Usefulness of melatonin as complementary to chemotherapeutic agents at different stages of the angiogenic process

Sci Rep. 2020 Mar 16;10(1):4790. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-61622-x.

Abstract

Chemotherapeutics are sometimes administered with drugs, like antiangiogenic compounds, to increase their effectiveness. Melatonin exerts antitumoral actions through antiangiogenic actions. We studied if melatonin regulates the response of HUVECs to chemotherapeutics (docetaxel and vinorelbine). The inhibition that these agents exert on some of the processes involved in angiogenesis, such as, cell proliferation, migratory capacity or vessel formation, was enhanced by melatonin. Regarding to estrogen biosynthesis, melatonin impeded the negative effect of vinorelbine, by decreasing the activity and expression of aromatase and sulfatase. Docetaxel and vinorelbine increased the expression of VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-3, ANG1 and/or ANG-2 and melatonin inhibited these actions. Besides, melatonin prevented the positive actions that docetaxel exerts on the expression of other factors related to angiogenesis like JAG1, ANPEP, IGF-1, CXCL6, AKT1, ERK1, ERK2, MMP14 and NOS3 and neutralized the stimulating actions of vinorelbine on the expression of FIGF, FGFR3, CXCL6, CCL2, ERK1, ERK2, AKT1, NOS3 and MMP14. In CAM assay melatonin inhibited new vascularization in combination with chemotherapeutics. Melatonin further enhanced the chemotherapeutics-induced inhibition of p-AKT and p-ERK and neutralized the chemotherapeutics-caused stimulatory effect on HUVECs permeability by modifying the distribution of VE cadherin. Our results confirm that melatonin blocks proangiogenic and potentiates antiangiogenic effects induced by docetaxel and vinorelbine enhancing their antitumor effectiveness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors*
  • Antineoplastic Agents*
  • Docetaxel / pharmacology*
  • Drug Synergism
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / genetics
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / metabolism
  • Jagged-1 Protein / genetics
  • Jagged-1 Protein / metabolism
  • Melatonin / pharmacology*
  • Neoplasms / blood supply*
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / genetics
  • Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3 / genetics
  • Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3 / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / genetics
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / genetics
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / metabolism
  • Vinorelbine / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • IGF1 protein, human
  • JAG1 protein, human
  • Jagged-1 Protein
  • VEGFA protein, human
  • VEGFD protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D
  • Docetaxel
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
  • FGFR3 protein, human
  • Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3
  • Melatonin
  • Vinorelbine