Integrative cancer therapies
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Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels out of the preexisting vascular network and involves a sequence of events that are of key importance in a broad array of physiological and pathological processes. The growth of tumor and metastasis are dependent on the formation of new blood vessels. The present study therefore aims at evaluating the antiangiogenic effect of beta-carotene using in vivo and in vitro models. ⋯ Beta-carotene treatment downregulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, prolyl hydroxylase, and lysyl oxidase gene expression and upregulates the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2. The study reveals that beta-carotene treatment could alter proinflammatory cytokine production and could inhibit the activation and nuclear translocation of p65, p50, c-Rel subunits of nuclear factor-kappa B, and other transcription factors such as c-fos, activated transcription factor-2, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein in B16F-10 melanoma cells. These observations show that beta -carotene exerts its antiangiogenic effect by altering the cytokine profile and could inhibit the activation and nuclear translocation of transcription factors.