Effects of green tea on carcinogen-induced hepatic CYP1As in C57BL/6 mice

Abstract

Green tea (GT) drinking showed chemopreventive effects on various cancers. In addition, inhibition of CYP1A activity by green tea components - polyphenols - has been suggested as a chemoprevention against carcinogens that were bioactivated by CYP1As. Therefore, any changes in hepatic CYP1As may be considered as a biomarker for GT chemoprevention and clarify whether whole GT is chemopreventive for the population who are exposed to CYP1A specifically-bioactivated carcinogens. In this study, we investigated the changes in CYP1A levels by pre- and concurrent GT drinking against a CYP1A-inducing carcinogen, 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), in aryl hydrocarbon receptor responsive C57 BL/6 mice. We found that GT drinking itself induced hepatic CYP1As and enhanced MC-induced ethoxyresorufin-O-demethylase (EROD) activity (P < 0.05). However, our studies of CYP1A monoclonal antibody and western blots revealed that the enhanced hepatic EROD activity by GT did not come from CYP1As. Therefore, our results suggest that GT may work to biotransform CYP1A inducing carcinogens into non-carcinogenic metabolites by modulation of other microsomal enzymes rather than CYP1As. In addition, the mechanism of GT chemoprevention may be different from that of GT components, such as polyphenols that reduce CYP1As activity. ？ 2003 Lippincott Willia