Prevention of carcinogenesis of mouse mammary epithelial cells RIII/MG by epigallocatechin gallate

• Published in: International journal of molecular medicine Vol. 10; no. 3; p. 311
• Main Authors: Yanaga, Hiroshi, Fujii, Teruhiko, Koga, Toshihiro, Araki, Ruriko, Shirouzu, Kazuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01.09.2002
• Subjects: Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents - pharmacology; Body Weight; Catechin - analogs & derivatives; Catechin - pharmacology; DNA Fragmentation; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Female; Mammary Glands, Animal - cytology; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal - prevention & control; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Neoplasm Transplantation; Time Factors; Tumor Cells, Cultured
• ISSN: 1107-3756
• DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.10.3.311

The chemopreventive effect of the polyphenols abundant in green tea on carcinogenesis has been attracting attention in recent years. Among tea polyphenols, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has been studied as a preventive substance for carcinogenesis. We investigated the chemopreventive effect in a group treated with EGCG in vitro and in vivo using mouse mammary epithelial cells RIII/MG. In the in vitro experiment, crude catechin (catechin) containing 50% or more EGCG significantly inhibited the growth of RIII/MG cells, which were precancerous cultured cells. Many cells died, and a DNA ladder was observed. In the in vivo experiment, RIII/MG cells formed a tumor after 13 weeks in a group without catechin treatment, and the tumor formation rate in the 20th week was 40%. In a group treated with 0.1% catechin, a tumor began to grow in the 13th week, and the tumor formation rate in the 20th week was 20%. In a group treated with 1% catechin, no tumor was detected even in the 20th week. There was no significant difference in the change in body weight between the catechin treatment groups and the non-treatment group during the observation period. Tissue samples were stained by the nick-end-labeling method and apoptosis was observed in many cells. Based on the above findings, EGCG inhibited growth in the mouse viral mammary epithelial carcinogenesis model RIII/MG, and induced apoptosis, suggesting a clinical usefulness of EGCG as a chemopreventive substance.