Catechins such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), and epigallocatechin (EGC) are polyphenol components of green tea. EGCG is the major component and has been reported to possess a wide range of biological properties including anti-fibrogenic activity. In hepatic fibrosis, activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a central role. In this study, we investigated the effect of catechins, including EGCG, on collagen production and collagenase activity in rat primary HSCs and activated human HSC-derived TWNT-4 cells. EGCG (50 µM) suppressed type I collagen production in rat HSCs more than ECG (50 µM) did; however, EGC (50 µM) did not show suppressive effects. EGCG also inhibited both collagen production and collagenase activity (active matrix metalloproteinase-1 [MMP-1]) in a dose-dependent manner, but did not affect the tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) production in TWNT-4 cells. Real-time PCR unexpectedly revealed that EGCG enhanced the transcription of type I collagen and TIMP-1, but did not affect the transcription of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and reduced the transcription MMP-1 in TWNT-4 cells. These findings demonstrated that EGCG inhibited collagen production regardless of enhanced collagen transcription and suppressed collagenase activity, and suggested that EGCG might have therapeutic potential for liver fibrosis.

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