Apoptosis-inducing activity of high molecular weight fractions of tea extracts.

High molecular weight fractions of green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and pu-erh tea were found to induce apoptosis in human monoblastic leukemia U937 cells by examination of their ability to inhibit cell proliferation and to induce apoptotic body formation and DNA ladder formation. These tea fractions were also shown to induce apoptosis in stomach cancer MKN-45 cells. In addition to known antitumor-promoting activity of tea high molecular weight fractions, their apoptosis-inducing activity may contribute to cancer chemopreventive effects of tea.