Polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) induced apoptosis in glioma cells by elevating oxidative stress through increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Signs of apoptosis included altered mitochondrial membrane potential and elevated expression of caspase-3 and cytochrome c. The increase in ROS was concomitant with the decrease in expression of thioredoxin (TRX-1) and ceruloplasmin (CP), mediators associated with protection against oxidative stress. EGCG downregulated the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 and chemokines IL-8, monocyte-chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and RANTES. EGCG also decreased the invasive potential of gliomas, possibly by affecting the urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and cytoskeletal architecture. Our study indicates that EGCG might serve as an effective therapeutic strategy against glioma as it not only promotes cell death through redox perturbation, but also downregulates the release of pro-inflammatory mediators while concomitantly decreasing the invasive potential of glioma cells.

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