Effect of recombinant human endostatin on endothelial cell proliferation

AIM To investigate the effects of soluble recombinant human endostatin(rhEndo) expressed in E.coli on the proliferation of ECV 304 and rabbit aortic endothelial cells. METHODS 3 (4,5 dimethylthiazol 2 yl) 2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method, inverted microscopy, electron microscopy and flow cytometry were used to assay the proliferation of the cells stimulated by basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF). The caspase 3 activity was also analyzed. RESULTS rhEndo inhibited obviously the proliferation of ECV 304, which was arrested in G 1 phase by analysis with MultiCycle DNA Cycle software. It also induced the apoptosis of ECV 304 which is associated with caspase activity increase, but it did not inhibit the growth of primary culture of rabbit aortic endothelial cells (RAECs). CONCLUSION rhEndo can antagonize the proliferation of endothelial cell line stimulated by bFGF etc., but it may not affect vascular endothelial cells RAECs of primary culture,which is beneficial to the treatment of diseases associated with angiogenesis such as cancer.