Antiangiogenic properties of lupulone, a bitter acid of hop cones.

Background: Angiogenesis is the result of intricate steps regulated by the balance between agonistic and antagonistic effectors. Disturbance of this balance leads to an 'angiogenic' switch critical for tumor development.

Materials And Methods: Using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) the effects of lupulone were analyzed on proliferation induced by angiogenic growth factors, transmembrane cell migration toward fibronectin and formation of a network of tubular-like structures on Matrigel.