Summary
Based on the evidence that (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the main constituent of Japanese green tea, Camellia sinensis, has anticarcinogenic effects on rodent carcinogenesis, many investigators found that green tea extract in drinking water also inhibits carcinogenesis of various organs in rodents. As for the inhibitory mechanisms of carcinogenesis, we found that EGCG inhibited the release of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), an endogenous tumor promoter from BALB/3T3 cells, induced by okadaic acid, suggesting that EGCG reduces the amount of this endogenous tumor promoter in tissues. EGCG also inhibited TNF-α release from PE501/TNF cells, which are transfected retrovirus vector containing TNF-α cDNA and which constantly produce TNF-α. These results suggest that EGCG inhibits the process of TNF-a release by blocking the interaction of tumor promoter to its receptor as well as inhibition of proteolysis of TNF-α precursor protein. In addition, we briefly discuss the results with direct administration of 3H-EGCG into the stomach of mice. We present here our results with EGCG and green tea extract as promising cancer chemopreventives, with emphasis on their mechanisms of action.
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Suganuma, M. et al. (1997). Mechanisms of (−)-Epigallocatechin Gallate and Green Tea in Inhibition of Carcinogenesis. In: Ohigashi, H., Osawa, T., Terao, J., Watanabe, S., Yoshikawa, T. (eds) Food Factors for Cancer Prevention. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67017-9_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67017-9_24
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