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Last Updated: Apr 16, 2008 - 5:52:06 PM |
MONDAY April 7, 2008 (Foodconsumer.org) -- A combination of green tea and EGCG, a green tea component may help protect against breast cancer, according to a new study scheduled to be presented today at the 121st Annual Meeting of the American Physiological Society.
Jian-Wei Gu and colleagues at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS found EGCG significantly inhibited breast tumor growth in female mice.
Epidemiologic studies suggest that green tea and it major component EGCG may protect against cancer including breast cancer, but the anti-cancer mechanism has not been clarified.
This study was meant to examine whether drinking EGCG-containing water inhibits expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, tumor angiogenesis and the growth of breast caner in female mice.
In the study, seven-week-old female mice were given either EGCG (25 mg/50 ml) in drinking water for five weeks (approximately 50-100 mg/kg/day.) or simply regular drinking water.
One week after the feeding regimen was initiated, breast cancer cells were injected in the study mice. Tumor size, weight, intratumoral microvessel density and VEGF protein levels were measured.
The researchers found at the end of the five-week period that mice treated with EGCG reduced breast tumor size and tumor weight by 34% and 32% respectively. IM density and VEGF protein levels were also reduced.
Dr. Gu, the senior researcher for the study, hypothesized that EGCG directly suppresses the formation of new blood vessels in breast tumor, proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells.
Gu concluded "In this study we have demonstrated that the frequent ingestion of EGCG significantly inhibits breast tumor growth, VEGF expression and tumor angiogenesis in mice. We believe our findings will help lead to new therapies for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer in women."
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