Green Tea (−)-Epigallotocatechin-3-Gallate Induces PGC-1α Gene Expression in HepG2 Cells and 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the most popular beverages in the world and has been acknowledged for centuries as having significant health benefits. (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant catechin in green tea, and it has been reported to have health benefit effects. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator (PGC)-1α is a crucial regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and hepatic gluconeogenesis. The objective of this study was to investigate whether EGCG from green tea can affect the ability of transcriptional regulation on PGC-1α mRNA expression in HepG2 cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. To study the molecular mechanism that allows EGCG to control PGC-1α expression, the promoter activity levels of PGC-1α were examined. The PGC-1α mRNA level was measured using quantitative real-time PCR. The −970/+412 bp of PGC-1α promoter was subcloned into the pGL3-Basic vector that includes luciferase as a reporter gene. EGCG was found to up-regulate the PGC-1α mRNA levels significantly with 10 μmol/L of EGCG in HepG2 cells and differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. PGC-1α promoter activity was also increased by treatment with 10 μmol/L of EGCG in both cells. These results suggest that EGCG may induce PGC-1α gene expression, potentially through promoter activation.