OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of green tea extractive epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on degradation of collagen in dental erosion.

METHODSSixty-four volunteers with dental erosion were randomly divided into two groups. The custom fitted trays were made from the heat curable braces and were injected with carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC) hydrogel in one group (control group) or CMC hydrogel with EGCG added in another (experimental group). These trays were used during sleep and removed from oral cavity in the next morning. The content of carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) were determined by radioimmunoassay kit at 1 d before the experiment, and 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks after the experiment.

RESULTSBoth the types and time showed significant effects on ICTP. The incubation in EGCG resulted in relatively rapid and significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the expression level of ICTP compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONEGCG can inhibit collagen degradation and improve the antierosive effect of dentine.

Catechin ; analogs & derivatives ; Collagen ; Humans ; Pilot Projects ; Tea

Liver cancer is a worldwide malignant tumor with an increasing incidence by years. At present， it is facing the predicament of poor prognosis and lack of effective therapeutic drugs. Epimedii Folium is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine with a long history， and exiting clinical and pharmacological studies show that it can be used in clinical treatment of liver cancer. According to reports， Epimedii Folium polysaccharides （EPS）， C-8-isopentenyl substituted flavonoids and their glycosides （icaritin， icariin， baohuoside Ⅰ， epimedin C） have good anti-liver cancer activity. They are the main active ingredients of Epimedii Folium against liver cancer. The data which comes from in vitro and in vivo studies suggests flavonoids in Epimedii Folium demonstrate anti-liver cancer activity through various mechanisms， including inhibiting hepatoma cells proliferation， promoting hepatoma cells apoptosis， improving tumor immunosuppression microenvironment， inhibiting hepatoma cells immune escape， invasion and migration， reversing hepatoma cells resistance， suppressing hepatocellular carcinoma initiation cells and regulating the immunity of the body. While EPS play an anti-hepatocellular carcinoma role mainly through the regulation of immunity. Epimedii Folium exerts good anti-liver cancer effects with multiple components， multiple targets， and multiple pathways， which makes it a valuable anti-liver cancer drug. However， the comprehensive analysis of related aspects is still lacking. Therefore， this study briefly reviewed the anti-hepatocellular carcinoma active ingredients of Epimedii Folium and their mechanisms. In addition， in the process of literature review， it was found that the anti-liver cancer studies of Epimedii Folium mainly focused on a few components and the studies elucidating the active constituents and mechanism of Epimedii Folium against liver cancer on the whole level were insufficient. Based on these questions， the study also proposed corresponding suggestion to provide reference for the further study of substance basis， clinical application and rational development of Epimedii Folium against liver cancer.