Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in endometrial tumour cells by resveratrol and EGCG

ObjectiveOur purpose was to establish whether resveratrol and (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), two compounds extracted from food, would reduce the amount of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) secreted into the supernatants of cultured endometrial cancer cells.Study designEndometrial cancer samples were collected from 19 consenting women who were undergoing hysterectomy operations to remove tumours. Tumour cells were dispersed into single cell suspensions and cultured. Two immortalised cell lines were also studied. After incubating cells under various test and control conditions, ELISA was used to measure VEGF levels in the supernatants.ResultsVEGF was measurable at varied concentrations in the supernatants of cultured cells, from both cell lines and primary cultures. Cobalt chloride (CoCl2), a hypoxia mimic, increased the measured secretion of VEGF from these cells. In contrast, treatment with either resveratrol or EGCG significantly reduced secretion of VEGF. Further, resveratrol and EGCG inhibited release from cells that were also exposed to CoCl2.ConclusionBoth resveratrol and EGCG induced significant reductions in the amount of VEGF secreted into the supernatant of cultured endometrial cancer cells. These results suggest that resveratrol and EGCG may have the potential to inhibit angiogenesis in endometrial tumours. Further investigation of these substances in endometrial cancer is warranted.