Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2003, 200 (4)

Green Tea Polyphenol (–)-Epigallocatechin Gallate Prevents Oxidative
Damage on Periventricular White Matter of
Infantile Rats with Hydrocephalus

VOLKAN ETUS, TUNCAY ALTUG,¹ AHMET BELCE² and SAVAS CEYLAN

Department of Neurosurgery, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli, Turkey, ¹Center of Experimental Studies, ²Department of Biochemistry, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

Hydrocephalus causes damage to periventricular white matter at least in part through chronic ischemia. Emphasizing the periventricular ischemia/hypoxia in hydrocephalus, various authors indicated the secondary biochemical impairment and oxidative damage in experimentally induced and congenital hydrocephalic rat brain. (–)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the main constituent of green tea polyphenols, has been shown to be of some protective value in various models of neurological injury as a free oxygen radical scavenger. In the present study the effects of EGCG were examined on the periventricular oxidative damage in experimental childhood-onset hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus was induced in 3 weeks-old rat pups by kaolin injection into the cisterna magna. A single daily dose of 50 mg/kg of EGCG injected into the peritoneum of the rats for 15 days significantly reduced periventricular white matter malondialdehyde levels when compared to non-treated hydrocephalic animals. Our results indicate that EGCG may have a protective effect against periventricular white matter oxidative damage in hydrocephalus induced infantile rats.

keywords —— (–)-epigallocatechin gallate; green tea; hydrocephalus; periventricular white matter; lipid peroxidation

© 2003 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2003, 200, 203-209

Address for reprints: Y. Doc. Dr. Volkan Etus, Kocaeli Universitesi Tip Fakultesi Norosirurji Ana Bilim Dali, Derince, 41900 Kocaeli, Turkey.

e-mail: volkanetus@hotmail.com