Liquiritigenin inhibits tumor growth and vascularization in a mouse model of HeLa cells.

Abstract

Angiogenesis is one of the crucial steps in the transition of a tumor from a small, harmless cluster of mutated cells to a large, malignant growth, capable of spreading to other organs throughout the body. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that stimulates vasculogenesis and angiogenesis is thought to be as an anti-angiogenic target for cancer therapy. Liquiritigenin (LQ), a flavanone existing in Radix glycyrrhiza, shows extensive biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. In our studies, liquiritigenin effectively inhibited the growth of tumors xenografted in nude mice from human cervical cancer cell line HeLa cells, and microvascular density (MVD) of the tumor exposed to liquiritigenin was reduced in a dose dependent manner, especially in the high dose group. Moreover, the expression and secretion of VEGF were down-regulated by the drug in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, liquiritigenin can be further studied on cancer and other diseases associated with VEGF up-regulation.

• Authors: Yuxin Liu, Sirou Xie, Yu Wang, Kang Luo, Yang Wang, Yunqing Cai
• Journal: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (Molecules) Vol. 17 Issue 6 Pg. 7206-16 (Jun 12 2012) ISSN: 1420-3049 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 22692244 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Flavanones
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
• liquiritigenin

Topics

• Angiogenesis Inhibitors (administration & dosage, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents (administration & dosage, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Flavanones (administration & dosage, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• HeLa Cells
• Humans
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mice, Nude
• Microvessels (drug effects)
• Neoplasms (blood supply, drug therapy)
• Neovascularization, Pathologic (drug therapy)
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays