title: The anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic effect of the methanol extract from brittle star.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anti-angiogenic therapy is a crucial step in cancer treatment. The discovery of new anti-angiogenic compounds from marine organisms has become an attractive concept in anti-cancer therapy. Because little data correlated to the pro- and anti-angiogenic efficacies of Ophiuroidea, which include brittle star, the current study was designed to explore the anti-angiogenic potential of brittle star methanol extract in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  The anti-proliferative effect of brittle star extract on A2780cp cells was examined by MTT assays, and transcriptional expression of VEGF and b-FGF was evaluated by RT-PCR. In an in vivo model, 40 fertilized Ross eggs were divided into control and three experimental groups. The experimental groups were incubated with brittle star extract at concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 µg/ml, and photographed by photo-stereomicroscopy. Ultimately, numbers and lengths of vessels were measured by Image J software. Data were analyzed with SPSS software (p<0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results illustrated that the brittle star extract exerted a dose- and time-dependent anti-proliferative effect on A2780cp cancer cells. In addition, VEGF and b-FGF expression decreased with brittle star methanol extract treatment. Macroscopic evaluations revealed significant changes in the second and third experimental group compared to controls (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These finding revealed the anti-angiogenic effects of brittle star methanol extract in vitro and in vivo confer novel insight into the application of natural marine products in angiogenesis-related pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Animal Development Applied Biology, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Javad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baharara
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biological sciences, Developmental Biology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Elaheh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amini
authors.affiliation: Cell & Developmental Biology Research center for Applied Biology, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Marzieh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mousavi
keywords: Angiogenesis; Anti-proliferative; Brittle star; Marine organisms; Ovarian cancer