Effects of tea polyphenols on the invasion and matrix metalloproteinases activities of human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells

The effects of tea polyphenols on the invasion of highly metastatic human f ibrosarcoma HT1080 cells through a monolayer of human umbilical vein endoth elial cells (HUVECs) and the accompanying basal membrane were investigated. Among the tea polyphenols tested, epicatechin gallate (ECg), epigallocatec hin gallate (EGCg), and theaflavin strongly suppressed the invasion of HT10 80 cells into the monolayer of HUVECs/gelatin membrane, whereas epicatechin , epigallocatechin, tea flavonols, tea flavones, and gallate derivatives ha d no effect. Both theaflavin-digallate and theasinensin D showed a weak inv asion inhibitory effect. ECg significantly inhibited the invasion without c ytotoxicity against cancer cells and HUVECs. Ester-type catechins (ECg and EGCg) and theaflavin strongly suppressed the gelatin degradation mediated b y matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and MMP-9, which were secreted into the conditioned medium of HT1080 cells. In conclusion, among the tea polyphenol s tested, ECg was considered to be the agent with the most potential antime tastasis activity because it inhibited invasion in the absence of cytotoxic ity.