Anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor activities of 2'-hydroxy-4'-methoxychalcone

In the present study, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor activities of 2'-hydroxy-4'-methoxychalcone (HMC). HMC decreased angiogenesis in both chick embryos in the chorioallantoic membrane assay and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced vessel formation in the mouse Matrigel plug assay. This compound also reduced the proliferation of calf pulmonary arterial endothelial cells and was found to possess relatively weak gelatinase/collagenase inhibitory activity in vitro. HMC, when administered subcutaneously at the dose of 30 mg/kg for 20 d to mice implanted with murine Lewis lung carcinoma, caused a significant inhibition of tumor volume by 27.2%. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatment at the same dosage for 10 d to ICR mice bearing sarcoma 180 caused a significant suppression in tumor weight by 33.7%. Taken together, out data demonstrate that the anti-angiogenic activities of HMC might be due to anti-proliferative activity under inhibition of the induction of COX-2 enzyme. Furthermore, the results suggest that the potent anti-angiogenic activity of HMC seems to be the possible mechanism of action in these animal models of solid tumors.