β-sitosteryl-3-O-β-glucopyranoside isolated from the bark of Sorbus commixta ameliorates pro-inflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

The bark of Sorbus commixta has been used in Asian traditional medicine for treatment of cough, asthma, bronchial disorders, gastritis and dropsy. However, the anti-inflammatory effect of β-sitosteryl-3-O-β-glucopyranoside, a major compound of the bark of S. commixta, is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect and the underlying molecular mechanisms of β-sitosteryl-3-O-β-glucopyranoside in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and cytokines released from cells were measured using EIA assay kit. The expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and/or Western blot analysis. β-sitosteryl-3-O-β-glucopyranoside inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) and PGE₂ along with the expression of iNOS and COX-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, β-sitosteryl-3-O-β-glucopyranoside reduced the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. Moreover, β-sitosteryl-3-O-β-glucopyranoside inhibited the NF-κB activation induced by LPS, which was associated with the abrogation of IκBα degradation and subsequent decreases in nuclear p65 levels. The result suggested that the β-sitosteryl-3-O-β-glucopyranoside inhibited NO and pro-inflammatory productions by down-regulating the gene expression of pro-inflammatory mediators via the negative regulation of the NF-кB pathway in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.