title: New potential beneficial effects of actein, a triterpene glycoside isolated from Cimicifuga species, in breast cancer treatment.
abstract: Actein is a triterpene glycoside isolated from the rhizomes of Cimicifuga foetida (Chinese herb "shengma") which could inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. Nevertheless, the effect of actein on angiogenesis, which is an essential step for tumor growth and metastasis, has never been reported. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo effects of actein on angiogenesis using human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1), matrigel plug and tumor-bearing mouse models. Our results showed that actein significantly inhibited the proliferation, reduced the migration and motility of endothelial cells, and it could suppress the protein expressions of VEGFR1, pJNK and pERK, suggesting that JNK/ERK pathways were involved. In vivo results showed that oral administration of actein at 10 mg/kg for 7 days inhibited blood vessel formation in the growth factor-containing matrigel plugs. Oral actein treatments (10-15 mg/kg) for 28 days resulted in decreasing mouse 4T1 breast tumor sizes and metastasis to lungs and livers. The apparent reduced angiogenic proteins (CD34 and Factor VIII) expressions and down-regulated metastasis-related VEGFR1 and CXCR4 gene expressions were observed in breast tumors. Our novel findings provide insights into the use of actein for development of anti-angiogenic agents for breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Grace Gar-Lee
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.
authors.forename: Sida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Julia Kin-Ming
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Hin-Fai
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nian
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Xiao-Xiao
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.|Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Chun-Kwok
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.|State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Clara Bik-San
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002460:Cell Line; D031885:Cimicifuga / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012503:Saponins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D012503:Saponins; D014315:Triterpenes; C096064:actein