(-)-Gossypol suppresses the growth of human prostate cancer xenografts via modulating VEGF signaling-mediated angiogenesis

Mol Cancer Ther. 2011 May;10(5):795-805. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-10-0936. Epub 2011 Mar 3.

Abstract

(-)-Gossypol, a natural BH3-mimetic and small-molecule Bcl-2 inhibitor, shows promise in ongoing phase II clinical trials for human cancers. However, whether (-)-gossypol plays functional roles in tumor angiogenesis has not been directly elucidated yet. In this study, we showed that (-)-gossypol dose dependently inhibited the expression of VEGF, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL in human prostate cancer cells (PC-3 and DU 145) and primary cultured human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro. Notably, the growth of human prostate tumor PC-3 xenografts in mice was significantly suppressed by (-)-gossypol at a dosage of 15 mg/kg/d. This inhibitory action of (-)-gossypol in vivo was largely dependent on suppression of angiogenesis in the solid tumors, where VEGF expression and microvessel density were remarkably decreased. Furthermore, (-)-gossypol inhibited VEGF-induced chemotactic motility and tubulogenesis in HUVECs and human microvascular endothelial cells and suppressed microvessel sprouting from rat aortic rings ex vivo. When examined for the mechanism, we found that (-)-gossypol blocked the activation of VEGF receptor 2 kinase with the half maximal inhibitory concentration of 2.38 μmol/L in endothelial cells. Consequently, the phosphorylation of key intracellular proangiogenic kinases induced by VEGF was all suppressed by the treatment, such as Src family kinase, focal adhesion kinase, extracellular signal-related kinase, and AKT kinase. Taken together, the present study shows that (-)-gossypol potently inhibits human prostate tumor growth through modulating VEGF signaling pathway, which further validates its great potential in clinical practice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aorta / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Gossypol / chemistry
  • Gossypol / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / physiopathology*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / physiopathology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / genetics
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / metabolism*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
  • bcl-X Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
  • bcl-X Protein
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2
  • Gossypol