Methyl Gallate Suppresses Tumor Development by Increasing Activation of Caspase3 and Disrupting Tumor Angiogenesis in Melanoma

Abstract

Methyl gallate is a phenolic compound mainly found in medicinal plants. It has been reported to its anticancer activity in various tumors. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the antitumor effect of methyl gallate in the melanoma mouse model and B16F10 cells. Our results showed that methyl gallate decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis by increasing the expression of cleaved caspase3 in B16F10 cells and prevented cell migration and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In B16F10 cell-inoculated mice, methyl gallate not only decreased tumor volume by 30% but also significantly reduced tumor vessel density and pericyte coverage. Moreover, methyl gallate diminished by close to 50% the expression of cytokeratin and LYVE-1 in mouse right inguinal lymph nodes, indicating that methyl gallate could suppress metastasis. In conclusion, this study suggests that methyl gallate inhibits tumor development by inducing apoptosis and blocking tumor angiogenesis and metastasis and might be considered a therapeutic agent for melanoma.