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Prevention of oxidative DNA damage in inner organs and lymphocytes of rats by green tea extract

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Abstract

Background

Consumption of green tea (GT) is associated with decreased incidences of specific forms of cancer in humans and it was postulated that its antioxidant (AO) properties may account for these effects. The evidence for AO effects of GT is mainly based on the results from in vitro experiments and on animal studies in which protection against chemically induced damage was monitored.

Aim of the study

The goal of the study was the investigation of the prevention of strand breaks and DNA migration attributable to endogenous oxidation of bases by GT extract (GTE) in inner organs and lymphocytes of untreated rats. In addition, immunological parameters and biochemical markers were monitored.

Methods

DNA migration was measured in hepatocytes, colonocytes and lymphocytes after consumption of a low (1.3 mg/kg bw per day, 5 days) and a high dose (6.5 mg/kg bw per day, 5 days) of GTE in COMET assays (n = 5 animals per group). In addition, immunological parameters (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10), the total AO capacity and oxidized low-density lipoproteins were determined in plasma.

Results

No evidence for reduction in DNA damage was found with a lower dose, whereas with the higher dose, reduction in DNA migration attributable to formamidopyrimidine-DNA-glycosylase sensitive lesions (oxidized purines) and endonuclease III-sensitive sites (oxidized pyrimidines) (58 and 73%) was observed in lymphocytes; also, in colonocytes (reduction in FPG-sensitive sites by 46%) and hepatocytes (decrease in Endo III-sensitive sites by 74%) protective effects were found, while none of the other parameters was altered.

Conclusions

Our results show that a dose of GTE, which is equivalent to consumption of 500 ml GT/p/day in humans protects lymphocytes and to a lesser extent inner organs against oxidative DNA damage, while no effect was seen with a lower dose corresponding to an uptake of 100 ml/p/day.

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Abbreviations

AO:

Antioxidative

Endo III:

Endonuclease III

FPG:

Formamidopyrimidine-DNA-glycosylase

GT:

Green tea

GTE:

Green tea extract

IFN-γ:

Interferon gamma

IL:

Interleukin

OxoLDL:

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein

SCGE:

Single-cell gel electrophoresis

TEAC:

Trolox equivalent antioxidative capacity

TNF-α:

Tumor necrosis factor alpha

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Alfred Dutter for administration of the GTE to the animals by gavage and M. Dušínska (Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Bratislava, Slowakia) for providing the lesion-specific enzymes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine I, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Nina Kager, Franziska Ferk, Miroslav Mišík & Siegfried Knasmüller

  2. Center for Public Health, Institute of Environmental Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Michael Kundi

  3. Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Karl-Heinz Wagner

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  1. Nina Kager
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  2. Franziska Ferk
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  3. Michael Kundi
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  6. Siegfried Knasmüller
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Correspondence to Siegfried Knasmüller.

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Kager, N., Ferk, F., Kundi, M. et al. Prevention of oxidative DNA damage in inner organs and lymphocytes of rats by green tea extract. Eur J Nutr 49, 227–234 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-009-0068-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-009-0068-0

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