ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the effect of P-sitosterol on the expression of vascular adhesion molecule 1 and intracellular adhesion molecule 1 by cell ELISA and the attachment of monocytes in tumor necrosis factor-alpha-stimulated human aortic endothelial cells by adhesion assay. It explores the genotoxic and cytotoxic potential of sterols by determining the capacity of the compounds to induce sister chromatid exchanges or to alter cellular proliferation kinetics and the mitotic index in mouse bone marrow cells. P-sitosterol is present in all plant lipids and is used for steroid synthesis. Chemical structure of p-sitosterol is similar to cholesterol. The effects of p-sitosterol on fertility, epididymal sperm counts and testicular and accessory reproductive organ weights were evaluated in male albino rats. The antifertility effect of p-sitosterol was pronounced only at the high dose level, but there was a significant decrease in testicular weight and sperm concentrations after long-term treatment with the low dose of p-sitosterol.
