Low Molecular Weight Fucoidan Inhibits Tumor Angiogenesis through Downregulation of HIF-1/VEGF Signaling under Hypoxia

Marine Drugs

Meng-Chuan Chen²  Wen-Lin Hsu³  Pai-An Hwang¹  Tz-Chong Chou² 

[1] Seafood Technology Division, Fisheries Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Keelung 20246, Taiwan; E-Mail:;Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11483, Taiwan; E-Mail:;School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97002, Taiwan; E-Mail:

关键词: low molecular weight fucoidan;    angiogenesis;    hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha;    vascular endothelial growth factor;    bladder cancer;   

DOI  :  10.3390/md13074436

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Activation of hypoxia-induced hypoxia-inducible factors-1 (HIF-1) plays a critical role in promoting tumor angiogenesis, growth and metastasis. Low molecular weight fucoidan (LMWF) is prepared from brown algae, and exhibits anticancer activity. However, whether LMWF attenuates hypoxia-induced angiogenesis in bladder cancer cells and the molecular mechanisms involved remain unclear. This is the first study to demonstrate that LMWF can inhibit hypoxia-stimulated H₂O₂ formation, HIF-1 accumulation and transcriptional activity vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion, and the migration and invasion in hypoxic human bladder cancer cells (T24) cells. LMWF also downregulated hypoxia-activated phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR/p70S6K/4EBP-1 signaling in T24 cells. Blocking PI3K/AKT or mTOR activity strongly diminished hypoxia-induced HIF-1α expression and VEGF secretion in T24 cells, supporting the involvement of PI3K/AKT/mTOR in the induction of HIF-1α and VEGF. Additionally, LMWF significantly attenuated angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo evidenced by reduction of tube formation of hypoxic human umbilical vascular endothelial cells and blood capillary generation in the tumor. Similarly, administration of LMWF also inhibited the HIF-1α and VEGF expression in vivo, accompanied by a reduction of tumor growth. In summary, under hypoxia conditions, the antiangiogenic activity of LMWF in bladder cancer may be associated with suppressing HIF-1/VEGF-regulated signaling pathway.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.