Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a main active catechin in green tea, was reported to attenuate renal injury and hypertension. However, its effects on salt-induced hypertension and renal injury remain unclear. In the present study, we explored its effects on hypertension and renal damage in Dahl rats with salt-sensitive hypertension. We found that EGCG could lower blood pressure after 6 weeks of oral administration, reduce 24 h urine protein levels and decrease creatinine clearance, and attenuate renal fibrosis, indicating that it could attenuate hypertension by protecting against renal damage. Furthermore, we studied the renal protective mechanisms of EGCG, revealing that it could lower malondialdehyde levels, reduce the numbers of infiltrated macrophages and T cells, and induce the apoptosis of NRK-49F cells. Considering that the 67 kD laminin receptor (67LR) binds to EGCG, its role in EGCG-induced fibroblast apoptosis was also investigated. The results showed that an anti-67LR antibody partially abrogated the apoptosis-inducing effects of EGCG on NRK-49F cells. In summary, EGCG may attenuate renal damage and salt-sensitive hypertension via exerting anti-oxidant, antiinflammatory, and apoptosis-inducing effects on fibroblasts; the last effect is partially mediated by 67LR, suggesting that EGCG represents a potential strategy for treating salt-sensitive hypertension.Salt-sensitive hypertension is characterized by a significant increase in blood pressure after high salt intake. Patients with this condition are at high risk for cardiovascular and renal morbidity and mortality. Renal injury plays a key role in the pathogenesis of salt sensitive hypertension 1 . Recently, the roles of oxidative stress and inflammatory cell infiltration in the kidney in the pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension were verified 2,3 . Renal fibrosis is a common pathway for a variety of chronic kidney diseases to progress to end-stage renal failure 4 and excessive proliferation of renal interstitial fibroblasts participates in the development of renal fibrosis 5,6 .(−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most active and abundant polyphenol in green tea, accounting for approximately 50% of green tea polyphenols 7 . Recently, EGCG has attracted interest due to its wide range of biological activities, such as its antioxidant, NO-scavenging, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and apoptosis-inducing effects in multiple types of tumour cells 8,9 . EGCG benefits a broad spectrum of hypertension disorders, including renovascular hypertension 10 and spontaneous hypertension 11 . The renoprotective effect of EGCG has been reported in several renal disease models 12 , such as acute kidney injury 13 , cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity 14 , obstructive nephropathy 15 , glomerulonephritis 16 , lupus nephritis 17 , diabetic nephropathy 18 , and high-fat diet-induced kidney injury 19 . However, the effects of EGCG on salt-induced hypertension and renal injury remain unclear.