Oroxylin A, a classical natural product, shows a novel inhibitory effect on angiogenesis induced by lipopolysaccharide.

BACKGROUND There is an obvious relationship among angiogenesis and inflammation. From previous study, we learn that oroxylin A possesses anti-angiogenic activity in vitro and in ovo. It also has an inhibitory effect on inflammation. But whether oroxylin A suppresses the inflammation-induced angiogenesis is still unknown. Our present study focuses on the role of oroxylin A in targeting LPS-induced angiogenesis, inflammatory and related pathways. METHODS The effects of oroxylin A on angiogenesis were investigated by transwell assay, tube formation assay, rat aortic ring assay and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Western blotting analysis was used to detect the expression of certain proteins. RESULTS We found that oroxylin A inhibited LPS-induced migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), as well as microvessel sprouting from rat aotric ring in vitro and the angiogenesis of chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model in ovo. The results also indicated that oroxylin A could inhibit the expression of LPS acceptor toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the activities of its downstream mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including reducing expressions of the phosphorylation of JNK, p38, and ERK. Moreover, oroxylin A prevented NF-κB dimers from translocating to the nucleus. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, oroxylin A can suppress the angiogenesis induced by LPS and it may affect the LPS/TLR4 signaling pathway.