Effects of dietary powdered green tea and theanine on tumor growth and endogenous hyperlipidemia in hepatoma-bearing rats

The effects of dietary powdered green tea (PGT) and theanine on in vivo hepatoma growth and cancerous hyperlipidemia were investigated in rats that had been implanted with a rat ascites hepatoma cell line of AH109A cells. The hepatoma-bearing rats were fed with a 20% casein diet (20C), 20C containing 2% PGT, or 20C containing 0.1% theanine for 14 days. Dietary PGT significantly and time-dependently reduced the solid tumor volume and weight as did dietary theanine. The hepatoma-induced endogenous hyperlipidemia, which was characterized by rises in the serum cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) and triglyceride (hypertriglyceridemia) levels, was significantly suppressed by PGT and theanine supplementation. Bile acid excretion into the feces was significantly higher in the PGT- and theanine-fed rats than in the control rats. This inhibition of hypercholesterolemia may have resulted from tumor growth suppression as well as increased excretion of steroids from the body. These results suggest that PGT had both anti-proliferative activity toward hepatoma cells and hypolipidemic activity in the hepatoma bearing rats. They also suggest that theanine was, at least in part, responsible for the PGT actions.