Abstract
Background
Polyphenol catechins from green tea, particularly (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), exhibits numerous beneficial health effects, although the mechanisms remain unclear.
Methods
In this study, the mechanism of EGCG-mediated healing in an experimentally injured zebrafish model was examined at the cellular and molecular level using confocal microscopy and gene expression analysis.
Results
The mechanisms of action of EGCG were shown to involve: (1) reducing neutrophil response (accumulation, travel speed, and distance) and (2) downregulating the expression of IL-1β, TNFα, and related signaling pathways. As determined by dynamic time-lapse tracking studies, the local accumulation of neutrophils with high migration speeds after wounding (n=33 cells, v=0.020 μm/s, d=37.8 μm), underwent significant reduction following treatment with EGCG doses of 300 μM (n=22 cells, v=0.013 μm/s, d=39.5 μm) and 600 μM (n=18 cells, v=0.008 μm/s, d=9.53 μm). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction studies revealed that several signature genes in the IL-1β, TNFα, and related signaling pathways were downregulated after EGCG treatment.
Conclusion
The convenience, transparency, and simplicity of the zebrafish model facilitate tracking of fluorescent neutrophils in real time, in order to monitor inflammation, and assess the impact of therapeutic agents.
Data Availability
All data are freely available by contacting the corresponding author.
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.