Thioridazine inhibits angiogenesis and tumor growth by targeting the VEGFR-2/PI3K/mTOR pathway in ovarian cancer xenografts

Oncotarget. 2014 Jul 15;5(13):4929-34. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.2063.

Abstract

Thioridazine, a member of the phenothiazine family, is a powerful anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic drug. It can also suppress the growth of several types of tumor in vitro. In the current study, we evaluated the direct anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects of thioridazine in vivo. The injection of thioridazine into human ovarian tumor xenografts in nude mice significantly inhibited tumor growth by ~fivefold, and also decreased tumor vascularity. In addition, thioridazine inhibited the phosphorylation of the signaling molecules downstream of phosphatidylinositol-3'-kinase (PI3K), including Akt, phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), during ovarian tumor progression via vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). These results provide convincing evidence that thioridazine regulates endothelial cell function and subsequent angiogenesis by inhibiting VEGFR-2/PI3K/mTOR signal transduction. Collectively, these results strongly suggest that thioridazine might be a novel anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic agent for use in ovarian cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antipsychotic Agents / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / prevention & control
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / blood supply
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Thioridazine / pharmacology*
  • Tumor Burden / drug effects
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / metabolism*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays*

Substances

  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Thioridazine