Inhibitory effects of green tea infusion on in vitro invasion and in vivo metastasis of mouse lung carcinoma cells.

The peroral administration of green tea infusion reduced the number of lung colonies of mouse Lewis lung carcinoma cells in a spontaneous metastasis system. The experiments with artificially reconstituted basement membrane suggested that this reduction could be understood by the inhibitory effects of the green tea infusion and its constituent catechins on the penetration of the cells through the basement membrane.