This experiment was performed to determine the effect of polyphenolic (-)-epigallocatechin (EGCG), the most abundant catechin of green tea, given at reperfusion period.

Isolated rat hearts were subjected to 30 min of regional ischemia and 2 h of reperfusion. Green tea extract (GT) was perfused with the following concentrations; 0, 0.5, and 1 µM (GT-O, GT-0.5, and GT-1, respectively). In a next experiment, hearts were assigned randomly to one of the following groups; Control, EGCG-1 (1 µM of EGCG), and EGCG-10 (10 µM of EGCG). GT and EGCG were perfused for a period of 5 min before and 30 min after reperfusion. For comparison of cardioprotection among groups, morphometric measurement was performed by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staning.

GT 1 µM (10.3 ± 2.1%, P < 0.05) significantly reduced infarct volume as a percentage of ischemic volume compared to untreated hearts (27.4 ± 1.1%). EGCG 10 µM (13.2 ± 4.0%) significantly reduced myocardial infarction compared to control hearts (27.2 ± 1.4%, P = 0.002). After 2 h of reperfusion, cardiodynamic variables, including left ventricular developed pressure, rate-pressure produce, +dP/dt_max, and -dP/dt_min were significantly improved by 10 µM of EGCG compared to control hearts (P = 0.01, 0.016, 0.009, and 0.019, respectively).

EGCG treatment at an early reperfusion period reduces myocardial infarction and improves cardiodynamics in isolated rat hearts.