Folic acid and zinc inhibit angiogenesis in chicken chorioallontoic membrane model via angiogenic factor genes

Aims: Angiogenesis occurs only in pathologic conditions such as wound healing and tumorogenesis. Folic acid is a form of a vitamin B. Zinc as an essential mineral plays an important role in tissue repair. Angiogenesis is an important process in wound healing and tissue repair. Despite of this, angiogenic role of folic acid/zinc is not clear on human body. Therefore, the possible angiogenic role of folic acid/zinc had been analyzed on an “in vivo” model in this manuscript. The gene expression alterations of angiogenic factors had been found in this panel. Methods: The possible roles of Folic acid and Zinc on angiogenesis were evaluated by using an “in vivo” model (chick embryo chorioallontoic membrane model). Total RNA isolation and c-DNA synthesis was performed from vascular structures. Gene expression alterations were analyzed on FGF1, FGF2, VEGFA, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and NRP1 genes by using c-DNAs as a template in real-time polymerase chain reactions. The results in folic acid/zinc treated groups were correlated with the results in untreated groups for finding the gene expression alterations. Results: Folic acid and zinc in one by one and combined uses inhibited angiogenesis in certain concentrations. Folic acid inhibited the expressions of VEGFA, VEGFR1 and NRP1 genes. Zinc inhibited the expression of only FGF2 gene in our panel. Conclusions: In our study, antiangiogenic roles of folic acid and zinc were proven. Folic acid used VEGF-A, VEGFR1 and NRP1 genes in the inhibition of angiogenesis. FGF2 gene was used by zinc in its inhibitory affect on the same panel.