Phentolamine inhibits angiogenesis in vitro: Suppression of proliferation migration and differentiation of human endothelial cells

It is widely known that the β-adrenergic receptor (AR) blocker (propranolol) inhibits human endothelial cell (EC) angiogenesis in vitro, but how the α-AR antagonist (phentolamine) affects human EC angiogenesis has not yet been studied. Here, we show for the first time that both human dermal microvascular ECs (HDMECs) and human brain microvascular ECs (HBMECs) express α-ARs. Moreover, our results indicate that phentolamine inhibits the proliferation, migration, and tubulogenesis of HDMECs and HBMECs. Finally, VEGFR-2 and Ang1/2 expression of HDMECs was suppressed by phentolamine. Together, these results indicate that phentolamine impairs several critical events of neovascularization, and α-ARs, as well as the VEGF/VEGFR-2 and Ang/TIE-2 signaling pathways, may be involved in these processes. Our results suggest a novel therapeutic strategy for the use of α-blockers in the treatment of human angiogenesis-dependent diseases.