The Natural Polyphenol Epigallocatechin Gallate Protects Intervertebral Disc Cells from Oxidative Stress

Figure 6

PI3K/Akt is important for the protective function of EGCG under the lethal oxidative stress. Cell death was activated by 200 μM H₂O₂. (a) After 15 minutes of cotreatment, 10 μM EGCG activated PI3K/Akt (). (b) After 24 hours, no significant difference in metabolic activity between the H₂O₂ + EGCG and the H₂O₂ + EGCG + LY groups was detected (). (c) After 48 hours, LY completely abolished the protective effects of EGCG, underlying the importance of the PI3K/Akt pathway in the survival of IVD cells (). Asterisks indicate statistical significance at (ANOVA, Tukey post hoc).

(a)

(b)

(c)