EGCG attenuates Cd reproductive toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans by modulating ER-mitochondrial interactions

The effect of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a natural catechin derived from tea, on mitigating cadmium (Cd)-induced reproductive toxicity in animal models remains incompletely understood. In this study, an in-depth investigation into the effect of EGCG on the reproductive capacity of Caenorhabditis elegans under Cd exposure was conducted. Our findings revealed that EGCG significantly mitigated the Cd-induced decline in the brood size of C. elegans. The biological mechanisms were found to be associated with the endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response (UPR^ER) and mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR^mt), suggesting a role for ER-mitochondrial interactions in the detoxification process. Further investigation revealed that EGCG mitigates Cd-induced reproductive toxicity by modulating the calcium channel protein VDAC-1 at the ER-mitochondrial contact sites. Thus, our findings provide mechanistic insights into the potential detoxifying effects of tea.