Synergistic effects of tea polyphenols and ascorbic acid on human lung adenocarcinoma SPC-A-1 cells

• Published in: Journal of Zhejiang University. B. Science 2010-06, Vol.11 (6), p.458-464
• Main Authors: Li, Wei, Wu, Jian-xiang, Tu, You-ying
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - physiopathology; Apoptosis - drug effects; Ascorbic acid; Ascorbic Acid - administration & dosage; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Biotechnology; Cell Line, Tumor; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Flavonoids - administration & dosage; Flow cytometry; Human; Humans; Inhibition; Lethal Dose 50; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Lung Neoplasms - physiopathology; Lungs; Monomers; Phenols - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Polyphenols; Tea; Tea - chemistry
• ISSN: 1673-1581; 1862-1783
• DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B0900355

Tea polyphenols have been shown to have anticancer activity in many studies.In the present study,we investigated effects of theaflavin-3-3＇-digallate（TF3）,one of the major theaflavin monomers in black tea,in combination with ascorbic acid（AA）,a reducing agent,and（-）-epigallocatechin-3-gallate（EGCG）,the main polyphenol presented in green tea,in combination with AA on cellular viability and cell cycles of the human lung adenocarcinoma SPC-A-1 cells.The 3-（4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide（MTT） assay showed that the 50% inhibition concentrations（IC50） of TF3,EGCG,and AA on SPC-A-1 cells were 4.78,4.90,and 30.62 μmol/L,respectively.The inhibitory rates of TF3 combined with AA（TF3＋AA） and EGCG combined with AA（EGCG＋AA） at a molar ratio of 1：6 on SPC-A-1 cells were 54.4% and 45.5%,respectively.Flow cytometry analysis showed that TF3＋AA and EGCG＋AA obviously increased the cell population in the G0/G1 phase of the SPC-A-1 cell cycle from 53.9% to 62.8% and 60.0%,respectively.TF3-treated cells exhibited 65.3% of the G0/G1 phase at the concentration of its IC50.Therefore,TF3＋AA and EGCG＋AA had synergistic inhibition effects on the proliferation of SPC-A-1 cells,and significantly held SPC-A-1 cells in G0/G1 phase.The results suggest that the combination of TF3 with AA or EGCG with AA enhances their anticancer activity.