青蒿琥酯的抗血管生成作用

目的研究青蒿琥酯对血管生成的抑制作用。方法用人脐静脉内皮细胞(HUVEC)的生长、迁移及小管形成实验研究药物的体外抗血管生成作用;用人卵巢癌裸鼠移植瘤模型和免疫组化法研究药物的体内抗血管生成作用。结果青蒿琥酯浓度2.5 μmol·L^-1时,对HUVEC的增殖、迁移和小管形成均有显著的抑制作用;HUVEC 48 h的IC₅₀值为(21±3) μmol·L^-1。在整体实验中,青蒿琥酯50 mg·kg^-1·d^-1即可明显减少肿瘤的血管生成,抑制肿瘤生长;免疫组化结果表明,青蒿琥酯可以抑制VEGF和KDR/flk-1在肿瘤组织中的表达。结论青蒿琥酯有抗血管生成作用,提示该类药物在抗血管生成中有潜在的应用价值。

Inhibitory effects of artesunate on angiogenesis

AIM: To investigate the inhibitory effects of artesunate on angiogenesis. METHODS: The in vitro anti-angiogenic effect of artesunate was tested on models of angiogenesis: proliferation, migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells; The anti-angiogenic effect in vivo was evaluated in nude mice by means of human ovarian cancer HO-8910 implantation and immunohistochemical stainings for microvessel (CD31), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptor KDR/flk-1. RESULTS: Artesunate significantly inhibited angiogenesis in a concentration-dependent form in range of 0.5-50 mumol.L-1. The IC50 of artesunate for HUVE cells was (21 +/- 3) mumol.L-1. Growth of xenograft tumor was decreased and microvessel density was reduced following drug-treatment with no apparent toxicity to the animals. Artesunate also remarkably lowered VEGF expression on tumor cells and KDR/flk-1 expression on endothelial cells as well as tumor cells. CONCLUSION: Artesunate was shown to inhibit angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. These findings together with the known low toxicity of artesunate are clues that artesunate may be a promising angiogenesis inhibitor.