This study aim to investigate the protective effects of bamboo shoot oil (BSO) and its mechanisms on nonbacterial prostatitis (NBP). The anti-prostatitis effect of BSO were evaluated by prostate weight, acid phosphatase, density of lecithin corpuscles (DLCC), white blood cell count (WBC), and prostatic histomorphological parameters using Xiaozhiling-induced experimental NBP model in rats. The mechanisms of anti-prostatitis effect were assessed using functionally focused cDNA microarray and real-time PCR. BSO could significantly inhibited absolute prostate weight, prostate index, total acid phosphatase, prostatic acid phosphatase, WBC and the expression levels of thirty up-regulated genes, while BSO could significantly increased DLCC and the expression levels of fifteen down-regulated genes. Histologically, BSO treatment significantly suppressed the severity of the lesion in NBP-induced rats. Thus, BSO may be useful for treatment of NBP, as it may inhibits prostate inflammation in NBP patients by affecting the expression of inflammatory cytokines, their receptors, and related genes.

Bamboo shoots are regarded as potential sources of sterols. The effects of genetic variability, parts and harvest seasons on the sterol content and composition in the bamboo shoots have been determined using a novel ultra-performance liquid chromatographic atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometer method. The results showed that the representative sterols in bamboo shoots were β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, ergosterol, cholesterol and stigmastanol; exception stigmastanol, the significant differences were observed in the sterol content of different species (112.4–279.6 mg/100 g dry wt), different harvest seasons (195.3–279.6 mg/100 g dry wt) and different parts (253.6–321.8 mg/100 g dry wt); the sterol composition was similar in different species and different harvest seasons, however, it was significantly different between shoot bodies and shoot shell. The genetic variability, parts and harvest seasons could significantly affect the sterol composition in the bamboo shoots. The spring shoot shell of Phyllostachys pubescens contained the highest sterol content (321.8 mg/100 g dry wt).