title: New Natural Pigment Fraction Isolated from Saw Palmetto: Potential for Adjuvant Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
abstract: For the first time, we discovered a small proportion of aqueous fraction from Saw Palmetto apart from the fatty acid-rich fraction exhibited pharmacological activity. Therefore, this study aims to explore the anti-tumor potential of red pigmented aqueous fraction of Saw Palmetto, NYG on human hepatocellular carcinoma and its possible targets. Subcutaneous xenograft and orthotopic implantation models of HCC were used to evaluate the tumor inhibitory effect of NYG. Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were used as in vitro model. The mRNA expression was conducted by qPCR. Protein expression was monitored by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Cell migration and blood vessel formation were determined by chamber assay and tube formation assay, respectively. Significant tumor inhibition of NYG in dose-dependent manner was observed on subcutaneous xenograft and orthotopic HCC model. NYG has no direct action on cell viability or VEGF secretion of HCC cells. However, NYG reduced in vitro migration and vessel formation activities of HUVEC cells, as well as in vivo intratumoral neovascularization. NYG attenuated extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) activation in endothelial cells, which may be associated with the suppression of migration and tube formation of HUVEC. NYG suppressed tumor expansion of HCC via inhibiting neovascularization, and may be potential adjuvant treatment for HCC.
authors.affiliation: LKS Faculty of Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. hoeytan@connect.hku.hk.
authors.forename: Hor-Yue
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: LKS Faculty of Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. ckwang@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Heimat Co., Ltd., Heimat Building, 1-21-3 Nihonbashi, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan. aotearoajp@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China. ygfeng18@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Yigang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China. hongyunli@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hongyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: LKS Faculty of Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. yfeng@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Yibin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028024:Serenoa; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D010860:Pigments, Biological; D010936:Plant Extracts; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; C040972:saw palmetto extract
keywords: HUVEC; NYG; angiogenesis; hepatocellular carcinoma; saw palmetto