycoprotein). We found that SJSZ glycoprotein has concentration-dependent scavenging activity against DPPH and hydroxyl radicals in the cell-free systems. In colonic epithelial cells (HCT116 cells), the results showed that SJSZ glycoprotein inhibits the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by glucose/glucose oxidase (G/GO) in a concentration-dependent manner. Experimental mouse colitis was induced by adding dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to the drinking water at a concentration of 4% (w/v) for 7 days. We figured out that administration of SJSZ glycoprotein (10 mg/kg) lowers the levels of disease activity index, myeloperoxidase activity, and histological inflammation in DSS-treated mice. In addition, SJSZ glycoprotein inhibited plasmic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) formation, nitric oxide (NO) production, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, accompanying the inhibition of colonic inflammatory signal proteins (NF-κB, iNOS, and COX-2) and inflammation-related cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). These results indicate that SJSZ glycoprotein inhibits oxidative and pro-inflammatory responses in mouse colitis.