Green tea is associated with decreased risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Matcha is a special kind of powdered green tea known for its use in the Japanese tea ceremony. Due to its influence on lipoprotein parameters, it has been postulated to exert antiatherogenic effects. We investigated whether it modulates the HDL function and thereby influences the atherogenic process in an animal model with a strong influence on humans’ situation.
After a pretreatment phase based on a standard diet, ten female NZW rabbits were fed a high-fat diet for 20 weeks. The treatment group was additionally administered 1% matcha during the whole experiment. Long-term matcha treatment led to lowered HDL cholesterol, impaired cholesterol transport manifested by reduced in vitro cholesterol efflux capacity, reduced CETP-mediated cholesterol ester (CE) transfer between HDL and triglyceride-rich particles, and reduced macrophage-specific in vivo transfer, where we observed increased absorption of cholesterol in the liver but a decreased secretion into bile. Pulse wave velocity, assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance, was increased in matcha-treated animals, and a similar trend was observed for atherosclerotic lesion formation.
Long-term matcha green tea treatment of hypercholesterolemic rabbits caused impaired reverse cholesterol transport and increased vascular stiffness, and susceptibility for atherosclerotic lesion development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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