Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate from Green Tea Reduces Vascular Aging and Endothelial Cell Senescence by Modifying Autophagy and Ferroptosis through the Sirtuin 1 Signaling Pathway

Vascular aging is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the older individuals. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the primary active compound in green tea, exhibits cardiovascular protective effects. However, its effect and the underlying mechanism of the same on vascular aging remain unclear. Herein, doxorubicin (DOX) was employed to develop an endothelial cell senescence model. In vitro results indicated that EGCG alleviates endothelial cell senescence by promoting autophagy and inhibiting ferroptosis, supported by Western blot analysis. In vivo animal studies revealed a significant decrease in aortic senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) positive staining and pulse wave velocity (PWV) in the EGCG group compared with that in the control group (p < 0.001), indicating that EGCG can significantly attenuate vascular aging in mice. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that EGCG alleviates vascular aging by activating sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), which promotes autophagy and inhibits ferroptosis.