GROWTH-INHIBITION OF LEUKEMIC-CELLS BY (-)-EPIGALLOCATECHIN GALLATE, THE MAIN CONSTITUENT OF GREEN TEA

In this report, we presented the results that EGCG, the main constitue nt of the polyphenols present in Japanese green tea inhibited growth o f leukemic cell lines of both human and mice. The proliferation of hum an leukemic cell lines and mouse NFS60 cell line was inhibited by EGCG . Sensitivity of each line to EGCG was different, and more than 50% of DNA systhesis was reduced in all the cell lines in the presence of 50 mu M EGCG. On the other hand, normal hematopoietic progenitor cells r etained their natural function of supplying mature cells of various li neages in the presence of less than 10 mu M EGCG in vitro. Even in the presence of 100 mu M EGCG, half the colonies containing all the linea ges of cells were developed. All the dead cells of each line showed ch aracteristics of apoptosis, which might be due to inhibition by EGCG o f growth factors' signaling. Besides anticarcinogenic activity, EGCG i s expected to have a new function for leukemia therapy without side ef fects.