title: Inhibition of angiogenic factor- and tumour-induced angiogenesis by gamma linolenic acid.
abstract: Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is an essential feature of malignant tumour development. Gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), inhibits the growth and metastasis of a variety of tumour cells, including breast, prostate, pancreatic cancer and hepatoma cells and also has anti-metastatic effects on endothelial cells. In the current study, we tested whether GLA inhibited angiogenesis induced by tumour cells. A rat aortic ring assay and in vitro tube formation of human vascular endothelial cells were used to determine angiogenesis (spontaneous, angiogenic factor- and tumour cells-induced). Inclusion of GLA in this 3-D matrix culture system significantly inhibited angiogenesis from aortic rings in a concentration-dependent manner. The results from tube formation of vascular endothelial cell further confirmed that GLA suppressed angiogenesis. Furthermore, in the cell motility assay (phagokinetic assay and endothelial wounding assay), a significant reduction of the motility of vascular endothelial cells by GLA was seen. It is concluded that gamma linolenic acid inhibits angiogenic factor and tumour-induced angiogenesis in vitro at least in part via its inhibitory effect on the motility of vascular endothelial cells.
mesh_terms: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply*; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D017979:Gold Colloid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*