• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.179-189
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• 2020

Green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a potent antioxidant with protective effects against neurotoxicity. However, it is currently unclear whether EGCG protects neuronal cells against radiation-induced damage. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of EGCG on ultraviolet (UV)-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in PC12 cells. The effects of UV irradiation included apoptotic cell death, which was associated with DNA fragmentation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, enhanced caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. UV irradiation also increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and mitochondrial pathway-associated cytochrome c expression. However, pretreatment with EGCG before UV exposure markedly decreased UV-induced DNA fragmentation and ROS production. Furthermore, the UV irradiation-induced increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cytochrome c upregulation, and caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation were each ameliorated by EGCG pretreatment. Additionally, EGCG suppressed UV-induced phosphorylation of p38 and rescued UV-downregulated phosphorylation of ERK. Taken together, these results suggest that EGCG prevents UV irradiation-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells by scavenging ROS and inhibiting the mitochondrial pathways known to play a crucial role in apoptosis. In addition, EGCG inhibits UV-induced apoptosis via JNK inactivation and ERK activation in PC12 cells. Thus, EGCG represents a potential neuroprotective agent that could be applied to prevent neuronal cell death induced by UV irradiation.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.2660-2667
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• 2011

TREK-1 channel is a member of the two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channel family that is regulated by intracellular pH, membrane stretch, polyunsaturated fatty acids, temperature, and some neuroprotectant agents. TREK-1 channel can influence neuronal excitability by regulating leakage of potassium ions and resting membrane potential. TREK-1 channel has been shown to be overexpressed in prostate cancer cells. Although the importance of these properties, relatively little is known about flavonoid effects in the regulations of TREK-1 channel. The purpose of the study was to screening of flavonoids as the TREK-1 channel modulator using one of electrophysiological techniques such as excised inside-out patch configuration. We demonstrated blocking effect on TREK-1 channel by flavonoids such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), curcumin and quercetin in CHO cells transiently expressing TREK-1 channel. The inhibition of TREK-1 channel by quercetin and curcumin was reversible, whereas EGCG was little reversible. Quercetin, EGCG and curcumin decreased the relative channel activity to 73%, 91% and 94%, respectively. The half-inhibitory concentration (IC50) of curcumin, quercetin and EGCG was $1.04{\pm}0.19\;{\mu}M$, $1.13{\pm}0.26\;{\mu}M$ and $13.5{\pm}2.20\;{\mu}M$ in CHO cells expressing TREK-1 channel, respectively. These results indicate that flavonoids might regulate TREK-1 and this regulation might be one of the pharmacological actions of flavonoid in nervous systems and cancer cells.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.13-24
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• 2006

Neuronal apoptotic events, consequently resulting in neuronal cell death, are occurred in hypoxic/ischemic condition. This cell death has been shown to be accompanied with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can attack cellular components such as nucleic acids, proteins and phospholipid. However, the underlying mechanisms of apoptosis induced in hypoxic/ischemic condition and its treatment methods are unsettled. Cobalt chloride $(CoCl_2)$ has been known to mimic hypoxic condition including the production of ROS. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a green tea polyphenol, has diverse pharmacologial activities in cell growth and death. This study was aimed to investigate the apoptotic mechanism by $CoCL_2$ and effects of EGCG on $CoCl_2-induced$ apoptosis in PC12 cells. Administration of $CoCl_2$ decreased cell survival in dose- and time-dependent manners and induced genomic DNA fragmentation. Treatment with $100{\mu}M$ EGCG for 30 min before PC12 cells were exposed to $150{\mu}M$ $CoCl_2$, being resulted in the cell viability and DNA fragmentation being rescued. $CoCl_2$ caused morphologic changes such as cell swelling and condensed nuclei whereas EGCG attenuated morphologic changes by $CoCl_2$. EGCG suppressed the apoptotic peak and a loss of ${\Delta}{\psi}_m$ induced by $CoCl_2$. $CoCl_2$ decreased Bcl-2 expression but Bax expression was not changed in $CoCl_2$- treated cells. EGCG attenuated the Bcl-2 underexpression by $CoCl_2$. $CoCl_2$ augumented the cytochrome c release from mitochondria into cytoplasm and increased caspase-8, -9 and caspase-3 activity a marker of the apoptotic executing stage. EGCG ameliorated the incruement in caspase-8, -9 and -3 activity, and cytochrome c release by $CoCl_2$ NAC (N-acetyl-cysteine), a scavenger of ROS, attenuated $CoCl_2-induced$ apoptosis in consistent with those of EGCG. These results suggest that $CoCl_2$ induces apoptotic cell death through both mitochondria- and death receptor-dependent pathway and EGCG has neuroprotective effects against $CoCl_2-induced$ apoptosis in PC12 cells.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.214-223
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• 2003

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of green tea extract (GTE) on arterial blood pressure and contractile responses of isolated aortic strips of the normotensive rats and to establish the mechanism of action. The phenylephrine ($10^{-6}~10^{-5}M$)-induced contractile responses were greatly inhibited in the presence of GTE (0.3~1.2 mg/mL) in a dose-dependent fashion. Also, high potassium ($3.5{\times}10^{-2}~5.6{\times}10^{-2}{\;}M$)-induced contractile responses were depressed in the presence of 0.6~1.2 mg/mL of GTE, but not affected in low concentration of GTE (0.3 mg/mL). However, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, $4~12{\;}{\mu}g/mL$) did not affect the contractile responses evoked by phenylephrine and high $K^+$. GTE (5~20 mg/kg) given into a femoral vein of the normotensive rat produced a dose-dependent depressor response, which is transient. Interestingly, the infusion of a moderate dose of GTE (10 mg/kg/30 min) made a significant reduction in pressor responses induced by intravenous norepinephrine. However, EGCG (1 mg/kg/30 min) did not affect them. Collectively, these results obtained from the present study demonstrate that intravenous GTE causes a dose-dependent depressor action in the anesthetized rat at least partly through the blockade of adrenergic $\alpha_1$-receptors. GTE also causes the relaxation in the isolated aortic strips of the rat via the blockade of adrenergic $\alpha_1$-receptors, in addition to the unknown direct mechanism. It seems that there is a big difference in the vascular effect between GTE and EGCG.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2014

Lung cancer is still the number one cause of death from cancer worldwide. The clinical effect of platinum-based chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer is constrained by the resistance to drug. To overcome chemo-resistance, various modified treatment including combination therapy has been used, but overall survival has not been improved yet. In this study, chemo-resistant lung cancer cells, A549/Cis and H460/Cis, were developed by long-term exposure of cells to cisplatin and the proliferative capability of these resistant cells was verified to be reduced. We found cytotoxic effect of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major catechin derived from green tea, on both the parental lung cancer cells, A549 and H460, and their cisplatin resistant cells, A549/Cis and H460/Cis. ELISA and Western blot analysis revealed that EGCG was able to increase interlukine-6 (IL-6) production per cell, whereas its downstream effector Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation was not changed by EGCG, indicating that IL-6/STAT3 axis is not the critical signaling to be inhibited by EGCG. We next found that EGCG suppresses the expression of both Axl and Tyro 3 receptor tyrosine kinases at mRNA and protein level, explaining the cytotoxic effect of EGCG on lung cancer cells, especially, regardless of cisplatin resistance. Taken together, these data suggest that EGCG impedes proliferation of lung cancer cells including their chemo-resistant variants through downregulation of Axl and Tyro 3 expression.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2016

In the present study, our aim was to determine whether green tea extract (GTE) and its major constituent, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) have a protective effect on ethanol-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in NIH/3T3 and HepG2 cells. The cell viability and DNA single strand breaks were examined by MTT assay and alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay), respectively. Ethanol decreased the cell viability and also increased DNA single strand breaks in a concentration-dependent manner. On the other hand, GTE showed the protective effect of cytotoxicity and DNA damage induced by ethanol in both cell lines. GTE and EGCG, were found to possess the anti-oxidative and anti-genotoxic activities by evaluation with DPPH test, LDL oxidation assay, oxidative DNA damage assay and 8OH-2'dG generation test. These results were also verified by the experimental results demonstrating the lower cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of commercial green tea liqueur compared to pure ethanol in same concentration. Thus it is concluded that the supplementation of GTE or EGCG may mitigate the ethanol-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.32 no.2 s.57
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• pp.117-121
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• 2006

Although many studies have been performed to elucidate the molecular consequence of factors that regulate skin aging, little is known about the effect of green tea catechins except EGCG. The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), can degrade matrix proteins and results in a collagen deficiency in photodamaged skin, are known to play an important role in photoaging. This study, investigated the effects of green tea catechins on the UVA-induced MMP-1 expression, activity of MMP-2 and synthesis of type I procollagen in human dermal fibroblasts. We examined eight catechins that naturally exist in green tea leaves and compared their efficacies among them. Most of catechins inhibited the expression of MMP-1 in dose dependent manner, and the levels were reduced, especially, 57.4 and 68.2% by treatment with $1{\mu}M$ of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and gallocatechin-3-gallate (GCG), respectively. Also, catechins significantly suppressed the activities of MMP-2. Catechins also induced the expression of type I procollagen, however, they acted only at the concentration below $1{\mu}M$ interestingly. Furthermore, when EGCG:GCG:ECG had the ratio of 0.5:1.5:.1.3, they presented the most effective on procollagen synthesis. Therefore, we concluded that catechins significantly inhibited MMPs and induced collagen synthesis. Taken together, all these results suggested that green tea catechins might be good natural materials act as an anti-photoaging and a skin-aging improving agent.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.525-531
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• 2013

Purpose: To identify the apoptosis caused by Proparacaine hydrochloride (PPC), a topical anesthesia, applied to conjunctival cell lines and determine whether pigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG), has protective effects on. Methods: The conjunctival cell lines were treated with 0.5% of Alcaine$^{(R)}$, 0.5% of PPC and 0.01% of Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) for 15 minutes, respectively in order to investigate the effects of topical anesthesia on cells, and followed by cultured for 12 and 24 hours. The recovery effects were investigated by measuring level of cellular proliferation inhibiting using MTT assay and LDH assay. The conjunctival cell lines were pre-treated with EGCG $10{\mu}M$ for 3 hrs and post-treated with 0.5% PPC for 15 mins in order to investigate whether EGCG has protective effects, flow cytometry were performed in order to observe apoptosis. Results: A result of the additional culture of 12 and 24 hours and again immediately after the treatment for 15 minutes 0.5% of Alcaine$^{(R)}$, 0.5% of PPC, the 0.01% of BAC, cell viability was not increased in all groups (p<0.05). The cell viabilities were higher than in cells 3 hours post-treated with $10{\mu}M$ of EGCG and pre-treated PPC 0.5% (68.2%), compared to cells ($32.2{\pm}2.0%$) treated only with 0.5% of PPC. PPC 0.5% also induced apoptosis in the treated group was reduced by the addition of EGCG. Conclusions: It is considered that the EGCG has cell protective effects when it is added to PPC, a topical anesthesia, by improving cell viability and inhibiting apoptosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1201-1211
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• 2018

The study compared the anti-aging, anti-adipogenesis, and anti-tumor effects of epigallocatechin-3- gallate (EGCG) in various cancer cell lines (SNU-601, MKN74, AGS, MCF-7, U87-MG, and A-549) and normal cell lines (MRC-5 fibroblasts, dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells [DSC], and 3T3-L1 pro-adipocytes). Half inhibitory concentration ($IC_{50}$) values were significantly (p<0.05) higher in normal cell lines (~50 uM), when compared to that in cancer cell lines (~10 uM). For anti-aging effects, MRC-5 and DSC were exposed to 10 uM EGCG for up to five passages that did not display any growth arrest. Population doubling time and senescence-related ${\beta}-galactosidase$ ($SA-{\beta}-gal$) activity in treated cells were similar to untreated cells. For anti-adipogenic effects, mouse 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes were induced to adipocytes in an adipogenic differentiation medium containing 10 uM EGCG, but adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells was not inhibited by EGCG treatment. For anti-tumor effects, the cancer cell lines were treated with 10 uM EGCG. PDT was significantly (p<0.05) increased in EGCG-treated SNU-601, AGS, MCF-7, and U87-MG cancer cell lines, except in MKN74 and A-549. The level of telomerase activity and cell migration capacity were significantly (p<0.05) reduced, while $SA-{\beta}-gal$ activity was highly up-regulated in EGCG treated-cancer cell lines, when compared to that in untreated cancer cell lines. Our results have demonstrated that EGCG treatment induces anti-tumor effects more efficiently as noted by decreased cell proliferation, cell migration, telomerase activity, and increased $SA-{\beta}-gal$ activity than inducing anti-aging and anti-adipogenesis. Therefore, EGCG at a specific concentration can be considered for a potential anti-tumor drug.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.38-42
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• 2007

The present study was conducted to investigate the translocation of polyphenols, especially catechin derivatives, from mushroom medium mixed with green tea residues into fruiting body of Pleurotus eryngii. Pleurotus eryngii was grown on the media incorporated by mixing or surface-treated with dry materials including leaf petioles and young stems or leaves of green tea. The dry materials treated in medium did not affect plant height and fresh weight of Pleurotus eryngii body. From the samples of Pleurotus eryngii, the eight main catechin derivatives (-)-gallocatechin(GC), (+)-catechin (C), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (-)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), and (-)-catechin gallate (EGCG), and caffeine were analyzed quantitatively by HPLC. The results showed that EGC in Pleurotus eryngii was 45% more detected, when incorporated with the dry materials, than untreated control. Especially, content of EGCG was increased in surface-treated Pleurotus eryngii up to 3.2 ppm, while it was not detected or reduced in control and other treatments. Caffeine content was greatly increased regardless of treatment method, compared with control (0.1ppm), showing 44 fold-amount in Pleurotus eryngii at early growth stage when incorporated with the dry materials into medium. The results indicates that functional catechin derivatives of green tea would be partly translocated into Pleurotus eryngii throught incorporation and surface treatment with residues of green tea plants.