Inhibitory effect of some oxygenated stigmastane-type sterols on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced inflammation in mice.

The oxygenated stigmastane-type sterols stigmastane-3 beta, 6 alpha-diol, stigmastane-3 beta, 6 beta-diol, 7 alpha-hydroxysitosterol and its diacetyl derivative, 7 beta-hydroxysitosterol and its diacetyl derivative, 7-oxositosterol, 4 beta-hydroxysitosterol, and stigmast-4-ene-3 beta, 6 beta-diol were evaluated with respect to their anti-inflammatory activity against 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammation in mice. All of the sterols, with the exception of 7 alpha-hydroxysitosterol and its diacetyl derivative, were found to possess marked inhibitory activity. The 50% inhibitory dose of these compounds for TPA-inflammation (1 microgram) was 0.5--1.0 mg/ear.