Neuroprotection and neurorescue against Aβ toxicity and PKC‐dependent release of non‐amyloidogenic soluble precursor protein by green tea polyphenol (‐)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate

Green tea extract and its main polyphenol constituent (‐)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG) possess potent neuroprotective activity in cell culture and mice model of Parkinson's disease. The central hypothesis guiding this study is that EGCG may play an important role in amyloid precursor protein (APP) secretion and protection against toxicity induced by β‐amyloid (Aβ). The present study shows that EGCG enhances (~6‐fold) the release of the non‐amyloidogenic soluble form of the amyloid precursor protein (sAPPα) into the conditioned media of human SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma and rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. sAPPα release was blocked by the hydroxamic acid‐based metalloprotease inhibitor Ro31–9790, which indicated mediation via α‐secretase activity. Inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) with the inhibitor GF109203X, or by down‐regulation of PKC, blocked the EGCG‐induced sAPPα secretion, suggesting the involvement of PKC. Indeed, EGCG induced the phosphorylation of PKC, thus identifying a novel PKC‐dependent mechanism of EGCG action by activation of the non‐amyloidogenic pathway. EGCG is not only able to protect, but it can rescue PC12 cells against the β‐amyloid (Aβ) toxicity in a dose‐dependent manner. In addition, administration of EGCG (2 mg/kg) to mice for 7 or 14 days significantly decreased membrane‐bound holoprotein APP levels, with a concomitant increase in sAPPα levels in the hippocampus. Consistently, EGCG markedly increased PKCα and PKCε in the membrane and the cytosolic fractions of mice hippocampus. Thus, EGCG has protective effects against Aβ‐induced neurotoxicity and regulates secretory processing of non‐amyloidogenic APP via PKC pathway.