title: Evaluation of the anti-angiogenic effect of aloe-emodin.
abstract: The present study identified aloe-emodin (AE, a hydroxyanthraquinone from Aloe vera and other plants) as a new anti-angiogenic compound with inhibitory effects in an in vivo angiogenesis assay and evaluates its effects on specific key steps of the angiogenic process. AE inhibits endothelial cell proliferation, but this effect is not cell specific, since AE also inhibits tumor cell proliferation. Cell migration and invasion are not remarkably affected by AE. On the other hand, AE has different effects on endothelial and tumor cell gelatinases. Two main targets of the pharmacological action of AE as an anti-angiogenic compound seem to be urokinase secretion and tubule formation of endothelial cells. Finally, AE produces a remarkable photocytotoxic effect on tumor cells. Taken together, our data indicate that AE can behave both as an anti-tumor and an anti-angiogenic compound and suggest that AE could be a candidate drug for photodynamic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Procel Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cárdenas
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Quesada
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Medina
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000880:Anthraquinones; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002645:Chickens; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004642:Emodin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000628:therapy*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000880:Anthraquinones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C518327:aloe emodin; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; D004642:Emodin