title: Norcantharidin anti-angiogenesis activity possibly through an endothelial cell pathway in human colorectal cancer.
abstract: The present study was based on the unexpected discovery that norcantharidin exerted anti-angiogenesis activity when effects on growth of human colon cancer were studied. The aim was to further verify this finding and explore possible mechanisms using a tumor xenograft model in nude mice. We confirmed that norcantharidin (5 or 15 mg/kg) could inhibit angiogenesis of human colon cancer in vivo. In vitro, crossing river assay, cell adhesion assay and tube formation assay indicated that NCTD could reduce the migration, adhesion and vascular network tube formation ability of HUVECs. At the same time, the expression levels of VEGF and VEGFR-2 proteins which play important roles in angiogenesis were reduced as examined by western blotting analysis. Taken together, the results firstly showed NCTD could inhibit angiogenesis of human colon cancer in vivo, probably associated with effects on migration, adhesion and vascular network tube formation of HUVECs and expression levels of VEGF and VEGFR-2 proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Shanghai Chinese Medical Hospital, Shanghai, China. yutao1986cn@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Fenggang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Manman
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jianrong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhongze
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C069741:norcantharidin; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2