• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.3-11
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• 2011

Hepatocyte growth factor(HGF) and c-Met play an important role in the control of tumor growth and invasion, and they are known to be good prognostic indicators of patient outcome. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been shown to have chemopreventive and therapeutic properties by modulating multiple signal pathways regarding the control of proliferation and invasion of cells. In this study, we evaluated the role of c-Met in EGCG-induced inhibition of invasion and apoptosis in an oral cancer cell line. In KB cells where c-Met was knocked down with siRNA, we performed invasion assay and FACS with Annexin V-FITC/PT staining. In addition, we checked the change of mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP) and the generation of reactive oxygen species(ROS). EGCG-induced inhibition of invasiveness was significantly decreased after the knock-down of c-Met. EGCG-induced apoptosis, MMP change and ROS generation was also reduced in c-Met knock-ed-down KB cells. These results suggest that c-Met is involved in EGCG-induced apoptosis and inhibition of invasiveness of oral cancer cell line.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.163-169
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• 2007

The neurotoxicity of amyloid $\beta(A\beta)$ is associated with an increased production of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis, and it has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease. While(-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG) suppresses $A\beta$-induced apoptosis, the mechanisms underlying this process have yet to be completely clarified. This study was designed to investigate whether EGCG plays a neuroprotective role by activating cell survival system such as protein kinase C(PKC), extracellular-signal-related kinase(ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK), and anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic genes in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. One ${\mu}M\;A{\beta}_{1-42}$ decreased cell viability, which was correlated with increased DNA fragmentation evidenced by DAPI staining. Pre-treatment of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with EGCG($1{\mu}M$) significantly attenuated $A{\beta}_{1-42}$-induced cytotoxicity. Potential cell signaling candidates involved in this neuroprotective effects were further examined. EGCG restored the reduced PKC, ERK, and JNK activities caused by $A{\beta}_{1-42}$ toxicity. In addition, gene expression analysis revealed that EGCG prevented both the $A{\beta}_{1-42}$-induced expression of a pro-apoptotic gene mRNA, Bad and Bax, and the decrease of an anti-apoptotic gene mRNA, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. These results suggest that the neuroprotective mechanism of EGCG against $A{\beta}_{1-42}$-induced apoptotic cell death includes stimulation of PKC, ERK, and JNK, and modulation of cell survival and death genes.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2014

A great interest is emerging about green tea as a tool against human cancer proliferation or inflammation, as pointed out by recent reports describing the inhibitory action of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on angiogenesis, urokinase, metalloproteinases, and induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase. We proposed that EGCG may regulate a multi target signaling having wider spectra of action than those actions of single enzymes. CSK (c-terminal Src kinase) protein is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in the cross-talk and mediation of many signaling pathways that promote cell proliferation, adhesion, invasion, migration, and tumorigenesis. Based on the knowledge that CSK activation is important for cancer proliferation we hypothesized that CSK could be a target of EGCG. Here we showed that EGCG effectively suppressed the growth of CSK MEF cell when compare with CSK knockout MEF cell growth. These results indicate that EGCG could be used as a chemoprevention to modulate CSK signal pathway in inflammatory processes and tumor formation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.325-329
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• 2010

Vascular NADPH oxidase plays a pivotal role in producing superoxide in endothelial cells and thus acts in the initiation and development of inflammatory cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major catechin derived from green tea, has multiple beneficial effects for treating cardiovascular disease but the effect of EGCG on the expression of vascular NADPH oxidase remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the mechanism(s) by which EGCG might inhibit the expression of subunits of NADPH oxidase, namely $p47^{phox}$, $p67^{phox}$ and $p22^{phox}$, induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Ang II increased the expression levels of $p47^{phox}$, $p67^{phox}$, and $p22^{phox}$, but EGCG counteracted this effect on $p47^{phox}$. Moreover, EGCG did not affect the production of reactive oxygen species induced by Ang II. These data suggest a novel mechanism whereby EGCG might provide direct vascular benefits for treating inflammatory cardiovascular diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2015

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key regulator of energy metabolism. Previous studies have shown that activation of AMPK results in suppression of cardiac myocyte hypertrophy via inhibition of the p70S6 kinase (p70S6K) and eukaryotic elongation factor-2 (eEF2) signaling pathways. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major polyphenol found in green tea, possesses multiple protective effects on the cardiovascular system including cardiac hypertrophy. However, the molecular mechanisms has not been well investigated. In this study, we found that EGCG could significantly reduce natriuretic peptides type A (Nppa), brain natriuretic polypeptide (BNP) mRNA expression and decrease cell surface area in H9C2 cardiomyocytes stimulated with phenylephrine (PE). Moreover, we showed that AMPK is activated in H9C2 cardiomyocytes by EGCG, and AMPK-dependent pathway participates in the inhibitory effects of EGCG on cardiac hypertrophy. Taken together, our findings provide the first evidence that the effect of EGCG against cardiac hypertrophy may be attributed to its activation on AMPK-dependent signaling pathway, suggesting the therapeutic potential of EGCG on the prevention of cardiac remodeling in patients with pressure overload hypertrophy.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.196-202
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• 2011

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), or epigallocatechin 3-gallate, is the ester of epigallocatechin and gallic acid, and is a type of catechin. EGCG may be therapeutic for many disorders including diabetics and some types of cancer. However it is unknown whether EGCG can induce transdifferentiation of pancreatic cells in pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of EGCG on the expression of pancreatic regenerating related markers in pancreatic AR42J cells, a model of pancreatic progenitor cells. AR42J cells, differentiated with betacellulin and activin A, were cultured with/without EGCG in a time-dependent manner. Cell growth rate, levels of mRNA, and protein expression were examined with the MTT assay, quantitative PCR, and Western blots, respectively. The results showed that AR42J cell growth rates were inhibited by EGCG in a dose-dependent manner. mRNA and protein expression of amylase, insulin and neurogenin 3 (ngn 3) increased in AR42J cells treated with EGCG. Additionally, we demonstrated that the signal transduction pathway of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is active in EGCG-treated AR42J cells. ERK and JNK phosphorylation decreased in cells treated with EGCG but not p38 phosphorylation. Activation of the p38 MAP kinase pathway was confirmed by specific MAP kinase pathways inhibitors: U0126 for ERK, SP600126 for JNK, and SB203580 for p38. Activated p38 phosphorylation was inhibited by the specific p38 inhibitor SB203580 but p38 phosphorylation was inhibited with increased EGCG treatment. The ERK and JNK MAP kinase pathways were not affected by EGCG treatment. Although further studies are needed, these results suggest that EGCG affects the induction of pancreatic cell regeneration by increasing the ngn 3 protein and mRNA expression and activating the p38 MAP kinase pathway.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.107-111
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• 2007

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCC), a flavonoid, is the main component of green tea extracts. EGCG has been reported to be an inhibitor of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and cytochrom P450 3A(CYP3A4). This study investigated the effect of long-term administration of EGCG on the pharmacokinetics of verapamil in rats. Pharmacokinetic parameters of verapamil were determined after oral administration of verapamil (9 mg/kg) in rats pretreated with EGCG (7.5 mg/hg) for 3 and 9 days. Compared to oral control group, the presence of EGCG significantly (p<0.01) increased the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of verapamil by 102% (coad), 83.2% (3 days) and 52.3% (9 days), and the peak concentration $(C_{max})$ by 134% (coad), 120% (3 days) and 66.1% (9 days). The absolute bioavailability (A.B.%) of verapamil was significantly (p<0.01) higher by 8.4% (coad), 7.7% (3 days), 6.4% (9 days) compared to control (4.2%), and presence of EGCG was no significant change in the terminal half-life $(t_{1/2})$ and the time to reach the peak concentration $(T_{max})$ of verapamil. Our results indicate that EGCG significantly enhanced oral bioavailability of verapamil in rats, implying that presence of EGCG could be effective to inhibit the CYP3A4-mediated metabolism and P-gp efflux of verapamil in the intestine. Drug interactions should be considered in the clinical setting when verapamil is coadministrated with EGCG or EGCG-containing dietary.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.260-268
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• 2016

The aim of this work was to investigate the cellular responses and proteomic analysis of Bacillus cereus MH-2 exposed to EGCG. Strain MH-2 was isolated from commercial Ssamjang and has the hemolytic activity. Survival of the MH-2 strain with time in the presence of different concentrations of EGCG under sublethal conditions was monitored. The amount of alginate from MH-2 strain decreased depending on the increasing concentrations of EGCG and increased depending on the exposure time at any particular EGCG concentration. Analysis of SDS-PAGE and Western blot using anti-DnaK and anti-GroEL revealed that two stress shock proteins, 70 kDa DnaK and 60 kDa GroEL were found to decrease in proportion to the EGCG concentration in exponentially growing cultures. Scanning electron microscopic analysis demonstrated the presence of protrusions and fused rod forms on the cells treated with EGCG. 2-DE of soluble protein fractions from MH-2 cultures showed 20 protein spots changed by EGCG exposure. These proteins involved in enterotoxins (hemolysin BL lytic component L1 and hemolysin BL-binding protein), chaperons (DnaK and GroEL), cell defense (peptidase M4 family proteins), and various biosynthesis and energy metabolism were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using MALDI-TOF. These results provide clues for understanding the mechanism of EGCG-induced stress and cytotoxicity on B. cereus MH-2.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.259-265
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• 2013

The anti-apoptotic effect of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) during unilateral testicular torsion and detorsion (TT/D) was established in our previous study. In mice, the smallest inhibitor of apoptosis, survivin, is alternatively spliced into three variants, each suggested to have a unique function. Here, we assessed how EGCG exerts its protective effect through the expression of the different survivin splice variants and determined its effect on the morphology of the seminiferous tubules during TT/D. Three mouse groups were used: sham, TT/D+vehicle and TT/D treated with EGCG. The expression of the survivin variants (140 and 40) and other apoptosis genes (p53, Bax and Bcl-2) was measured with semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Histological analysis was performed to assess DNA fragmentation, damage to spermatogenesis and morphometric changes in the seminiferous tubules. In the TT/D+vehicle group, survivin 140 expression was markedly decreased, whereas survivin 40 expression was not significantly different. In parallel, there was an increase in the mRNA level of p53 and the Bax to Bcl-2 ratio in support of apoptosis induction. Histological analyses revealed increased DNA fragmentation and increased damage to spermatogenesis associated with decreased seminiferous tubular diameter and decreased germinal epithelial cell thickness in the TT/D+vehicle group. These changes were reversed to almost sham levels upon EGCG treatment. Our data indicate that EGCG protects the testis from TT/D-induced damage by protecting the morphology of the seminiferous tubules and modulating survivin 140 expression.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2013

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on the shear bond strength of composite resin to bleached enamel. Materials and Methods: Ninety enamel surfaces of maxillary incisors were randomly divided into 9 groups as follows: G1: control (no bleaching); G2: bleaching; G3: bleaching and storage for seven days; G4 - 6: bleaching and application of 600, 800 and 1,000 ${\mu}mol$ of EGCG-containing solution for 10 minutes, respectively; G7 - 9: bleaching and application of 600, 800 and 1,000 ${\mu}mol$ of EGCG-containing solution for 20 minutes, respectively. The specimens were bleached with 30% hydrogen peroxide gel and a composite resin cylinder was bonded on each specimen using a bonding agent. Shear bond strength of the samples were measured in MPa. Data was analyzed using the two-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests (${\alpha}$ = 0.05). Results: The maximum and minimum mean shear bond strength values were observed in G1 and G2, respectively. Time and concentration of EGCG showed no significant effects on bond strength of the groups (p > 0.05). Multiple comparison of groups did not reveal any significant differences between the groups except for G2 and all the other groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: There is a significant decrease in bond strength of composite resin to enamel immediately after bleaching. A delay of one week before bonding and the use of EGCG increased bond strength of composite resin to bleached enamel.