Oligomer procyanidins (F2) repress HIF-1α expression in human U87 glioma cells by inhibiting the EGFR/ AKT/mTOR and MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathways in vitro and in vivo.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is over-expressed in gliomas and has become one of the most compelling tumor targets. In this study, we found that oligomer procyanidins (F2) can suppress the expressions of HIF-1α and its target genes in U87 cells, and also down-regulate the EGFR/PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK/ERK1/2 pathways in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, hypoxia-induced formation of tubular structures by human umbilical vascular endothelial cells and the migration and invasion of U87 cells could be inhibited by F2 in a HIF-1 dependent manner. Moreover, in a U87 xenograft tumor model, F2 significantly reduced intra-tumor vessel density and cell proliferation and finally retarded tumor growth, indicating that F2 may be a potential HIF-1 inhibitor and serve as one of candidates for glioma therapy.