[In vitro effect of catechin on cell growth]

Experimental study on the effect of catechin, an extract of Chinese green tea, on cell growth of HeLa, KB and 3T3 cell lines and its possible mechanism are reported. The proliferative survival curves showed that HeLa and KB were sensitive to catechin, while 3T3 was less so. The survival curve of HeLa cells treated with catechin varied with the dose and duration of exposure. 3H-TdR incorporation rate into HeLa cells was inhibited by catechin and the inhibition rate was also dose and exposure dependent. It suggests that one of the mechanisms of cell growth inhibition by catechin may probably due to inhibition of DNA synthesis.