Affiliations: Dipartimento di Produzioni Animali, Biotecnologie
Veterinarie, Qualità e Sicurezza degli Alimenti – Sezione di
Fisiologia Veterinaria, Università di Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Giuseppina Basini, Dipartimento
di Produzioni Animali, Biotecnologie Veterinarie, Qualità e Sicurezza
degli Alimenti – Sezione di Fisiologia Veterinaria, Università di
Parma, Via del Taglio 8, 43100 Parma, Italy. Tel.: +39 0521 032775; Fax: +39
0521 032770; E-mail: basini@unipr.it
Abstract: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in
the physiological ovarian angiogenic process: its production appears to be
stimulated by the hypoxic environment which takes place during follicle
development. Recently, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from green tea has
been used in livestock nutrition as an alternative to antibiotics. However,
despite many potential benefits of EGCG consumption, it is also important to
get an insight on the possible reproductive-related consequences of feeding
supplementation: in fact this substance has been found to inhibit angiogenesis,
a process fundamental for follicle development. Therefore, we evaluated the
effect of EGCG (5 and 50 μg/ml) on the production of the main angiogenetic
factor, VEGF, by swine granulosa cells cultured in normoxia (19%
O_{2}), partial (5% O_{2}) or total
hypoxia (1% O_{2}). In addition, we studied the effect of
the catechin on cell proliferation. Our data demontrate that both partial and
total hypoxia stimulated VEGF production. EGCG reduced VEGF production
independently of the O_{2} condition: 50 μM was the most
effective doses. Granulosa cell proliferation was inhibited by EGCG even if
only by the highest concentration. This effect might possibly be due to the
decrease induced in VEGF production. Therefore feeding supplementation with
EGCG should be carefully considered.
