Cyanidin‐3‐glucoside attenuates the angiogenesis of breast cancer via inhibiting STAT3/VEGF pathway

Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in breast cancer progression. Cyanidin‐3‐glucoside (C3G), one of the most widely distributed anthocyanins in edible fruits, shows antioxidative and anti‐inflammatory property as well as induction of breast cancer cells apoptosis. However, the effect of C3G on breast cancer‐induced angiogenesis remains unknown. In the present study, we found that C3G could attenuate breast cancer‐induced angiogenesis via inhibiting VEGF, a key cytokine for angiogenesis, expression and secretion. Furthermore, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) could transcriptionally activate VEGF, and C3G reduced STAT3 expression at both mRNA and protein level. Subsequently, our data showed that C3G induced miR‐124 expression. Moreover, miR‐124 could directly repress STAT3 expression, and miR‐124‐mediated STAT3 down‐regulation was responsible for the inhibition of C3G on VEGF and angiogenesis. Taken together, we supplied more evidence to the anti‐breast cancer property of C3G.