Elsevier

Neuroscience

Volume 322, 13 May 2016, Pages 208-220
Neuroscience

Green tea compound epigallo-catechin-3-gallate (EGCG) increases neuronal survival in adult hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo and in vitro

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.02.040Get rights and content

Highlights

  • EGCG favors the survival of newborn neurons in the hippocampus.

  • EGCG is proneurogenic upon adult hippocampal precursor cells in culture.

  • EGCG might act through phospho-Akt.

Abstract

Epigallo-catechin-3-gallate (EGCG), found in the leaves of Camellia sinensis (green tea), has antioxidant- and scavenger-functions and acts neuroprotectively. It has been publicized as anti-aging remedy but data on potential cellular mechanisms are scarce. Recent studies claimed that EGCG specifically promotes neural precursor cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus of C57Bl/6 mice, without changes at the level of immature and mature new neurons. We here analyzed the effects of EGCG on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in male Balb/C mice and saw a different pattern. Two weeks of treatment with EGCG (0, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg) showed a dose–response curve that peaked at 2.5 mg/kg of EGCG with significantly increased cell survival without affecting cell proliferation but decreasing apoptotic cells. Also, EGCG increased the population of doublecortin-(DCX)-expressing cells that comprises the late intermediate progenitor cells (type-2b and -3) as well as immature neurons. After EGCG treatment, the young DCX-positive neurons showed more elaborated dendritic trees. EGCG also significantly increased net neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus and increased the hippocampal levels of phospho-Akt. Ex vivo, EGCG exerted a direct effect on survival and neuronal differentiation of adult hippocampal precursor cells, which was absent, when PI3K, a protein upstream of Akt, was blocked. Our results thus support a pro-survival and a pro-neurogenic role of EGCG. In the context of the conflicting published results, however, potential genetic modifiers must be assumed. These might help to explain the overall variability of study results with EGCG. Our data do indicate, however, that natural compounds such as EGCG can in principle modulate brain plasticity.

Abbreviations

BrdU
bromodeoxyridine
DCX
doublecortin
EGCG
Epigallo-catechin-3-gallate
TTBS
Tween 20-TBS

Key words

adult neurogenesis
EGCG
hippocampus
survival
nutrition
PI3K-Akt

Cited by (0)

Dagger indicates equal contribution.

Present address: Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Neuroscience. Center for Research and Advanced Studies (CINVESTAV-Zacatenco), Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, 07360 México D.F., Mexico.

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