ESR study on the structure-antioxidant activity relationship of tea catechins and their epimers. (1/1387)

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the free radical scavenging activities and the chemical structures of tea catechins ((-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) and (-)-epicatechin (EC)) and their corresponding epimers ((-)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG), (-)-gallocatechin (GC) and (+)-catechin ((+)-C)). With electron spin resonance (ESR) we investigated their scavenging effects on superoxide anions (O-.2) generated in the irradiated riboflavin system, singlet oxygen(1O2) generated in the photoradiation-hemoporphyrin system, the free radicals generated from 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane)hydrochloride (AAPH) and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The results showed that the scavenging effects of galloylated catechins (EGCG and GCG) on the four free radicals were stronger than those of nongalloylated catechins (EGC, GC, EC, (+)-C), and the scavenging effects of EGC and GC were stronger than those of EC and (+)-C. Thus, it is suggested that the presence of the gallate group at the 3 position plays the most important role in their free radical-scavenging abilities and an additional insertion of the hydroxyl group at the 5' position in the B ring also contributes to their scavenging activities. Moreover, the corresponding phenoxyl radicals formed after the reaction with O-.2 were trapped by DMPO and the ESR spectra of DMPO/phenoxyl radical adducts were observed (aN=15.6 G and aHbeta=21.5 G). No significant differences were found between the scavenging effects of the catechins and their epimers when their concentrations were high. However, significant differences were observed at relatively low concentrations, and the lower their concentrations, the higher the differences. The scavenging abilities of GCG, GC and (+)-C were stronger than those of their corresponding epimers (EGCG, EGC and EC). The differences between their sterical structures played a more important role in their abilities to scavenge large free radicals, such as the free radicals generated from AAPH and the DPPH radical, than to scavenge small free radicals, such as O-.2 and 1O2, especially in the case with EGCG and GCG with more bulky steric hindrance.  (+info)

Procyanidin oligomers selectively and intensively promote proliferation of mouse hair epithelial cells in vitro and activate hair follicle growth in vivo. (2/1387)

We have previously reported that proanthocyanidins extracted from grape seeds possess growth-promoting activity toward murine hair epithelial cells in vitro and stimulate anagen induction in hair cycle progression in vivo. This report constitutes a comparison of the growth-promoting activity of procyanidin oligomers and the target cells of procyanidins in the skin. Results show that procyanidin dimer and trimer exhibit higher growth-promoting activity than the monomer. The maximum growth-promoting activity for hair epithelial cells with procyanidin B-2, an epicatechin dimer, reached about 300% (30 microM) relative to controls (= 100%) in a 5 d culture. Optimum concentration of procyanidin C-1, an epicatechin trimer, was lower than that of procyanidin B-2; the maximum growth-promoting activity of procyanidin C-1 was about 220% (3 microM). No other flavonoid compounds examined exhibit higher proliferative activities than the procyanidins. In skin constituent cells, only epithelial cells such as hair keratinocytes or epidermal keratinocytes respond to procyanidin oligomers. Topical application of 1% procyanidin oligomers on shaven C3H mice in the telogen phase led to significant hair regeneration [procyanidin B-2, 69.6% +/- 21.8% (mean +/- SD); procyanidin B-3, 80.9% +/- 13.0%; procyanidin C-1, 78.3% +/- 7.6%] on the basis of the shaven area; application of vehicle only led to regeneration of 41.7% (SD = 16.3%). In this paper, we demonstrate the hair-growing activity of procyanidin oligomers both in vitro and in vivo, and their potential for use as agents to induce hair growth.  (+info)

Inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene-induced mutagenesis by (-)-epigallocatechin gallate in the lung of rpsL transgenic mice. (3/1387)

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a major water-soluble component of green tea. The antimutagenic activity of EGCG against benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-induced mutations was assessed by using transgenic mice carrying the rpsL gene as a monitor of mutations. Seven-week-old male mice were given drinking water containing EGCG for 3 weeks. On day 7, mice were treated with a single i.p. injection of B[a]P (500 mg/kg body wt). Two weeks after the injection, the mutations in the rpsL gene were analyzed. B[a]P treatment resulted in an approximately 4-fold increase of mutation frequency at the rpsL gene in the lung. An approximately 60% reduction in the B[a]P-induced mutations in the lung was observed when mice were given EGCG at concentrations >0.005%. B[a]P-induced mutations mainly occurred at G:C basepairs in the several specific nucleotide sequences of the rpsL gene. These were AGG, CGG, CGT, TGG, TGC and GGT: all of them contained a guanine residue. Mutations seen similarly in the human Ki-ras codon 12 or p53 codons 157, 248, and 273 of lung tumor were also found in the rpsL gene, and the mutations were suppressed by the EGCG treatment. In conclusion, the antimutagenic effects of EGCG for B[a]P-induced mutagenesis in vivo suggest that drinking green tea may reduce the tumor-initiating potency of B[a]P in the lung.  (+info)

Methylation of tea catechins by rat liver homogenates. (4/1387)

Methylation of (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECg), and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) was carried out with a rat liver homogenate and S-adenosyl-L-methionine. A structural analysis of the reaction products by MS and NMR showed that 4'-O-methyl EGC, 4"-O-methyl ECg, and 4"-O-methyl EGCg had been formed from EGC, ECg, and EGCg, respectively. These results suggest that methylation may be one of the metabolic pathways to the catechins.  (+info)

Epigallocathechin-3 gallate selectively inhibits the PDGF-BB-induced intracellular signaling transduction pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells and inhibits transformation of sis-transfected NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and human glioblastoma cells (A172). (5/1387)

Enhanced activity of receptor tyrosine kinases such as the PDGF beta-receptor and EGF receptor has been implicated as a contributing factor in the development of malignant and nonmalignant proliferative diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis. Several epidemiological studies suggest that green tea may prevent the development of cancer and atherosclerosis. One of the major constituents of green tea is the polyphenol epigallocathechin-3 gallate (EGCG). In an attempt to offer a possible explanation for the anti-cancer and anti-atherosclerotic activity of EGCG, we examined the effect of EGCG on the PDGF-BB-, EGF-, angiotensin II-, and FCS-induced activation of the 44 kDa and 42 kDa mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase isoforms (p44(mapk)/p42(mapk)) in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from rat aorta. VSMCs were treated with EGCG (1-100 microM) for 24 h and stimulated with the above mentioned agonists for different time periods. Stimulation of the p44(mapk)/p42(mapk) was detected by the enhanced Western blotting method using phospho-specific MAP kinase antibodies that recognized the Tyr204-phosphorylated (active) isoforms. Treatment of VSMCs with 10 and 50 microM EGCG resulted in an 80% and a complete inhibition of the PDGF-BB-induced activation of MAP kinase isoforms, respectively. In striking contrast, EGCG (1-100 microM) did not influence MAP kinase activation by EGF, angiotensin II, and FCS. Similarly, the maximal effect of PDGF-BB on the c-fos and egr-1 mRNA expression as well as on intracellular free Ca2+ concentration was completely inhibited in EGCG-treated VSMCs, whereas the effect of EGF was not affected. Quantification of the immunoprecipitated tyrosine-phosphorylated PDGF-Rbeta, phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, and phospholipase C-gamma1 by the enhanced Western blotting method revealed that EGCG treatment effectively inhibits tyrosine phosphorylation of these kinases in VSMCs. Furthermore, we show that spheroid formation of human glioblastoma cells (A172) and colony formation of sis-transfected NIH 3T3 cells in semisolid agar are completely inhibited by 20-50 microM EGCG. Our findings demonstrate that EGCG is a selective inhibitor of the tyrosine phosphorylation of PDGF-Rbeta and its downstream signaling pathway. The present findings may partly explain the anti-cancer and anti-atherosclerotic activity of green tea.  (+info)

Involvement of endothelium/nitric oxide in vasorelaxation induced by purified green tea (-)epicatechin. (6/1387)

The present study investigated the involvement of endothelial nitric oxide in relaxation induced by purified green tea (-)epicatechin in rat isolated mesenteric arteries. (-)Epicatechin caused both endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxation. NG-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 microM) and methylene blue (10 microM) significantly attenuated (-)epicatechin-induced relaxation in endothelium-intact tissues. L-Arginine (1 mM) partially antagonized the effect of L-NAME. (-)Epicatechin-induced relaxation was inhibited by Rp-guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphothioate triethylamine. In contrast, indomethacin and glibenclamide had no effect. (-)Epicatechin (100 microM) significantly increased the tissue content of cyclic GMP and NG-nitro-L-arginine (100 microM) or removal of the endothelium abolished this increase. (-)Epicatechin (100 microM) induced an increase in intracellular Ca2+ levels in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Iberiotoxin at 100 nM attenuated (-)epicatechin-induced relaxation in endothelium-intact arteries and this effect was absent in the presence of 100 microM L-NAME. In summary, (-)epicatechin-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation is primarily mediated by nitric oxide and partially through nitric oxide-dependent activation of iberiotoxin-sensitive K+ channels. In addition, there may be a causal link between increased Ca2+ levels and nitric oxide release in response to (-)epicatechin.  (+info)

Suppression of extracellular signals and cell proliferation by the black tea polyphenol, theaflavin-3,3'-digallate. (7/1387)

Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that the major green tea polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), suppressed autophosphorylation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor induced by EGF in human A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells. In this study, we examined the inhibitory effects of black tea polyphenols, including theaflavin (TF-1), a mixture (TF-2) of theaflavin-3-gallate (TF-2a) and theaflavin-3'-gallate (TF-2b), theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TF-3) and the thearubigin fraction on the autophosphorylation of the EGF and PDGF receptors in A431 cells and mouse NIH3T3 fibroblast cells, respectively. First, we examined the effects of these polyphenols on the proliferation of A431 and NIH3T3 cells. Both EGCG and TF-3 strongly inhibited the proliferation of A431 and NIH3T3 cells more than the other theaflavins did. In cultured cells with pre-treatment of tea polyphenol, TF-3 was stronger than EGCG on the reduction of EGF receptor and PDGF receptor autophosphorylation induced by EGF and PDGF, respectively. Other theaflavins slightly reduced the autophosphorylation of the EGF and PDGF receptors; furthermore, TF-3 could reduce autophosphorylation of the EGF receptor (or PDGF receptor) even with co-treatment with EGF (or PDGF) and TF-3, but EGCG was inactive under these conditions. In addition, TF-3 was stronger than EGCG in blocking EGF binding to its receptor. These results suggest that not only the green tea polyphenol, EGCG, but also the black tea polyphenol, TF-3, have an antiproliferative activity on tumor cells, and the molecular mechanisms of antiproliferation may block the growth factor binding to its receptor and thus suppress mitogenic signal transduction.  (+info)

Apoptosis-inducing activity of polyphenol compounds derived from tea catechins in human histiolytic lymphoma U937 cells. (8/1387)

Polyphenolic compounds derived from tea catechins were examined for apoptosis-inducing activity in human histiolytic lymphoma U937 cells. (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate, theasinensin D, compound OH-5, theaflavin, and theaflavin digallate induced apoptosis as evidenced by DNA ladder formation, its inhibition by a caspase inhibitor, and chromatin condensation. Theasinensin D was the most potent inducer and the data suggest the importance of the number and three dimensional localization of their phenolic groups in this activity. These apoptosis-inducible compounds may be useful as a cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent.  (+info)

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