Tubeimoside-1 (TBMS1) is a potent anti-tumor phytochemical. Its functional and molecular mode of action, however, remains elusive so far. Since angiogenesis is essential for tumor progression and metastasis, we herein investigated the anti-angiogenic effects of the compound. In a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) xenograft model we found that treatment of CD1 nu/nu mice with TBMS1 (5 mg/kg) significantly suppressed the growth and vascularization of NCI-H460 flank tumors. Moreover, TBMS1 dose-dependently reduced vascular sprouting in a rat aortic ring assay. In vitro, TBMS1 induced endothelial cell apoptosis without decreasing the viability of NSCLC tumor cells and inhibited the migration of endothelial cells by disturbing their actin filament organization. TBMS1 further stimulated the proteasomal degradation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) and Tie2 in endothelial cells, which down-regulated AKT/mTOR signaling. These findings indicate that TBMS1 represents a novel phytochemical for anti-angiogenic treatment of cancer and other angiogenesis-related diseases.
Keywords: Tie2; VEGFR2; angiogenesis; tubeimoside-1; tumor.