Regulation of urokinase plasminogen activator by epigallocatechin-3-gallate in human fibrosarcoma cells.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a main flavanol of green tea, potently suppressed the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) expression in human fibrosarcoma HT 1080 cells. EGCG induced not only the suppression of the uPA promoter activity but also the destabilization of uPA mRNA. EGCG inhibited the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (Erk-1/2) and P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), but not the phosphorylation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and Akt. Specific inhibitors of Erk-1/2 (2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone, PD98059) and P38 MAPK (pyridinylimidazole, SB203580) were found to suppress the uPA expression and the uPA promoter activity. However, the specific inhibitors did not affect the uPA mRNA stability. These results suggest that EGCG could regulate the uPA expression by at least two different mechanisms: EGCG may inhibit the Erk-1/2 and P38 MAPK, leading to suppression of the uPA promoter activity, and EGCG may destabilize the uPA mRNA in an Erk-1/2- and p38 MAPK-independent way.