Cardamonin Inhibits Angiogenesis by mTOR Downregulation in SKOV3 Cells.

ABSTRACT

The mammalian target of rapamycin is critical in hypoxia-triggered angiogenesis. Cardamonin inhibits proliferation of various cancer cells through suppressing the mammalian target of rapamycin. In this study, the antiangiogenic effect of cardamonin on CoCl2-mimicked hypoxic SKOV3 cells was investigated. Cardamonin exhibited an antiproliferative effect on normal and CoCl2-mimicked hypoxic SKOV3 cells. Messenger RNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor was inhibited with cardamonin and rapamycin in SKOV3 cells under both conditions. However, cardamonin had little effect on the messenger RNA expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-α. Cardamonin inhibited the protein expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, hypoxia inducible factor-2α, vascular endothelial growth factor, and the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin and ribosomal S6 kinase 1. Furthermore, angiogenesis induced by a medium of SKOV3 cells was reduced by cardamonin in a chicken embryo allantois membrane model. These findings suggest that cardamonin inhibits protein expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-α, and vascular endothelial growth factor, which was induced by CoCl2-mimicked hypoxia and this effect partially correlates with the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition. Cardamonin might be a potential angiogenesis inhibitor for ovarian cancer therapy.