Effect of β-escin sodium on endothelial cells proliferation, migration and apoptosis

β-Escin, the major active compound in extracts of the horse chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum seed, has shown clinically significant activity in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Our previous studies had shown that β-escin sodium inhibited angiogenesis in chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and in aortic disk assay. In this study, we explored the direct effect of β-escin sodium on proliferation, migration and apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and ECV304 cells. Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay showed that β-escin sodium (10, 20, 40 μg/ml) inhibited endothelial cells (ECs) proliferation dose-dependently. β-escin sodium also induced ECs apoptosis at 40 μg/ml. Cell migration was evaluated by an improved wound assay: barren spot assay. And the direct effect on cell motility excluding influence of cell proliferation was examined by High Content Screening (HCS, Cellomics) assay. The data indicated that β-escin sodium suppressed ECs migration and cell motility. Western blot results suggested that β-escin sodium acts on ECs possibly by increasing expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), and decreasing expression of PKC-α and activation of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). Our findings give the evidence that β-escin sodium might have potential anti-angiogenic activity via its direct effects on ECs.