Green tea polyphenols attenuate glial swelling and mitochondrial dysfunction following oxygen-glucose deprivation in cultures.

Abstract Astrocyte swelling is a major component of cytotoxic brain edema in ischemia. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction have been hypothesized to contribute to such swelling in cultures. We investigated the protective effects of polyphenol-rich green tea extract (GTE) on key features of ischemic injury namely cell swelling, nitric oxide (NO) production, and depolarization of the inner mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm). C6 glial cultures were subjected to 5-h oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and cell volume was determined using the 3-O-methyl-glucose method. At 90 min after the end of OGD, cell volume increased by > 33% and this increase was attenuated by GTE but not by the individual polyphenol components including catechin, epicatechin, or epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). However, a combination of catechin, epicatechin and EGCG prevented swelling. OGD-induced increase in NO was further increased by GTE. OGD-induced decline in Δψm was also attenuated by green tea extract, EGCG and a com...