"Green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate attenuates Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced atherosclerosis." - GreenMedInfo Summary

The purpose of this study was to determine whether epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) ameliorates Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced atherosclerosis. P. gingivalis was shown to accelerate atheroma formation in a murine model, and EGCG is a polyphenol extract from green tea with health benefits. Apolipoprotein E knockout mice were administered EGCG or vehicle in drinking water; then they were fed high fat diets and injected with P. gingivalis three times a week for 3 weeks. Mice were then killed at 15 weeks. Atherosclerotic plaques in the proximal aorta were determined by Oil Red O staining. Atherosclerosis risk factors in serum, liver, or aorta were analyzed using cytokine antibody arrays, ELISA, and real-time PCR. Atherosclerotic lesion areas of the aortic sinus caused by P. gingivalis infection decreased in EGCG-treated groups, wherein EGCG reduced the production of C-reactive protein, MCP-1, and oxidized LDL, and slightly lowered LDL/VLDL cholesterol in P. gingivalis-challenged mice serum. Furthermore, the increase in CCL2, MMP-9, ICAM-1, HSP60, CD44, LOX-1, NOX-4, p22phox, and iNOS gene expression levels in the aorta of P. gingivalis-challenged mice were reduced in EGCG-treated mice. However, HO-1 mRNA levels were elevated by EGCG treatment, suggesting that EGCG, as a natural substance, inhibits P. gingivalis-induced atherosclerosis through anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects.© 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by BlackwellPublishing Ltd. All rights reserved.