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Green tea epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate ( EGCG ) promotes neural progenitor cell proliferation and sonic hedgehog pathway activation during adult hippocampal neurogenesis
Author(s) -
Wang Yanyan,
Li Maoquan,
Xu Xueqing,
Song Min,
Tao Huansheng,
Bai Yun
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
molecular nutrition and food research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.495
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1613-4133
pISSN - 1613-4125
DOI - 10.1002/mnfr.201200035
Subject(s) - neurogenesis , hippocampal formation , sonic hedgehog , cyclopamine , dentate gyrus , neural stem cell , downregulation and upregulation , progenitor cell , hedgehog signaling pathway , hippocampus , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , neuroscience , chemistry , signal transduction , stem cell , biochemistry , gene
Scope Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a lifelong feature of brain plasticity that appears to be critically involved in adult brain function and neurological disease. Recent studies suggest that (–)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate ( EGCG ), which is the main polyphenolic constituent of green tea, may be used for the prevention and treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases. We hypothesized that EGCG promotes adult neurogenesis, which may be beneficial to hippocampus‐dependent learning and memory. Methods and results We show that EGCG treatment significantly increased the number of 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine (BrdU)‐labeled cells in adult hippocampal neural progenitor cell ( NPC ) cultures and in the dentate gyrus of adult mice. Meanwhile, EGCG markedly improved spatial cognition in mice. These events are associated with the sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway. We observed that EGCG triggered a robust upregulation of Shh receptor (Patched) mRNA and protein expression in cultured NPC s as well as an upregulation of the downstream Shh transcriptional target Gli1. These changes were further confirmed in the hippocampus of mice administered EGCG . The blockage of the Shh signal with the pharmacological inhibitor cyclopamine attenuated EGCG ‐induced hippocampal neurogenesis. Conclusion Our results provide strong evidence that EGCG enhances adult hippocampal neurogenesis.