Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Migratory Behaviour of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Abstract

Previous studies indicate that green tea extract may inhibit breast cancer progression by blocking angiogenesis, although the molecular mechanisms are not well defined. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the major biologically active component of green tea. In this study we evaluated the cell proliferation and relative gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression on Hs578T human breast cancer cell line at 24, 48 and 72 hours after 10 microM of EGCG treatment. Also, we evaluated the effect of this natural compound on the cell migratory behaviour based on real-time XCELLigence data. Cell proliferation becomes significantly low at 72 hours. EGCG had a dual effect on the VEGF gene expression timeline: after a first increase at 24 hours, it started to decrease at 48 and 72 hours. The inhibition of cell proliferation at 72 hours suggests a possible reactivation of apoptosis. The dual effect on VEGF expression in the presence of EGCG suggests the complexity of the angiogenic switch leading to the modulation of the cell migration processes. It also emphasizes the importance of the metabolite products in the modulation of these effects. Our findings have shown that EGCG suppresses the growth, migration and invasion of human breast cancer cells by inhibiting VEGF expression. A better understanding of this mechanism may lead to an improved strategy for tumor therapy based on the inhibition of angiogenesis.

(−)-Epigallocatechingallate induces apoptosis in B lymphoma cells via caspase-dependent pathway and Bcl-2 family protein modulation

“…Indeed, EGCG has been shown to possess anti-oxidative (8), antimicrobia (9), and anticarcinogenic (10) effects, in addition to reducing the risk for cardiovascular diseases (11), diabetes (12), neurodegenerative diseases (13) and cancer. The anticancer effects of EGCG on different cancer events have been assessed: EGCG reversed the progression of colon carcinomas by decreasing methylation (14), reduced mRNA expression and showed anti-proliferative potential in cervical cancer cells (15), induced apoptosis in skin cancer cells (16), and inhibited motility and angiogenesis of lung and breast cancer cells (17–19). In addition, the effect of EGCG on suppressing division and inducing apoptosis of cancer cells is mediated by several signaling pathways.…”

Screening of synergistic interactions of epigallocatechin-3-gallate with antiangiogenic and antitumor compounds

“…EGCG is a natural compound with a wide array of biological activities. In fact, EGCG has been shown to have antitumor, antiangiogenic and antiinflammatory effects [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. This makes EGCG a potentially interesting candidate for screening studies searching for synergistic combinations.…”

“…Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is an abundant polyphenol in green tea leaves with a number of biological activities, including antiangiogenesis [5], anticarcinogenesis [16][17][18], antimetastasis [19], as well as cancer chemoprevention, among others [20]. Furthermore, our group has previously shown that EGCG is a potent antiinflammatory compound [21,22] targeting histidine decarboxylase [23][24][25].…”

Nanopharmacology in translational hematology and oncology

“…In the last few years, our team has shed a new light on the field 11,12 by different conjugation procedures for these therapeutics. Overcoming this threshold bears major clinical significance in oncology and hematology, as developing nonviral gene delivery vehicles will bring new patient-tailored drugs within reach ( Figure 1).…”