The major green tea polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, inhibits obesity, metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver disease in high-fat-fed mice.
In this study, we investigated the effects of the major green tea polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), on high-fat-induced obesity, symptoms of the metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver in mice. In mice fed a high-fat diet (60% energy as fat), supplementation with dietary EGCG treatment (3.2 g/kg diet) for 16 wk reduced body weight (BW) gain, percent body fat, and visceral fat weight (P < 0.05) compared with mice without EGCG treatment. The BW decrease was associated with increased fecal lipids in the high-fat-fed groups (r(2) = 0.521; P < 0.05). EGCG treatment attenuated insulin resistance, plasma cholesterol, and monocyte chemoattractant protein concentrations in high-fat-fed mice (P < 0.05). EGCG treatment also decreased liver weight, liver triglycerides, and plasma alanine aminotransferase concentrations in high-fat-fed mice (P < 0.05). Histological analyses of liver samples revealed decreased lipid accumulation in hepatocytes in mice treated with EGCG compared with high-fat diet-fed mice without EGCG treatment. In another experiment, 3-mo-old high-fat-induced obese mice receiving short-term EGCG treatment (3.2 g/kg diet, 4 wk) had decreased mesenteric fat weight and blood glucose compared with high-fat-fed control mice (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that long-term EGCG treatment attenuated the development of obesity, symptoms associated with the metabolic syndrome, and fatty liver. Short-term EGCG treatment appeared to reverse preexisting high-fat-induced metabolic pathologies in obese mice. These effects may be mediated by decreased lipid absorption, decreased inflammation, and other mechanisms.
Bose
Mousumi
M
Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Lambert
Joshua D
JD
Ju
Jihyeung
J
Reuhl
Kenneth R
KR
Shapses
Sue A
SA
Yang
Chung S
CS
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D001835:Body Weight; D002392:Catechin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004435:Eating; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
D015415:Biomarkers; D004041:Dietary Fats; D008055:Lipids; D013662:Tea; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate