3.2.4. Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases
The oxidation of low density and of very low density
lipoproteins (LDL and VLDL) brings about the progressive obstruction of arteries or atherosclerosis, and
can lead to angina pectoris, to coronary heart disease, or to infarction (Tijburg et al., 1997). Tea ¯avonoids,
mainly gallocatechins, protect LDL and VLDL against
oxidation by aqueous and lipophilic radicals, copper
ions and macrophages (Vinson, Jang, Dabbagh, Serry &
Cai, 1995; Vinson & Dabbagh, 1998; Wiseman et al.,
1997; Yokozawa, Dong, Nakagawa, Kim, Hattori &
Nakagawa, 1998) and against the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells which leads to the sclerosis of
the artery (Yokozawa, Oura, Sakanaka & Kim, 1995).
In studies conducted with rats, a reduction of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol (Yang & Koo,
1997) and the enhancement of superoxide dismutase
(SOD) in serum and of gluthatione S-transferase (GST)
and catalase in the liver were observed (Lin, Cheng, Lin,
Lau, Juan & Lin, 1998). Increase of SOD, GST and
catalase improve removal of the superoxide anion radical, the peroxides and other free radicals responsible for
LDL oxidation (Yokozawa, Dong, Nakagawa, Kashiwagi et al., 1998). Tea catechins eectively reduce cholesterol absorption from the intestine, lowering the
solubility of the cholesterol and enhancing the faecal
excretion of cholesterol and total lipids. In atherosclerosis, the in¯ammatory process is an important
component. Tea extract induces an anti-in¯ammatory
and capillary strengthening eect (Tijburg et al., 1997).
Green tea also inhibits the collagen-induced aggregation
of rabbit platelets and the ¯avonols quercetin and myricitin are strong inhibitors of ADP- and arachidonic
acid-induced aggregation of human platelets, preventing
the formation of a thrombus (Tijburg et al., 1997). Tea
components, mainly quercetin (Tijburg et al., 1997) and
theanine (Yokogoshi, Kato, Sagesaka-Mitane, 1995),
reduce blood pressure in animals and in man and thus
lower the risk for the development of cardiovascular
diseases. Tea catechins have been found in human
plasma in concentrations sucient to have an antioxidant activity (Nakagawa, Okuda & Miyazawa, 1997)
and they can inhibit LDL oxidation (Pearson, Frankel,
Aeschbach & German, 1998). More human studies are
needed to validate these data.
3.2.5. Cancer and gene mutations
Documentation concerning the protective eect of tea
against cancer is very extensive. Some reviews are helpful (Blot et al., 1997; Mitscher et al., 1997; Yang &
Wang, 1993; Yokozawa et al., 1998). Strong evidence
has come from both in vitro and in vivo studies that tea
can act as a protective agent at dierent stages of cancer
development and through dierent mechanisms
(Mukhtar and Almad, 1999).
Cells exhibit many strategies to reduce oxygen and use
the energy for metabolism. Reactive oxygen species
damage molecules by reacting with cell contents via
unregulated pathways. Usually this is prevented by
compartimentalization by lipid membranes inside the
cell and protective tools like enzymes and antioxidants
(gluthathione, ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, urea,
carotenoids, etc.). When oxygen reacts with DNA,
oncogene production can result which can lead to cancer pathology through the stages of initiation, promotion and progression (Mitscher et al., 1997). Cancer can
also be the result of suppression of the immune system
by the prostaglandins following persistent in¯ammatory
episodes initiated by reactive oxygen species. Many studies have indicated that tea and its constituents mainly
EGCG, are antimutagenic and anti-in¯ammatory by
intercepting carcinogenic agents and by reducing oxidant species before they can damage DNA (Halder &
Bhaduri, 1998; Katiyar & Mukhtar, 1997; Mitscher et
al., 1997; Yang & Wang, 1993; Yen & Chen, 1995).
Catechins also protect cell membranes against oxidation, keep reactive oxygen species in con®ned zones and
probably block cell membrane receptors required for
cancer cell growth. The initiation of carcinogenesis can
be overcome by the repression of some catalytic activities and of other speci®c enzymes involved in cancer
initiation. This is complemented by the enhancement of
detoxifying enzymes by EGCG (Bushman, 1998;
Katiyar & Mukhtar, 1996).
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