(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Invasion and Migration of Human Cervical Cancer Cells

Invasion and metastasis are the major causes of cancer-related death. Pharmacological or therapeuticinterventions such as chemoprevention of the progression stages of neoplastic development could result insubstantial reduction in the incidence of cancer mortality. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a promisingchemopreventive agent, has attracted extensive interest for cancer therapy utilizing its antioxidant, antiproliferativeand inhibitory effects on angiogenesis and tumor cell invasion. In this study, we assessed theinfluence of EGCG on the proliferative potential of HeLa cells by cell viability assay and authenticated theresults by nuclear morphological examination, DNA laddering assay and cell cycle analysis. Further we analyzedthe anti-invasive properties of EGCG by wound migration assay and gene expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1in HeLa cells. Our results indicated that EGCG induced growth inhibition of HeLa cells in a dose- and timedependentmanner. It was observed that cell death mediated by EGCG was through apoptosis. Interestingly,EGCG effectively inhibited invasion and migration of HeLa cells and modulated the expression of related genes(MMP-9 and TIMP-1) . These results indicate that EGCG may effectively suppress promotion and progressionstages of cervical cancer development.