Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits doxorubicin-induced inflammation on human ovarian tissue

Ovarian microenvironment: challenges and opportunities in protecting against chemotherapy-associated ovarian damage

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy-associated ovarian damage (CAOD) is one of the most feared short- and long-term side effects of anticancer treatment in premenopausal women. Accumulating detailed data show that different chemotherapy regimens can lead to disturbance of ovarian hormone levels, reduced or lost fertility, and an increased risk of early menopause. Previous studies have often focused on the direct effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on ovarian follicles, such as direct DNA damage-mediated apoptotic death and primordial follicle burnout. Emerging evidence has revealed an imbalance in the ovarian microenvironment during chemotherapy. The ovarian microenvironment provides nutritional support and transportation of signals that stimulate the growth and development of follicles, ovulation, and corpus luteum formation. The close interaction between the ovarian microenvironment and follicles can determine ovarian function. Therefore, designing novel and precise strategies to manipulate the ovarian microenvironment may be a new strategy to protect ovarian function during chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE

This review details the changes that occur in the ovarian microenvironment during chemotherapy and emphasizes the importance of developing new therapeutics that protect ovarian function by targeting the ovarian microenvironment during chemotherapy.

SEARCH METHODS

A comprehensive review of the literature was performed by searching PubMed up to April 2024. Search terms included 'ovarian microenvironment' (ovarian extracellular matrix, ovarian stromal cells, ovarian interstitial, ovarian blood vessels, ovarian lymphatic vessels, ovarian macrophages, ovarian lymphocytes, ovarian immune cytokines, ovarian oxidative stress, ovarian reactive oxygen species, ovarian senescence cells, ovarian senescence-associated secretory phenotypes, ovarian oogonial stem cells, ovarian stem cells), terms related to ovarian function (reproductive health, fertility, infertility, fecundity, ovarian reserve, ovarian function, menopause, decreased ovarian reserve, premature ovarian insufficiency/failure), and terms related to chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, lfosfamide, chlormethine, chlorambucil, busulfan, melphalan, procarbazine, cisplatin, doxorubicin, carboplatin, taxane, paclitaxel, docetaxel, 5-fluorouraci, vincristine, methotrexate, dactinomycin, bleomycin, mercaptopurine).

OUTCOMES

The ovarian microenvironment shows great changes during chemotherapy, inducing extracellular matrix deposition and stromal fibrosis, angiogenesis disorders, immune microenvironment disturbance, oxidative stress imbalances, ovarian stem cell exhaustion, and cell senescence, thereby lowering the quantity and quality of ovarian follicles. Several methods targeting the ovarian microenvironment have been adopted to prevent and treat CAOD, such as stem cell therapy and the use of free radical scavengers, senolytherapies, immunomodulators, and proangiogenic factors.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS

Ovarian function is determined by its 'seeds' (follicles) and 'soil' (ovarian microenvironment). The ovarian microenvironment has been reported to play a vital role in CAOD and targeting the ovarian microenvironment may present potential therapeutic approaches for CAOD. However, the relation between the ovarian microenvironment, its regulatory networks, and CAOD needs to be further studied. A better understanding of these issues could be helpful in explaining the pathogenesis of CAOD and creating innovative strategies for counteracting the effects exerted on ovarian function. Our aim is that this narrative review of CAOD will stimulate more research in this important field.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

Not applicable.

Liraglutide limits the immunogenic cell death-mediated ROS propagation and PI3K/AKT inactivation after doxorubicin-induced gonadotoxicity in rats: Involvement of the canonical Hedgehog trajectory

Chemotherapy-accompanied reproductive dysfunction has lately begun to draw the attention of the scientific community owing to the irreversible impact on the patient's quality of life. Here we tended to investigate the potential role of liraglutide (LRG) in modulating the canonical Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in doxorubicin (DXR)-induced gonadotoxicity in rats. Female virgin Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups; control, DXR-treated (25 mg/kg, single i.p. injection), LRG-treated (150 μg/Kg/day, s.c) and itraconazole (ITC; 150 mg/kg/day, p.o)-pretreated group, as the Hh pathway inhibitor. Treatment with LRG potentiated the PI3K/AKT/p-GSK3β cascade and relieved the oxidative burden-induced by the DXR-driven immunogenic cell death (ICD). LRG also upregulated the expression of the Desert hedgehog ligand (DHh) and the patched-1 (PTCH1) receptor and augmented the protein level of Indian hedgehog (IHh) ligand, Gli1 and cyclin-D1 (CD1). Besides, hypertranscription of IHh, DHh, Ptch1, Smo, Gli1/2 and CD1 genes along with a transcriptional recession of Gli3 gene were reported in LRG-treated group. ITC pre-administration partially abrogated this positive effect of LRG, proving the implication of the examined pathway. Microscopically, LRG ameliorated the follicular atresia noticed in the DXR group; effect that was, at least partially, declined by ITC pre-treatment. These findings end to a conclusion that LRG treatment might hinder the DXR-associated reproductive toxicity, resultant from ROS generated by the cells undergoing ICD, and trigger follicular growth and repair by the PI3K/AKT- dependent switching-on of the canonical Hh pathway.

Natural bioactive compounds-doxorubicin combinations targeting topoisomerase II-alpha: Anticancer efficacy and safety

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, so pursuing effective and safe therapeutics for cancer is a key research objective nowadays. Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the commonly prescribed chemotherapeutic agents that has been used to treat cancer with its antimitotic properties via inhibition of topoisomerase II (TOP2) activity. However, many problems hinder the broad use of DOX in clinical practice, including cardiotoxicity and drug resistance. Research in drug discovery has confirmed that natural bioactive compounds (NBACs) display a wide range of biological activities correlating to anticancer outcomes. The combination of NBACs has been seen to be an ideal candidate that might increase the effectiveness of DOX therapy and decreases its unfavorable adverse consequences. The current review discusses the chemo-modulatory mechanism and the protective effects of combined DOX with NBACs with a binding affinity (pKi) toward TOP2A more than pKi of DOX. This review will also discuss and emphasize the molecular mechanisms to provide a pathway for further studies to reveal other signaling pathways. Taken together, understanding the fundamental mechanisms and implications of combined therapy may provide a practical approach to battling cancer diseases.

Protective effect of gallic acid on doxorubicin-induced ovarian toxicity in mouse

The aims of the present study were to evaluate the protective effects of gallic acid against doxorubicin-induced ovarian toxicity in mice, and to verify the possible involvement of PI3K and mTOR signaling pathway members (PTEN, Akt, FOXO3a and rpS6) in the gallic acid protective actions. Mice were pretreated with NaCl (0.15 M, p.o.) (control and doxorubicin groups) or gallic acid (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg body weight, p.o.) once daily, for 5 days, and on the third day of treatment, after 1 h of treatment administration, the mice received saline solution (i.p.) (control group) or doxorubicin (10 mg/kg of body weight, i.p.). Next, the ovaries were harvested for histological (follicular morphology and activation), fluorescence (GSH and mitochondrial activity), and immunohistochemical (PCNA, cleaved caspase-3, TNF-α, p-PTEN, Akt, p-Akt, p-rpS6 and p-FOXO3a) analyses. The results showed that cotreatment with 50 mg/kg gallic acid plus doxorubicin preserved the percentage of normal follicles and cell proliferation, reduced the percentage of cleaved caspase-3 follicles, prevented inflammation, and increased GSH concentrations and mitochondrial activity compared to doxorubicin treatment alone. Furthermore, cotreatment 50 mg/kg gallic acid plus doxorrubicin increased expression of Akt, p-Akt, p-rpS6 and p-FOXO3a compared to the doxorubicin alone. In conclusion, 50 mg/kg gallic acid protects the mouse ovary against doxorubicin-induced damage by improving GSH concentrations and mitochondrial activity and cellular proliferation, inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis, and regulating PI3K and mTOR signaling pathway.

Anticarcinogenic potentials of tea catechins

Catechins are a cluster of polyphenolic bioactive components in green tea. Anticarcinogenic effects of tea catechins have been reported since the 1980s, but it has been controversial. The present paper reviews the advances in studies on the anticarcinogenic activities of tea and catechins, including epidemiological evidence and anticarcinogenic mechanism. Tea catechins showed antagonistic effects on many cancers, such as gynecological cancers, digestive tract cancers, incident glioma, liver and gallbladder cancers, lung cancer, etc. The mechanism underlying the anticarcinogenic effects of catechins involves in inhibiting the proliferation and growth of cancer cells, scavenging free radicals, suppressing metastasis of cancer cells, improving immunity, interacting with other anticancer drugs, and regulating signaling pathways. The inconsistent results and their causes are also discussed in this paper.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) attenuates inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endometritis via silent information regulator transcript-1 (SIRT1)/nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) pathway

The protective effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endometritis in vivo and in vitro will be explored in this study. The endometritis model was induced in female BALB/c mice uterus by perfusion with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and EGCG were administered at 1 h before LPS induction. The primary bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEECs) were treated with EGCG for 1 h before LPS stimulation. Uterine histopathological changes, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, inflammatory cytokine levels and oxidative stress markers were determined. The extent of Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3, silent information regulator transcript-1 (SIRT1), nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) and Caspase1 was detected by Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR assays. The results showed that EGCG significantly reversed the LPS-induced uterine histopathological changes, MPO activity, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. Additionally, EGCG decreased oxidative stress and reduced cell apoptosis by upregulating SIRT1 expression, downregulating the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These findings indicated that EGCG exerted its greatest protective effects by blocking inflammatory responses, lowering oxidative stress, and reducing apoptosis via the SIRT1/NLRP3, making its promising candidate treatment for endometritis.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate attenuates cyclophosphamide-induced damage in mouse ovarian tissue via suppressing inflammation, apoptosis, and expression of phosphorylated Akt, FOXO3a and rpS6

This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) against ovarian toxicity in cyclophosphamide-treated mice and to verify the possible involvement of phosphorylated Akt, FOXO3a and rpS6 in the EGCG actions. Mice received saline solution (i.p.; control) or a single dose of cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) or mice were pretreated with N-acetylcysteine (150 mg/kg body weight, i.p.; positive control) or with EGCG (5, 25 or 50 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) once daily for three days followed by injection with single dose of cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg body weight, i.p.). Thereafter, the mice were euthanized, and the ovaries were harvested and destined to histological (follicular morphology and activation), immunohistochemistry (cleaved caspase-3 and TNF-α) and fluorescence (mitochondrial activity and GSH concentrations) analyses. Furthermore, we examined the participation of p-Akt, p-FOXO3a and p-rpS6 in the protective effects of EGCG in cyclophosphamide-induced ovarian damage by immunohistochemical staining. The results showed that pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine or EGCG at 25 and 50 mg/kg before cyclophosphamide administration preserved the normal follicular morphology, prevented primordial follicle loss, reduced atresia, inflammation, and mitochondrial damage, and increased GSH concentrations compared to the only cyclophosphamide treatment. Additionally, pretreatment with 25 mg/kg EGCG regulated phosphorylated Akt, FOXO3a and rpS6 after cyclophosphamide treatment. In conclusion, short-time pretreatment with 25 mg/kg EGCG can prevent follicle loss in cyclophosphamide-treated mice by reducing oxidative damage, inflammation, and apoptosis, and regulating of p-Akt, p-FOXO3a and p-rpS6.

The Role of ROS as a Double-Edged Sword in (In)Fertility: The Impact of Cancer Treatment

Simple Summary

Tumor cells are highly resistant to oxidative stress, but beyond a certain threshold, it may lead to apoptosis/necrosis. Thus, induced loss of redox balance can be a strategy used in anticancer therapies. However, the effectiveness of drugs contrasts with unknown mechanisms involved in the loss of fertility. Considering that cancer patients’ life expectancy is increasing, it raises concerns about the unknown adverse effects. Therefore, new strategies should be pursued alongside explaining to the patients their options regarding the reproduction side effects.

Abstract

Tumor cells are highly resistant to oxidative stress resulting from the imbalance between high reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and insufficient antioxidant defenses. However, when intracellular levels of ROS rise beyond a certain threshold, largely above cancer cells’ capacity to reduce it, they may ultimately lead to apoptosis or necrosis. This is, in fact, one of the molecular mechanisms of anticancer drugs, as most chemotherapeutic treatments alter redox homeostasis by further elevation of intracellular ROS levels or inhibition of antioxidant pathways. In traditional chemotherapy, it is widely accepted that most therapeutic effects are due to ROS-mediated cell damage, but in targeted therapies, ROS-mediated effects are mostly unknown and data are still emerging. The increasing effectiveness of anticancer treatments has raised new challenges, especially in the field of reproduction. With cancer patients’ life expectancy increasing, many aiming to become parents will be confronted with the adverse effects of treatments. Consequently, concerns about the impact of anticancer therapies on reproductive capacity are of particular interest. In this review, we begin with a short introduction on anticancer therapies, then address ROS physiological/pathophysiological roles in both male and female reproductive systems, and finish with ROS-mediated adverse effects of anticancer treatments in reproduction.

The role of flavonoids in inhibiting IL-6 and inflammatory arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that primarily affects the synovial joints. RA has well-known clinical manifestations and can cause progressive disability and premature death along with socioeconomic burdens. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been implicated in the pathology of RA where it can stimulate pannus formation, osteoclastogenesis, and oxidative stress. Flavonoids are plant metabolites with beneficial pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, and others. Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds found in a variety of plants, vegetables, and fruits. Many flavonoids have demonstrated anti-arthritic activity mediated mainly through the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This review thoroughly discusses the accumulate data on the role of flavonoids on IL-6 in RA.

Potential role of tea extract in oocyte development

Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world and beneficial to health. It has been demonstrated that tea polyphenols can reduce the risk of diseases, such as cancers, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, etc. But the knowledge of tea extract on the female germline is limited. Folliculogenesis is a complicated process and prone to be affected by ROS. Tea polyphenols can reduce the accumulation of ROS in folliculogenesis and affect oocyte maturation. Tea extract also influences granulosa cell proliferation and expansion during oocyte growth and maturation. However, the studies about the benefits of tea extract on female germline are few, and the underlying mechanisms are obscure. In the present study, we will mainly discuss the effects of tea extract on ovarian function, oocyte maturation, and the underlying possible mechanisms, and according to the discussion, we suggest that tea extract may have benefits for oocytes at an appropriate dose.

Molecular mechanisms and applications of tea polyphenols: A narrative review

Tea is a worldwide popular drink with high nutritional and medicinal values as it is rich in nutrients, such as polyphenols, amino acids, vitamins, glycosides, and so on. Among them, tea polyphenols (TPs) are the current research hotspot. TPs are known to have multiple biological activities such as anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, anti-bacteria, lowering lipid, and liver protection. By reviewing a large number of literatures, we explained the mechanism of TPs exerting biological activity and a wide range of applications. We also discussed the deficiencies and development potential of TPs, in order to provide theoretical reference and scientific basis for the subsequent development and utilization of TPs. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: We summarized the bioactivity mechanisms of TPs in anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, and liver protection, focused on its application fields in food and medicine, and discussed the deficiency and development potential of current research on TPs, so as to provide a certain convenient way for scholars studying TPs. It is expected to contribute to the subsequent discovery of biological activity and the broadening of the field of TPs.

Research progress of phenolic compounds regulating IL-6 to exert antitumor effects

Cytokine therapy, which activates the host immune system, has become an important and novel therapeutic approach to treat various cancers. Recent studies have shown that IL-6 is an important cytokine that regulates the homeostasis in vivo. However, excessive IL-6 plays a pathological role in a variety of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, especially in cancer. IL-6 can transmit signals through JAK/STAT, RAS /MAPK, PI3K/ Akt, NF-κB, and other pathways to promote cancer progression. Phenolic compounds can effectively regulate the level of IL-6 in tumor cells and improve the tumor microenvironment. This article focuses on the phenolic compounds through the regulation of IL-6, participate in the prevention of cancer, inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, reduce angiogenesis, improve therapeutic efficacy, and reduce side effects and other aspects. This will help to further advance research on cytokine therapy to reduce the burden of cancer and improve patient prognosis. However, current studies are mostly limited to animal and cellular experiments, and high-quality clinical studies are needed to further determine their antitumor efficacy in humans.

Epigallocatechin-3 gallate regulates macrophage subtypes and immunometabolism to ameliorate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG) is a polyphenolic component of tea and has potential curative effects in patients with autoimmune diseases. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS). It remains unknown whether EGCG can regulate macrophage subtypes in MS. Here we evaluated the effects of EGCG in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), MS mouse model. We found that EGCG treatment reduced EAE severity and macrophage inflammation in the CNS. Moreover, EAE severity was well correlated with the ratio of M1 to M2 macrophages, and EGCG treatment suppressed M1 macrophage-mediated inflammation in spleen. In vitro experiments showed that EGCG inhibited M1 macrophage polarization, but promoted M2 macrophage polarization. These effects were likely to be related to the inhibition of nuclear factor-κB signaling and glycolysis in macrophages by EGCG in macrophages. Overall, these findings provided important insights into the mechanisms through which EGCG may mediate MS.

3D HeLa spheroids as a model for investigating the anticancer activity of Biginelli-hybrids

In previous study, we examined the anticancer effects of novel Biginelli-hybrids against HeLa cell line on 2D monolayer culture. The five most effective compounds were chosen for further analysis of their anticancer activity against HeLa spheroids. Using the 3D models implies the possible differences in anticancer effects and mechanisms of activity of tested compounds. The compounds 4c and 4d exerted the strongest activity against 3D HeLa spheroids and induced to some extent loosened cell-cell contacts in spheroids, leading to the largest reduction in the diameter of the spheroids. Additionally, the highest accumulation of the cells in the subG1 phase of the cell cycle was observed after the treatment with compounds 4d and 4c, while the compound 4f led to the G2/M arrest. The invasion potential of treated HeLa cells in spheroids was monitored by imaging of spheroids embedded in a matrix made of matrigel and collagen and by determination of MMP2, MMP9, and VEGF gene expression levels. The compound 4l did not show invasion-suppressive activity, while the compounds 4c and 4d exerted the strongest anti-invasive activity.

Effects of Dietary Polyphenols from Olive Mill Waste Waters on Inflammatory and Apoptotic Effectors in Rabbit Ovary

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary polyphenols on the expression of the effectors involved in inflammation and apoptosis in rabbit ovary. New Zealand White female rabbits were fed a basal control diet (CTR), or the same diet supplemented with a polyphenolic concentrate (POL, 282.4 mg/kg) obtained from olive mill waste waters. The follicle counts and the relative mRNA (RT-qPCR) and protein (immunohistochemistry) expression of the effectors involved in inflammation (cyclooxygenase-2; interleukin-1beta; tumor necrosis factor-alpha, TNFA) and apoptosis (BCL2-associated X protein, BAX), detected in the ovaries of both groups, were examined. The POL diet increased the primary and total follicles number. Cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression was higher (p < 0.05) in the POL group than in the CTR group, whereas BAX was lower (p < 0.05) in POL than CTR. Immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of all the proteins examined, with weaker (p < 0.05) COX2 and BAX signals in POL. No differences between the CTR and POL groups were observed for IL1B and TNFA gene and protein expression. These preliminary findings show that dietary polyphenols modulate inflammatory and apoptotic activities in rabbit ovary, regulating cyclooxygenase-2 and BAX expression, thus suggesting a functional involvement of these dietary compounds in mammalian reproduction.

Phytochemicals in Chemoprevention: A Cost-Effective Complementary Approach

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death across the world. Although conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have effectively decreased cancer progression, they come with many dose-limiting side-effects. Phytochemicals that naturally occur in spices, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and other common foods are surprisingly effective complements to conventional cancer treatments. These biologically active compounds demonstrate anticancer effects via cell signaling pathway interference in cancerous cells. In addition, phytochemicals protect non-cancerous cells from chemotherapy-induced side-effects. This paper addresses the not only the potential of phytochemicals quercetin, isoflavones, curcumin, catechins, and hesperidin in terms of cancer treatment and protection against side-effects of chemotherapy, but also methods for increasing phytochemical bioavailability.

Mechanisms of doxorubicin-mediated reproductive toxicity - A review

The anticancer drug doxorubicin has been associated with several adverse side-effects including reproductive toxicity in both genders. The current review has complied the mechanisms of doxorubicin induced reproductive toxicity. The articles cited in the review were searched using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct. Doxorubicin treatment has been found to cause a decrease in testicular mass along with histopathological deformities, oligospermia and abnormalities in sperm morphology. Apart from severely affecting the normal physiological role of both Leydig cells and Sertoli cells, doxorubicin also causes chromosome abnormalities and affects DNA methylase enzyme. Testicular lipid metabolism has been found to be negatively affected by doxorubicin treatment resulting in altered profile of sphingolipids glycerophospholipids and neutral lipids. Dysregulation of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and 17β- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) are strongly linked to testicular exposure to doxorubicin. Further, oxidative stress along with endoplasmic reticulum stress are also found to aggravate the male reproductive functioning in doxorubicin treated conditions. Several antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) are downregulated by doxorubicin. It also disturbs the hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG)-axis including testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone etc. In females, the drug disturbs folliculogenesis and oogenesis leading to failure of ovulation and uterine cycle. In rodent model the drug shortens pro-estrous and estrous phases. It was also found that doxorubicin causes mitochondrial dysfunction in oocytes with impaired calcium signaling along with ER stress. The goal of the present review is to comprehends various pathways due to which doxorubicin treatment promotes toxicity in male and female reproductive system.

Amelioration of N,N'-dimethylhydrazine induced colon toxicity by epigallocatechin gallate in Wistar rats

Colon cancer is a life-threatening disease all over the world and is linked to constant oxidative stress and inflammation. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is a naturally occurring flavone possessing health benefiting pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging properties. Our study investigates the role of EGCG on N,N'-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), a toxic environmental pollutant, induced colon toxicity. To investigate the effect of EGCG, Wistar rats were given EGCG for 7 days at the two doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight and DMH was injected on the seventh day in all the group rats except the control. Our results indicate that DMH administration increased the oxidative stress (MDA) and depleted the glutathione and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GR, GST and GPx) which was significantly ameliorated by EGCG treatment. Additionally DMH treatment upregulated inflammatory markers expression (NF-κB, COX-2 and IL-6) and enhanced mucosal damage in the colon. EGCG treatment significantly reduced inflammation and restored the normal histoarchitecture of the colon. We can conclude from the present study findings that EGCG protects the colon from DMH toxicity through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.

The Potential Roles of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate in the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer: Current State of Knowledge

Ovarian cancer represents the principal leading cause of women dying in the world. The first standard of care involved surgical resection followed by chemotherapy with taxane and platinum, mainly connected with cytotoxic chemotherapies causing diverse severe side effects. Unfortunately, recurrence represents a significant problem, and finally, patients develop resistance to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Other alternative treatments had been developed so far to reduce side effects; however, the outcomes are yet not empowering. Current shreds of evidence showed that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) possesses an anticancer effect on ovarian carcinoma, mainly through the inhibition of different genetic signaling pathways which are closely linked with tumorigenesis. This review recapitulates these findings and highlights the roles of EGCG for the chemoprevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Stereological and histopathological evaluation of doxorubicin-induced toxicity in female rats' ovary and uterus and palliative effects of quercetin and vitamin E

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent with demonstrated reproductive toxicity. This study sought to determine the DOX-induced toxicity in the ovary and uterus and the preventive effects of quercetin (QCT) and vitamin E (Vit.E). Female rats were divided into six groups as follows: control, QCT (20 mg/kg), Vit.E (200 mg/kg), DOX (accumulative 15 mg/kg), DOX/QCT, and DOX/Vit.E. After 3 weeks, the toxicity of DOX in ovarian and uterine tissues and the potential palliative effects of QCT and Vit.E were evaluated by histopathological-stereological methods. The findings indicate a dramatic decline in the number of ovarian follicles (p < 0.001), ovarian and its associated structures volume, the volume of the uterus, its layers, and related structures (p < 0.05). Coadministration of QCT and Vit.E with DOX-treated rats demonstrated an alleviative effect on most of the studied parameters. Nevertheless, few adverse effects were recognized concerning these antioxidants administration (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the findings of this study support the protective role of these dietary supplements in the prevention of DOX-induced toxicity in uterine and ovarian tissues.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) reduces apoptosis of preantral follicles through the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway after in vitro culture of sheep ovarian tissue

The aims of this study were to analyze the effects of different concentrations of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the primordial follicle survival and development after in vitro culture of ovarian tissue, and to verify the possible involvement of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway in the EGCG actions in the sheep ovary. Ovarian fragments were fixed for histological analysis (fresh control) or cultured in α-minimum essential medium alone (α-MEM⁺: control medium) or with different concentrations of EGCG (0.01; 0.1; 1; 10 or 100 μg/mL) for 7 days. Inhibition of PI3K activity was performed in fragments cultured with 1 μg/mL EGCG plus LY294002. Thereafter, immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and AKT phosphorylation (p-AKT). The results showed that 1 μg/mL EGCG maintained the follicular survival similar (P > 0.05) to that of the fresh control and higher (P < 0.05) than that of the α-MEM⁺ and other EGCG treatments. No difference (P > 0.05) in the follicular activation was observed. However, both follicle and oocyte diameters increased after in vitro culture with 1 μg/mL EGCG compared to other treatments (P < 0.05), except for 10 μg/mL EGCG (P > 0.05). After PI3K inhibition, there was an increase (P < 0.05) of the follicular apoptosis and a reduction of p-AKT immunolocalization. In conclusion, EGCG at 1 μg/mL reduces apoptosis of preantral follicles through the PI3K/AKT pathway after in vitro culture of sheep ovarian tissue.