Tea pigments induce cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in HepG2 cells

• 作 者: Xu-Dong Jia Chi Han Jun-Shi Ch
• 机 构: Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety
• 出 处: 世界胃肠病学杂志（英文版）
• 发表日期: 2004年期
• 关键词: Tea pigments Cell cycle Apoptosis
• 基金项目: the National Natural Science Foundation of China

AIM: To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which tea pigments exert preventive effects on liver carcinogenesis.METHODS: HepG2 cells were seeded at a density of 5×105/well in six-well culture dishes and incubated overnight. The cells then were treated with various concentrations of tea pigments over 3 d, harvested by trypsinization, and counted using a hemocytometer. Flow cytometric analysis was performed by a flow cytometer after propidium iodide labeling. Bcl-2 and p21WAF1 proteins were determined by Western blotting. In addition, DNA laddering assay was performed on treated and untreated cultured HepG2 cells.RESULTS: Tea pigments inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Flow-cytometric analysis showed that tea pigments arrested cell cycle progression at G1 phase. DNA laddering was used to investigate apoptotic cell death, and the result showed that 100 mg/L of tea pigments caused typical DNA laddering. Our study also showed that tea pigments induced upregulation of p21WAF1 protein and downregulation of Bcl-2 protein.CONCLUSION: Tea pigments induce cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Tea pigments may be used as an ideal chemopreventive agent.