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Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is an active and major constituent of green tea. As a non-nucleoside inhibitor of DNA methylation, EGCG is able to inhibit the hypermethylation of newly synthesised DNA, resulting in the reversal of hypermethylation and recovery in expression of the silenced genes. Reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs (RECK) is a novel tumour suppressor gene, which negatively regulates matrix metalloproteinases, and inhibits tumour invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis. The present study aimed to examine the effects of EGCG on the methylation status of the RECK gene and tumour invasion in a salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) cell line in vitro. Marked levels of methylated and weak levels of unmethylated RECK promoter were detected in the SACC83 cells, which was determined using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In addition, the treatment of SACC83 cells with EGCG partially reversed the hypermethylation status of the RECK gene. Western blot analysis and reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated that EGCG significantly enhanced the protein and mRNA expression levels of RECK, and significantly reduced the invasive ability of the SACC83 cells, as determined using a Transwell assay. These results suggested that EGCG possesses novel anti-metastatic therapeutic potential for the treatment of SACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]