Epigallocatechin gallate inhibits ovarian cancer cell growth and induces cell apoptosis via activation of FOXO3A

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a bioactive component in tea, displays broad anti-cancer effects. Our study was designed to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of EGCG on ovarian cancer and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. To evaluate the in vitro inhibitory effects of EGCG against ovarian cancer, MTT assay, colony formation assay, apoptosis assay, and wound healing assay, were performed. Besides, the inhibitory effects of EGCG on tumor growth in the xenograft animal model were evaluated by measuring tumor volume and tumor weight. Moreover, Western blotting and qPCR were used to evaluate the levels of target genes and proteins. Treatment with EGCG inhibited cell migration and cell survival, and promoted cell apoptosis in A2780 and SKOV3 cells. Interestingly, treatment with EGCG inhibited the tumor growth in the xenograft animal model. The mechanistic study revealed that treatment with EGCG induced the activation of FOXO3A and suppressed the expression of c-Myc both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings demonstrate that EGCG suppress ovarian cancer cell growth, which may be due to its regulation on FOXO3A and c-Myc.