Anti-angiogenic activity of gecko aqueous extracts and its macromolecular components in CAM and HUVE-12 cells

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015;16(5):2081-6. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2015.16.5.2081.

Abstract

Gecko is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine with remarkable antineoplastic activity. However, undefined mechanisms and ambiguity regarding active ingredients limit new drug development from gecko. This study was conducted to assess anti-angiogenic properties of the aqueous extracts of fresh gecko (AG) or macromolecular components separated from AG (M-AG). An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) approach was applied to detect the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion of the tumor cells treated with AG or M-AG. The effect of AG or M-AG on vascular endothelial cell proliferation and migratory ability was analyzed by tetrazolium dye colorimetric method, transwell and wound-healing assays. Chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays were used to ensure the anti-angiogenic activity of M-AG in vivo. The results showed that AG or M-AG inhibited the VEGF secretion of tumor cells, the relative inhibition rates of AG and M-AG being 27.2% and 53.2% respectively at a concentration of 20 μL/mL. AG and M-AG inhibited the vascular endothelial (VE) cell proliferation with IC50 values of 11.5 ± 0.5 μL/mL and 12.9 ± 0.4 μL/mL respectively. The VE cell migration potential was inhibited significantly (p<0.01) by the AG (≥ 24 μL/mL) or M-AG (≥ 12 μL/ mL) treatment. In vivo, neovascularization of CAM treated with M-AG was inhibited significantly (p<0.05) at a concentration of 0.4 μL/mL. This study provided evidence that anti-angiogenesis is one of the anti-tumor mechanisms of AG and M-AG, with the latter as a promising active component.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Biological Factors / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Chick Embryo
  • Chorioallantoic Membrane / drug effects*
  • Endothelial Cells / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Lizards
  • Macromolecular Substances / pharmacology*
  • Medicine, Chinese Traditional / methods
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / drug therapy*
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biological Factors
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A