title: Tea (Camellia sinensis) infusions ameliorate cancer in 4TI metastatic breast cancer model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tea (Camellia sinensis) infusions are widely consumed beverages with numerous health benefits. However, physiological and molecular responses mediating these activities are poorly understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three replicates of 4TI cancer cell suspension (2.0 × 105cells/ml) were challenged in vitro with various concentrations of green, black and purple tea infusions to asseses their cytoxicity and associated differentially expressed genes in the cells. Inhibitory activity was tested by using serial dilutions of respective tea infusions in a 96 well ELISA plate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Green tea had the highest inhibition on 4TI cells proliferation at a concentration of IC50= 13.12 μg/ml. Further analysis of the 4TI cancer cell line treated with tea using 454 pyrosequencing generated 425,696 reads with an input mean length of 286.54. Trimmed sequences were imported on a CLC genomic workbench v7.03 and annotated on a reference mouse genome (Mus musculus strain C57BL/6 J). Results revealed a differential expression of apoptosis related genes in the transcriptome. Casp8, Casp9, Casp3, Casp6, Casp8AP2, Aifm1, Aifm2 and Apopt1 genes were significantly upregulated indicating the process of apoptosis was initiated and executed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings on caspases offer valuable information on the mechanism of tea as an anticancer agent and will contribute to further research in future novel treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Egerton University, P.O Box 536 20115, Egerton, Kenya. karorism@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Karori S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Mbuthia
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 607 Laboratory of Epidemiology and Public Health, 60 College St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
authors.forename: Paul O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Mireji
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Egerton University, P.O Box 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya.
authors.forename: Raphael M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ngure
authors.affiliation: Biosciences eastern and central Africa- International Livestock Research Institute, (BecA-ILRI) Hub, P.O Box 30709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stomeo
authors.affiliation: Biosciences eastern and central Africa- International Livestock Research Institute, (BecA-ILRI) Hub, P.O Box 30709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kyallo
authors.affiliation: Crop Improvement and Management Programme, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organisation-Tea Research Institute (KARLO-TRI), P.O Box 820-20200, Kericho, Kenya.
authors.forename: Chalo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muoki
authors.affiliation: South Eastern Kenya University, P.O Box 170-90200, Kitui, Kenya.
authors.forename: Francis N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Wachira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D028241:Camellia sinensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Anthocyanins; Antioxidant activity; Caspases; Catechins; Egcg; Theaflavins