Reactive oxygen species production triggers green tea-induced anti-leukaemic effects on acute promyelocytic leukaemia model

Green tea (GT) has been consumed as a beverage for thousands of years because of its therapeutic properties observed over time. Because there is no sufficient evidence supporting the protective role of tea intake during the development of acute myeloid leukaemia, we herein study GT extract effects on an acute promyelocytic leukaemia model. Our results demonstrated that GT reduces leucocytosis and immature cells (blasts) in peripheral blood, bone marrow (BM), and spleen of leukaemic mice, parallel with an increase of mature cells in the BM. In addition, GT induces apoptosis of cells in the BM and spleen, confirmed by activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9; GT reduces the malignant clones CD34+ and CD117+ in the BM and reduces CD117+ and Gr1+ immature myeloid cells in the spleen; GT increases intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the BM Gr1+ cells while reducing CD34+ and CD117+ cells; GT reduces CXCR4 expression on CD34+ and CD117+ cells, and reduces the nuclear translocation of HIF-1α. GT has anti-proliferative effects in leukaemia in vivo by inhibiting malignant clone expansion, probably by modulating the intracellular production of ROS.