호장근에서 분리한 emodin은 VEGF로 유도된 혈관신생의 한 단계인 혈관내피세포의 이동을 강하게 억제하였다. 또한 emodin은 혈관내피세포 이동을 억제시킨 $0.1;{mu}g/ml$ 농도에서 시험관내 혈관신생을 억제하였으며, 그 효과는 농도의존적인 양상을 보였다. 생체내 혈관신생 모델인 CAM assay에서도 emodin은 혈관신생을 억제하였다. 이러한 결과는 emodin이 현재까지 보고된 여러 가지 생리활성 이외에 혈관신생 억제활성을 가지고 있다는 사실을 보여주는 것이다. 따라서 emodin을 함유하고 있는 호장근은 혈관신생 관련 질환에 대한 천연물 유래 치료제의 개발을 위한 중요한 식물자원으로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.
Polygonum cuspidatum has been used as a fork medicine for a long time. Emodin was purified from the root of P. cuspidatum by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and preparative high perfomance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The effects of emodin on the migration of endothelial cells and in vitro angiogenesis stimulated with vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) were examined, using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and porcine pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PPAECs). Emodin potently inhibited the VEGF-induced migration of (HUVECs) at relatively low cocentrations $(0.1-10;{mu}g/ml)$; the inhibition of endothelial cells by emodin was 75.4% at $0.1;{mu}g/ml$ and about 90% at $1;{mu}g/ml$. Emodin also inhibited VEGF-induced sprout formation in vitro at concentrations of $0.1-10;{mu}g/ml$. Emodin was also evaluated for the inhibitory potential on in vivo angiogenesis in a growing chick embryo chorioallantoic membranes (CAM). At a concentration of $1.0;{mu}g/ml$ Per disc, emodin was able to induce avacular zone in the CAMs. These findings suggest that emodin is a potent angiogenesis inhibitor and P. cuspidatum is a useful herb in the development of therapeutics for angiogenesis dependent diseases.
