Effect of local anesthetics on platelet physiology and function

Ropivacaine as a novel AKT1 specific inhibitor regulates the stemness of breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Ropivacaine, a local anesthetic, exhibits anti-tumor effects in various cancer types. However, its specific functions and the molecular mechanisms involved in breast cancer cell stemness remain elusive.

METHODS

The effects of ropivacaine on breast cancer stemness were investigated by in vitro and in vivo assays (i.e., FACs, MTT assay, mammosphere formation assay, transwell assays, western blot, and xenograft model). RNA-seq, bioinformatics analysis, Western blot, Luciferase reporter assay, and CHIP assay were used to explore the mechanistic roles of ropivacaine subsequently.

RESULTS

Our study showed that ropivacaine remarkably suppressed stem cells-like properties of breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. RNA-seq analysis identified GGT1 as the downstream target gene responding to ropivacaine. High GGT1 levels are positively associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer. Ropivacaine inhibited GGT1 expression by interacting with the catalytic domain of AKT1 directly to impair its kinase activity with resultant inactivation of NF-κB. Interestingly, NF-κB can bind to the promoter region of GGT1. KEGG and GSEA analysis indicated silence of GGT1 inhibited activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Depletion of GGT1 diminished stem phenotypes of breast cancer cells, indicating the formation of NF-κB /AKT1/GGT1/NF-κB positive feedback loop in the regulation of ropivacaine-repressed stemness in breast cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

Our finding revealed that local anesthetic ropivacaine attenuated breast cancer stemness through AKT1/GGT1/NF-κB signaling pathway, suggesting the potential clinical value of ropivacaine in breast cancer treatment.

Ropivacaine represses the ovarian cancer cell stemness and facilitates cell ferroptosis through inactivating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

PURPOSE

Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor in women all over the world. Ropivacaine is identified as a potential drug for the treatment of malignant tumors, but the role and mechanism of ropivacaine in ovarian cancer remains unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ovarian cancer cells were treated with different doses of ropivacaine. The function of ropivacaine in ovarian cancer was assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, sphere-formation assay, Western blot, Fe²⁺ level analysis, and immunofluorescence. Meanwhile, the mechanism of ropivacaine in ovarian cancer was investigated by multiple molecular experiments. The protective function of ropivacaine in ovarian cancer was further confirmed by in vivo assay.

RESULTS

The functional research data indicated that the growth and stemness of ovarian cancer cells were restrained after ropivacaine treatment, while the ferroptosis in ovarian cancer cells was facilitated. The mechanism results confirmed that ropivacaine inactivated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, in vivo assay demonstrated that ropivacaine repressed the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells in vivo and had a protective function in ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSION

Ropivacaine restrained ovarian cancer cell stemness and accelerated cell ferroptosis by inactivating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.