Effects of thalidomide on the expression of angiogenesis growth factors in human A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells.
Angiogenesis is a critical step for the growth and metastasis of solid tumors, and it is a major therapeutic target for the development of anti-angiogenics for cancer treatment. Thalidomide is reported to be an anti-angiogenic agent, which is currently in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of advanced malignancies. However, the mechanism of thalidomide in angiogenesis is not completely understood. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of thalidomide on the expression of angiogenesis growth factors in human lung cancer cells. In this report, we show that thalidomide downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549, and that the effect of thalidomide was time and concentration-dependent. In contrast, the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by thalidomide in these cells was in two phases. The mRNA and protein expression of VEGF was increased in the lung cancer cells treated with 0.6-6 microg/ml thalidomide, while higher concentrations of thalidomide decreased VEGF levels significantly in these cells. These data suggest that the anti-angiogenic or antitumor activity of thalidomide may be partly mediated through the regulation of the levels of angiogenesis growth factors.
Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, West Virginia University, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
Xiping
X
Li
Xuyi
X
Liu
Jie
J
Wang
Zengli
Z
Wang
Wei
W
Jiang
Eddie
E
Reed
Yi
Y
Zhang
Yuanlin
Y
Liu
Q Quentin
QQ
Li
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D013792:Thalidomide