Our recent studies have demonstrated that green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) exerts neuroprotective/neurorescue effects against B-amyloid toxicity and protects neuronal cells from 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridinium ion (MPP+) and 6-hydroxydopamine in vitro, or from N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine- (MPTP-) induced nigral dopaminergic neuronal loss in mice. In the present study, we report that EGCG (0.1 and 1 microM) significantly protects rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells from apoptosis induced by serum support withdrawal, suggesting that EGCG may play a role in the growth of PC12 cells, where it stimulates survival-promoting pathways.