Anti-angiogenic effects of homocysteine on cultured endothelial cells

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2002 Apr 26;293(1):497-500. doi: 10.1016/S0006-291X(02)00232-2.

Abstract

High levels of homocysteine induce a sustained injury on arterial endothelial cells which accelerates the development of thrombosis and atherosclerosis. Some of the described effects of homocysteine on endothelial cells are features shared with an anti-angiogenic response. Therefore, we studied the effects of homocysteine on key steps of angiogenesis using bovine aorta endothelial cells as a model. Homocysteine decreased proliferation and induced differentiation. Furthermore, 5 mM homocysteine produced strong inhibitions of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and urokinase, two proteolytic activities that play a key role in extracellular matrix re-modeling, and decreased migration and invasion, other two key steps of angiogenesis. This study demonstrates that homocysteine can inhibit several steps of the angiogenic process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aorta
  • Cattle
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cell Movement / physiology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Endothelium, Vascular / drug effects*
  • Endothelium, Vascular / physiology
  • Homocysteine / pharmacology*
  • Kinetics
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic / drug effects*

Substances

  • Homocysteine