Tea catechins inhibit angiogenesis in vitro, measured by human endothelial cell growth, migration and tube formation, through inhibition of VEGF receptor binding

• Published in: Cancer letters Vol. 180; no. 2; pp. 139 - 144
• Main Authors: Kondo, Takako, Ohta, Toshiro, Igura, Koichi, Hara, Yukihiko, Kaji, Kazuhiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 28.06.2002; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - pharmacology; Antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Catechin - pharmacology; Cell culture; Cell Division - drug effects; Cell growth; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Chemotherapy; Collagen; Drug dosages; Endothelium, Vascular - cytology; Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects; Human endothelial cells; Humans; Kinases; Medical sciences; Migration; Mutation; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - metabolism; Receptors, Growth Factor - antagonists & inhibitors; Receptors, Growth Factor - metabolism; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; Rodents; Studies; Tea; Tea catechins; Tube formation; Tumors; VEGF; Angiogenesis; Human endothelial cells; Tea catechins; Tube formation; Migration; VEGF; Antineoplastic agent; Human; Cell proliferation; Catechin; Endothelial cell; In vitro; Biological activity; Tea; Growth factor receptor; Binding capacity; Vascular endothelium growth factor; Established cell line; Plant origin; Antiangiogenic agent; Mechanism of action; Umbilical vein; Comparative study; Food
• ISSN: 0304-3835; 1872-7980
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3835(02)00007-1

We have investigated whether tea catechins (EC, ECg, EGC, EGCg) have any inhibitory effects on angiogenesis and which step they affect during the process. The effects of catechins were tested on in vitro models of angiogenesis, namely, growth, migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. All four catechins inhibited angiogenesis in vitro in the three different bioassays with concentrations ranging from 1.56 to 100 μM. Among the four catechins tested, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) was the most effective in inhibiting angiogenesis in all three assays. When these four catechins were tested on VEGF binding assay, only EGCg inhibited the binding of VEGF, a major angiogenesis inducing factor, to endothelial cells in a concentration dependent manner. These results indicate that while all four tea catechins inhibit the process of angiogenesis, EGCg alone can reduce the binding of VEGF to its receptors and thus affects the downstream signaling.