Abstract
BackgroundVascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of pathogenic angiogenesis in diseases such as cancer and diabetic retinopathy. Bee products [royal jelly (RJ), bee pollen, and Chinese red propolis] from the honeybee, Apis mellifera, have been used as traditional health foods for centuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-angiogenic effects of bee products using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).MethodsIn an in vitro tube formation assay, HUVECs and fibroblast cells were incubated for 14 days with VEGF and various concentrations of bee products [RJ, ethanol extract of bee pollen, ethanol extract of Chinese red propolis and its constituent, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE)]. To clarify the mechanism of in vitro angiogenesis, HUVEC proliferation and migration were induced by VEGF with or without various concentrations of RJ, bee pollen, Chinese red propolis, and CAPE.ResultsRJ, bee pollen, Chinese red propolis, and CAPE significantly suppressed VEGF-induced in vitro tube formation in the descending order: CAPE > Chinese red propolis >> bee pollen > RJ. RJ and Chinese red propolis suppressed both VEGF-induced HUVEC proliferation and migration. In contrast, bee pollen and CAPE suppressed only the proliferation.ConclusionAmong the bee products, Chinese red propolis and CAPE in particular showed strong suppressive effects against VEGF-induced angiogenesis. These findings indicate that Chinese red propolis and CAPE may have potential as preventive and therapeutic agents against angiogenesis-related human diseases.
Highlights
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of pathogenic angiogenesis in diseases such as cancer and diabetic retinopathy
We examined the effects of royal jelly (RJ), bee pollen, Chinese red propolis, and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) against VEGF-induced tube formation, proliferation, and migration, using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as a model in vitro system
To investigate the inhibitory effects of bee products, we evaluated the effects of RJ, bee pollen, Chinese red propolis, and CAPE on VEGF-induced tube formation in HUVECs
Summary
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of pathogenic angiogenesis in diseases such as cancer and diabetic retinopathy. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2009, 9:45 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/9/45 ess of capillary sprouting in any of these normal or abnormal developments is likely to involve a multitude of regulatory molecules that mediate the distinct steps of extracellular matrix remodeling, endothelial cell migration, proliferation, lumen formation, and blood vessel maturation. These angiogenic events are regulated by a wide variety of growth factors including VEGF, basic fibroblast growth factor, and hepatocyte growth factor. RJ has several pharmacological functions including vasodilative activity [2], hypotensive activity [2], anti-tumor activity [3], and anti-hypercholesterolemic effects [4] among others
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