The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that administration of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol present in abundance in widely consumed tea, inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis in breast cancer patients. EGCG in 400 mg capsules was orally administered three times daily to breast cancer patients undergoing treatment with radiotherapy. Parameters related to cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis were analyzed while blood samples were collected at different time points to determine efficacy of the EGCG treatment. Compared to patients who received radiotherapy alone, those given radiotherapy plus EGCG for an extended time period (two to eight weeks) showed significantly lower serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and reduced activation of metalloproteinase-9 and metalloproteinase-2 (MMP9/MMP2). Addition of sera obtained from patients treated with combination of radiotherapy and EGCG feeding for 2–8 weeks to in vitro cultures of highly-metastatic human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells resulted in the following significant changes: (1) suppression of cell proliferation and invasion; (2) arrest of cell cycles at the G0/G1 phase; (3) reduction of activation of MMP9/MMP2, expressions of Bcl-2/Bax, c-Met receptor, NF-κB, and the phosphorylation of Akt. MDA-MB-231 cells exposed to 5–10 µM EGCG also showed significant augmentation of the apoptosis inducing effects of γ-radiation, concomitant with reduced NF-κB protein level and AKT phosphorylation. These results provide hitherto unreported evidence that EGCG potentiated efficacy of radiotherapy in breast cancer patients, and raise the possibility that this tea polyphenol has potential to be a therapeutic adjuvant against human metastatic breast cancer.

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The cardioprotective properties of a δ₂-opioid receptor agonist deltorphin II were studied in rats with coronary occlusion and reperfusion. Opioid receptor ligands and inhibitors (glybenclamide, chelerythrine, and 5-hydroxydecanoate) were injected intravenously before ischemia and reperfusion. A δ₂-opioid receptor agonist deltorphin II significantly decreased the infarction zone/risk zone index. This effect was abolished by naltrexone, naloxone methiodide, and δ₂-opioid receptor antagonist naltriben, but not by a δ₁-opioid receptor antagonist BNTX. The infarct-limiting effect of deltorphin II was not observed after inhibition of protein kinase C or blockade of mitochondrial K(ATP) channels.

Nifedipine GITS has diuretic and natriuretic properties, which may enhance its antihypertensive efficacy. We assessed contributions of polymorphisms in the urea transporter-A gene (SLC14A2) to interindividual variations in blood pressure (BP) response to nifedipine treatment. 405 subjects from a single Chinese county received a single oral dose of 30 mg nifedipine GITS (gastrointestinal therapeutic system) daily for 16 days. We genotyped two SNPs in SLC14A2 and found significant associations for the Val227Ile (rs1123617) and Ala357Thr (rs3745009) polymorphisms with BP response to nifedipine treatment. After treatment, subjects with either Ala357/Thr357 or Thr357/Thr357 genotypes had significantly smaller mean changes in systolic BP (SBP) (beta +/- SE = -2.87 +/- 1.24 mmHg, p = 0.020) and diastolic BP (DBP) (beta +/- SE = -1.69 +/- 0.62 mmHg, p = 0.006) compared to those with the Ala357/Ala357 genotype. Subjects with either Val227/Ile227 or Ile227/Ile227 genotypes had significantly larger mean changes in SBP (beta +/- SE = 3.13 +/- 1.19, p = 0.009) and DBP (beta +/- SE = 1.50 +/- 0.60 mmHg, p = 0.013) compared with those with the Val227/Val227 genotype after treatment. Subjects carrying both the Ala357/Ala357 genotype in the Ala357Thr polymorphism and either Val227/Ile227 or Ile227/Ile227 genotypes in the Val227Ile polymorphism had the highest mean change in SBP and DBP. Our study supports the conclusion that polymorphisms in the SLC14A2 gene can predict the antihypertensive efficacy of nifedipine GITS.

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