{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T22:55:30Z","timestamp":1787698530710,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,19]],"date-time":"2021-03-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1616112000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002873","name":"Chulalongkorn University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CU_GR_63_10_32_03"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CU_GR_63_10_32_03"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002873","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Antioxidant agents are promising pharmaceuticals to prevent salivary gland (SG) epithelial injury from radiotherapy and their associated irreversible dry mouth symptoms. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a well-known antioxidant that can exert growth or inhibitory biological effects in normal or pathological tissues leading to disease prevention. The effects of EGCG in the various SG epithelial compartments are poorly understood during homeostasis and upon radiation (IR) injury. This study aims to: (1) determine whether EGCG can support epithelial proliferation during homeostasis; and (2) investigate what epithelial cells are protected by EGCG from IR injury. Ex vivo mouse SG were treated with EGCG from 7.5\u201330 \u00b5g\/mL for up to 72 h. Next, SG epithelial branching morphogenesis was evaluated by bright-field microscopy, immunofluorescence, and gene expression arrays. To establish IR injury models, linear accelerator (LINAC) technologies were utilized, and radiation doses optimized. EGCG epithelial effects in these injury models were assessed using light, confocal and electron microscopy, the Griess assay, immunohistochemistry, and gene arrays. SG pretreated with EGCG 7.5 \u00b5g\/mL promoted epithelial proliferation and the development of pro-acinar buds and ducts in regular homeostasis. Furthermore, EGCG increased the populations of epithelial progenitors in buds and ducts and pro-acinar cells, most probably due to its observed antioxidant activity after IR injury, which prevented epithelial apoptosis. Future studies will assess the potential for nanocarriers to increase the oral bioavailability of EGCG.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms22063162","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,21]],"date-time":"2021-03-21T22:00:37Z","timestamp":1616364037000},"page":"3162","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Protects Pro-Acinar Epithelia Against Salivary Gland Radiation Injury"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Erni","family":"Sulistiyani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Exocrine Gland Biology and Regeneration Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2074-8262","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"James M.","family":"Brimson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Anti-Ageing Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ajjima","family":"Chansaenroj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Exocrine Gland Biology and Regeneration Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ladawan","family":"Sariya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Diseases in Wildlife and Exotic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4366-5585","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ganokon","family":"Urkasemsin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Preclinical and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sornjarod","family":"Oonsiri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4177-2165","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tewin","family":"Tencomnao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Anti-Ageing Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7197-0344","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anjalee","family":"Vacharaksa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6416-773X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Risa","family":"Chaisuparat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Exocrine Gland Biology and Regeneration Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"},{"name":"Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4230-4593","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joao N.","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Exocrine Gland Biology and Regeneration Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"},{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2020, January 22). 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