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In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the anti‐angiogenic actions of 4‐hydroxybenzyl alcohol
Author(s) -
Laschke MW,
van Oijen AE Vorsterman,
Scheuer C,
Menger MD
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01292.x
Subject(s) - in vivo , western blot , angiogenesis , in vitro , endothelial stem cell , biology , chemistry , pharmacology , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer research , biochemistry , gene
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 4‐Hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA) is a phenolic plant compound, which has been shown to influence many cellular mechanisms. In the present study, we analysed in vitro and in vivo the anti‐angiogenic actions of this pleiotropic agent. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Migration and protein expression of HBA‐ and vehicle‐treated endothelial‐like eEND2 cells was assessed by cell migration assay and Western blot analyses. HBA action on vascular sprouting was analysed in an aortic ring assay. In vivo anti‐angiogenic actions of HBA were studied in the dorsal skinfold chamber model of endometriosis in mice. KEY RESULTS Western blot analyses demonstrated that HBA inhibited proliferation of eEND2 cells, as indicated by down‐regulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression, and reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase 9. HBA suppressed the migration of eEND2 cells, accompanied by inhibition of actin filament reorganization, revealed by fluorescence staining of the cytoskeleton. In addition, HBA reduced vascular sprouting in the aortic ring assay. Finally, we found, in the dorsal skinfold chamber model in vivo using intravital fluorescence microscopy, that HBA inhibited the vascularization of developing endometriotic lesions, as indicated by a decreased functional capillary density of lesions in HBA‐treated mice and a reduced lesion size, compared with control animals. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS HBA targets several angiogenic mechanisms and therefore represents a promising anti‐angiogenic agent for the treatment of angiogenic diseases, such as endometriosis.