6'-Sialylgalactose inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2-mediated angiogenesis

Exp Mol Med. 2019 Oct 11;51(10):1-13. doi: 10.1038/s12276-019-0311-6.

Abstract

Angiogenesis should be precisely regulated because disordered neovascularization is involved in the aggravation of multiple diseases. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A/VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) axis is crucial for controlling angiogenic responses in vascular endothelial cells (ECs). Therefore, inactivating VEGFR-2 signaling may effectively suppress aberrant angiogenesis and alleviate related symptoms. In this study, we performed virtual screening, identified the synthetic disaccharide 6'-sialylgalactose (6SG) as a potent VEGFR-2-binding compound and verified its high binding affinity by Biacore assay. 6SG effectively suppressed VEGF-A-induced VEGFR-2 phosphorylation and subsequent in vitro angiogenesis in HUVECs without inducing cytotoxicity. 6SG also inhibited VEGF-A-induced extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK)/Akt activation and actin stress fiber formation in HUVECs. We demonstrated that 6SG inhibited retinal angiogenesis in a mouse model of retinopathy of prematurity and tumor angiogenesis in a xenograft mouse model. Our results suggest a potential therapeutic benefit of 6SG in inhibiting angiogenesis in proangiogenic diseases, such as retinopathy and cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Galactose / analogs & derivatives
  • Galactose / metabolism*
  • Heterografts
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System / genetics
  • Mice
  • Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / genetics*
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation / genetics
  • Retinopathy of Prematurity / genetics
  • Retinopathy of Prematurity / pathology
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / genetics*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / genetics*

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2
  • Galactose