Inhibition of expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors in pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell by TNP-470 in combination with gemcitabine

Angiogenesis is required for solid tumor growth and facilitates tumor progression and metastasis. The inhibition effects of O-（chloroacetyl-carbamoyl） fumagillol （TNP-470）, an angiogenesis inhibitor, and gemcitabine, a chemotherapeutic agent, on expression of growth factors were investigated using human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line, A549. The A549 cells were divided into four groups： control group, 10^-6 mg/ml gemcitabine treated group, 10^-4 mg/ml TNP-470 treated group and gemcitabine＋TNP-470 treated group. The mRNA and protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and its receptors, FMS-like tyrosine kinase-l （FLT-1） and kinase insert domain-containing receptor （KDR）, in different groups were measured. The growth of A549 cell cultured with gemcitabine or TNP-470 was inhibited in an almost dose-dependent manner. Although gemcitabine （10^-6 mg/ml） alone and TNP-470 （10^-4 mg/ml） alone had no effect on the mRNA and protein expression of VEGF and its receptors （FLT-1, KDR） in A549 cells compared to the control （P〉0.05）, 10^-6 mg/ml gemcitabine in combination with 10^-4 mg/ml TNP-470 had significant effect （P〈0.01）. Moreover, combination of the two drugs significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of VEGF, FLT-1 and KDR compared to either drug alone （P〈0.05）. This study suggests that combined treatment with TNP-470 plus gemcitabine may augment the antiangiogenic and antineoplastic effects in lung cancer cells in vitro.