Tumor suppression by Chinese cordyceps extract via anti-angiogenesis

Development of pharmacological agents for anti-angiogenesis to disrupt the vascular supply and starve tumor of nutrients and oxygen is a novel strategy for tumor therapy. Chinese cordyceps ( Ophiocordyceps sinensis ), a traditional Chinese herb, has been widely reported to exhibit antitumor effects. In the present study, we tested suppression of Chinese cordyceps extract (CCE) on tumor angiogenesis in tube formation assay using human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and Lewis carcinoma xenografts in mice. In addition, CCE was also investigated in an ex vivo angiogenesis assay using rat aortic rings. CCE could dose-dependently suppress capillary tube formation in HUVECs as well as in rat aortic ring. The antiangiogenesis activity of CCE was further verified in Lewis xenografted mice models where tumor volume was significantly decreased in the treatment of CCE at 100 mg/kg. The mean vascular density (MVD) in the tumor, measured by platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31) immune-histochemical staining, was also markedly inhibited by CCE at 100 mg/kg treatment. These results indicated that Chinese cordyceps may have antitumor activity through antiangiogenesis activity and could be used in prevention and/or therapy of angiogenesis related cancers.