THE INFLUENCE OF THEOBROMINE ON ANGIOGENIC ACTIVITY AND PROANGIOGENICCYTOKINES PRODUCTION OF HUMAN OVARIAN-CANCER CELLS

Angiogenesis plays an important role in ovarian cancer growth and meta stasis formation. Adenosine is one of the most potent stimulator of ne ovascularisation. The aim of present study was to determine if theobro mine, adenosine receptor antagonist, influences angiogenic activity an d proangiogenic cytokines production. Theobromine caused significant i nhibition of angiogenic activity of ovarian cancer cells. In in vivo a nd in vitro cultures theobromine diminished vascular endothelial growt h factor (VEGF) production. Production of basic fibroblast growth fact or (bFGF) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) was not altered by the examined dru g. These findings suggest that theobromine might be a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis induced by ovarian cancer cells and its mechanism of action is related to inhibition of VEGF production.