Gentisyl alcohol, an antioxidant from microbial metabolite, induces angiogenesis In vitro

Abstract

Gentisyl alcohol isolated from Penicillium sp. has an antioxidative activity, protecting cells from oxidative stresses. From our in vitro angiogenesis assays with bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs), gentisyl alcohol was newly identified as a pro-angiogenic small molecule that induces new blood vessel formation of the cells. Gentisyl alcohol stimulated the proliferation of BAECs in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, it induced in vitro angiogenesis of BAECs such as invasiveness, migration, and tube formation of the endothelial cells. Effects of gentisyl alcohol on invasion and tube formation were also dose-dependent. These results demonstrate that gentisyl alcohol could affect the angiogenic phenotypes of endothelial cells and be developed as a new small molecule with pro-angiogenic activity.