MODULATION OF CANCER-CHEMOTHERAPY BY GREEN TEA

Biochemical modulation has played an important role in the development of cancer chemotherapy. We have directed our attention to the intake of common beverages and investigated the effects of green tea and tea components on the antitumor activity of doxorubicin. We carried out th e combined treatment of doxorubicin and green tea on Ehrlich ascites c arcinoma tumor-bearing mice. The oral administration of green tea enha nced 2.5-fold the inhibitory effects of doxorubicin on tumor growth. T he doxorubicin concentration in the tumor was increased by the combina tion of green tea with doxorubicin. In contrast, the increase in doxor ubicin concentration was not observed in normal tissues after green te a combination. Furthermore, the enhancement of antitumor activity of d oxorubicin induced by green tea was observed in M5076 ovarian sarcoma, which has low sensitivity to doxorubicin. These results suggest that drinking green tea can encourage cancer chemotherapy and may improve t he quality of life of clinical patients.