Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 3, 2026
Extraction and Purification of Polyphenols from Freeze-dried Berry Powder for the Treatment of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells In Vitro
Published on: July 5, 2017
Green tea polyphenols inhibit human vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation stimulated by native low-density
Rudolf Locher1, Luca Emmanuele, Paolo M Suter
1Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Policlinic and Clinical Atherosclerosis Research Laboratory, University Hospital Zürich, Rämistrasse 100, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland.
Abstract:
This study investigated whether human vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation induced by native low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is affected by green tea catechins. Furthermore, the effects of native LDL on extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 activity were determined. Cell proliferation stimulated by native LDL was concentration-dependently inhibited by epigallocatechin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, green tea polyphenon, and the nonspecific antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (P<0.05). Combined treatment of green tea polyphenon and N-acetylcysteine markedly potentiated the effect of each drug on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. ERK1/2 activity was only partly inhibited by green tea catechins alone or in combination with N-acetylcysteine (P<0.05). These data suggest that green tea constituents inhibit proliferation of human vascular smooth muscle cells exposed to high levels of native LDL. Green tea constituents and antioxidants may exert vascular protection by inhibiting human vascular smooth muscle cell growth associated with hypercholesterolemia.
