title: Nobiletin, a polymethoxylated flavonoid from citrus, shows anti-angiogenic activity in a zebrafish in vivo model and HUVEC in vitro model.
abstract: Traditional Chinese medicinal herbs are a rich source of compounds with reported anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects. Growing evidence shows the codependence of chronic inflammation and angiogenesis, and the potential benefits of targeting angiogenesis in the treatment of chronic inflammation and targeting inflammation in the treatment of diseases with impaired angiogenesis. We hypothesized that the anti-inflammatory activity of the natural compounds may owe at least some of its efficacy to their anti-angiogenic activity and hence we investigated the anti-angiogenic activity of these compounds in vivo in zebrafish embryos and in vitro in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Nobiletin, a polymethoxylated flavonoid from citrus fruits, showed anti-angiogenic activity in both assays. Nobiletin inhibited the formation of intersegmental vessels (ISVs) in live transgenic zebrafish embryos expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the vasculature. Cell cycle analysis of dissociated zebrafish embryo cells showed that nobiletin induced G0/G1 phase accumulation in a dose-dependent manner in GFP-positive endothelial cells. Nobiletin also dose-dependently induced VEGF-A mRNA expression. In HUVECs, nobiletin inhibited endothelial cell proliferation and, to a greater extent, tube formation in a dose-dependent manner. As in the in vivo study, nobiletin induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in HUVECs. However, this arrest was not accompanied by an increase in apoptosis, indicating a cytostatic effect of nobiletin. This study, for the first time, identifies nobiletin as having potent anti-angiogenic activity and suggests that nobiletin has a great potential for future research and development as a cytostatic anti-proliferative agent.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Tomás Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors: Kai Heng
authors: KH
authors: Lam
authors: Deepa
authors: D
authors: Alex
authors: In Kei
authors: IK
authors: Lam
authors: Stephen Kwok Wing
authors: SK
authors: Tsui
authors: Zi Feng
authors: ZF
authors: Yang
authors: Simon Ming Yuen
authors: SM
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D047309:Flavones / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008954:Models, Biological; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D047309:Flavones; C008661:nobiletin