Investigating the Anti-Angiogenic Effects of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. Extract in Vivo

Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones. It occurs in both physiological and pathological conditions. We aimed to evaluate the antiangiogenic effect of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. water extract in vivo to determine any anti-proliferative effect of the extract on the A549 lung cancer cell line, and to investigate its effect on VEGF-A and FGF2 expression in the A549 cell line. Trypan blue exclusion test was implemented to establish any possible anti-proliferative effect of the extract. Then, Matrigel plug assay was performed on mice using the same cell line to test the antiangiogenic effect of the extract. Finally, A549 cells were treated with the extract at concentrations of 25, 12.5, and 6.25 µg/ml to investigate the changes in VEGF-A and FGF2 expression by RT-qPCR. E. angustifolia extract did not exhibit a significant anti-proliferative effect against A549 cells. The extract at concentrations of 12.5 and 6.25 µg/ml demonstrated an inhibitory effect against the growth of new blood vessels by 75.63 and 45.26%, respectively. The extract did not affect the expression of VEGF-A and FGF2 in A549 cells. Our findings show that water extract of E. angustifolia possesses potent antiangiogenic activity, while neither exhibiting significant anti-proliferative effect nor affecting VEGF-A or FGF2 expression in the A459 cell line, suggesting either sole direct antiangiogenic effect, or both direct and indirect effects with paracrine suppression of other genes.