Anti-angiogenic effects of conjugated docosahexaenoic acid in vitro and in vivo.

The anti-angiogenic effects of conjugated docosahexaenoic acid (CDHA), which was prepared by an alkaline treatment of docosahexaenoic acid and contained conjugated double bonds, were investigated in vitro and in vivo. CDHA inhibited tube formation by the bovine aortic endothelial cell (BAEC), and also inhibited the proliferation of BAEC at a concentration of CDHA that suppressed tube formation, but did not influence cell migration. The inhibition of BAEC growth caused by CDHA was accompanied by a marked change in cellular morphology. Nuclear condensation and brightness were observed in Hoechst 33342-stained cells treated with CDHA, indicating that CDHA induced apoptosis in BAEC. We also evaluated the angiogenesis inhibition of CDHA in vivo. The vessel formation which was triggered by tumor cells was clearly suppressed in mice orally given CDHA. Our findings suggest that CDHA has potential use as a therapeutic dietary supplement for minimizing tumor angiogenesis.