Anti-angiogenic potential of an ethanol extract of Annona atemoya seeds in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis, which is initiated by certain tumor micro-environmental conditions and diverse protein factors, plays a pivotal role during tumor development and metastasis. Therefore, many efforts have been made to develop effective anti-angiogenic agents as anticancer therapeutics. In the current study, we investigated the anti-angiogenic potential of an ethanol extract of Annona atemoya seeds (EEAA) in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The anti-angiogenic potential of EEAA was evaluated using various in vitro/in vivo models, including cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation by human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs); a Matrigel plug assay; and tumor-induced angiogenesis. The expression of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was investigated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunoassays, and western blotting. RESULTS: EEAA was able to significantly inhibit the angiogenic properties of HUVECs in vitro as well as angiogenic factor-induced blood vessel formation in vivo. EEAA down-regulated the expression of VEGF and HIF-1alpha/2alpha at the mRNA and protein levels, respectively, in cancer cells under hypoxic conditions. CONCLUSIONS: EEAA shows a strong anti-angiogenic potential in both in vitro and in vivo systems, and we suggest that EEAA may be a valuable herbal source for anticancer drug development.