Abstract: This study was conducted to identify the protection of antioxidant--epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG) to the renal damage by oxidant-stress. H₂O₂ and Cr⁶⁺ were used to induce apoptosis of renal cells-----Vero cells in vitro. With these models of cell apoptosis, the effect of EGCG on apoptosis was investigated through Staining and DNA electrophoresis. As the results, H₂O₂ and Cr⁶⁺ decreased the viability of Vero cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the IC₅₀ was 175.6 and 9.8 mg·L^- respectively. Both 50 mg·L^-1 H₂O₂ and 400 mg·L^-/2h Cr⁶⁺ caused the apoptosis of Vero cells. 40 mg·L^- EGCG markedly inhibited the apoptosis of Vero cells, and the effect was the same as that of Vc and EDTA in combination, indicating the simultaneous effect of antioxidation and chelating. So, EGCG protected Vero cells from damage through both ROS scavenging and ion-chelating, and this kind of effect is valuable to kidney usually exposed to ROS in clinic.

Key words: Biomedicine, renal cells, Oxidant-stress, Apoptosis, EGCG