Green tea reduces body fat via upregulation of neprilysin

Background/Objective: Consumption of green tea has become increasingly popular, particularly because of claimed reduction in body weight. We recently reported that animals with pharmacological inhibition (by candoxatril) or genetic absence of the endopeptidase neprilysin (NEP) develop an obese phenotype. We now investigated the effect of green tea extract (in drinking water) on body weight and body composition and the mediating role of NEP. Subjects/Methods: To elucidate the role of NEP in mediating the beneficial effects of green tea extract, ‘Berlin fat mice’ or NEP-deficient mice and their age- and gender-matched wild-type controls received the extract in two different doses (300 or 600 mg kg −1 body weight per day) in the drinking water. Results: In ‘Berlin fat mice’, 51 days of green tea treatment did not only prevent fat accumulation (control: day 0: 30.5% fat, day 51: 33.1%; NS) but also reduced significant body fat (green tea: day 0: 27.8%, day 51: 20.9%, P