Effects of tea polyphenols on telomerase activity of a tongue cancer cell line: a preliminary study

The aim of this study was to determine, at the mRNA and protein levels, whether tea polyphenols (TPs) affect the expression of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene in the Tca8113 cancerous cell line. The expression of this gene was determined at the mRNA level by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction and at the protein level by Western blotting. The semi-quantitative scores of hTERT mRNA expression were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance. After 72 h of exposure to TPs, the mean (±SD) scores of hTERT mRNA expression in TP 0.1 g/l, TP 0.05 g/l and a control group were 0.32 ± 0.05, 0.41 ± 0.04 and 0.72 ± 0.05, respectively (P < 0.05). The Western blot assay showed that TPs also decreased the expression of hTERT at the protein level. These results indicate that TPs reduce hTERT activity in the human Tca8113 cell line in a time- and dose-dependent manner, disabling telomerase activity and thereby terminating unlimited cancer cell proliferation. These findings suggest a mechanism behind TP's anticancer activity.