Celastrol inhibits the growth of human glioma xenografts in nude mice through suppressing VEGFR expression

• Published in: Cancer letters Vol. 264; no. 1; pp. 101 - 106
• Main Authors: Huang, Yulun, Zhou, Youxin, Fan, Yisun, Zhou, Dai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 08.06.2008; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - chemistry; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - pharmacology; Animals; Antiangiogenesis; Celastrol; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell culture; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Diabetic retinopathy; Down-Regulation - drug effects; Female; Glioma; Glioma - drug therapy; Glioma - pathology; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Kinases; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Molecular Structure; Molecular weight; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor - drug effects; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor - genetics; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor - metabolism; Transcription, Genetic; Triterpenes - chemistry; Triterpenes - pharmacology; Tumor Burden; Tumors; Vascular endothelial growth factor; VEGF; VEGFR; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; China; VEGFR; Glioma; Celastrol; Antiangiogenesis; VEGF
• ISSN: 0304-3835; 1872-7980
• DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2008.01.043

Abstract Celastrol, a compound purified from Tripterygium wilfordii whose preparations have been used for clinical treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, has been demonstrated to have antiangiogenic activity, and be inhibitory against mice tumor growth by a few recent studies. However, whether its antiangiogenic activity plays a role in the celastrol-mediated suppression of tumor growth and the molecular basis of anti-tumor activity are poorly understood. In this study, we found that celastrol inhibited the growth of human glioma xenografts in mice, which concurred with the suppression of angiogenesis. Interestingly, while celastrol had no effect on either the expression of VEGF or its mRNA levels, celastrol treatment lowered the expression levels of its receptors (VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2) and their mRNA levels. These findings suggest that celastrol have potential to be used as an antiangiogenesis drug through its role in suppressing VEGF receptors expression that might consequently reduce the signal transduction between VEGF and VEGFR.