Propofol Suppresses Proliferation, Migration, Invasion And Promotes Apoptosis By Upregulating microRNA-140-5p In Gastric Cancer Cells

Propofol Suppresses Gastric Cancer Progression by Regulating circPDSS1/miR-1324/SOX4 Axis

Background

Propofol is a common intravenous anesthetic that exerts an antitumor role in human cancers. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play crucial roles in the progression of various cancers. However, the relationship between propofol and circRNA decaprenyl diphosphate synthase subunit 1 (circPDSS1) in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear.

Methods

Cell proliferation was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, and 5-ethynyl-2ʹ-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by transwell assay. Cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. All protein levels were detected by Western blot assay. The expression levels of circPDSS1, microRNA-1324 (miR-1324), and SRY-box transcription factor 4 (SOX4) mRNA were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The interaction between miR-1324 and circPDSS1 or SOX4 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. The mice xenograft model was established to investigate the role of propofol and circPDSS1 in vivo.

Results

Propofol inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion and induced apoptosis in GC cells, which could be reversed by upregulating circPDSS1. MiR-1324 was a target of circPDSS1, and circPDSS1 promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion and reduced apoptosis in propofol-treated cells by sponging miR-1324. Moreover, SOX4 was a direct target of miR-1324, and miR-1324 exerted anticancer role by targeting SOX4 in propofol-treated cells. CircPDSS1 acted as a sponge of miR-1324 to regulate SOX4 expression. Additionally, circPDSS1 overexpression weakened the anticancer role of propofol in vivo.

Conclusion

Propofol exerted anticancer role in GC through regulating circPDSS1/miR-1324/SOX4 axis, indicating that propofol might be an effective therapeutic medicine for GC treatment.

Effects of propofol on the proliferation and migration of liver cancer cells

Liver cancer is a malignant cancer with worldwide prevalence. It has been reported that cancer cells are usually exposed to a hypoxic microenvironment, which is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with cancer. Propofol is an intravenous anesthetic that is widely used in cancer surgery. The present study aimed to determine the effects of propofol stimulation on the viability, proliferation and migration of liver cancer cells under normoxia and cobalt chloride (CoCl₂)-induced hypoxia. Under normoxia, HepG2 and HCCLM3 cells were randomly divided into six groups as follows: i) Control group; ii) 10 µM propofol group; iii) 25 µM propofol group; iv) 50 µM propofol group; v) 100 µM propofol group; and vi) DMSO group. Cell viability and proliferation were analyzed using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays, respectively, following 24 or 48 h of propofol treatment. In addition, wound healing and Transwell migration assays were used to determine the changes in cell migration. Under CoCl₂-induced hypoxia, the protein levels of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) of HepG2 cells were analyzed using western blotting. Subsequently, CCK-8 and wound healing assays were used to determine the effect of propofol on cell viability and migration. The results of the present study revealed that propofol stimulation had no significant effect on the viability, proliferation and migration of HepG2 and HCCLM3 cells under normoxia. The protein levels of HIF-1α were significantly upregulated following the treatment with 200 µM CoCl₂ for 12 h. However, no significant differences were found in the viability and migration of HepG2 cells following the stimulation with propofol in the presence of CoCl₂. In conclusion, the findings of the present study revealed that propofol exerted no effect on the viability, proliferation and migration of HepG2 and HCCLM3 cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

Propofol inhibited gastric cancer proliferation via the hsa-miR-328-3p/STAT3 pathway

PURPOSE

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the functional role of hsa-miR-328-3p/STAT3 pathway in the effects of propofol on gastric cancer proliferation.

METHODS

Bioinformatics was used to analyze the molecular expression differences of hsa-miR-328-3p/STAT3 axis in stomach adenocarcinoma (n = 435) and normal samples (n = 41) from TCGA database. The expression of the above molecules in gastric cancer cells SGC-7901 and normal gastric mucosal cells GES-1 was verified via qPCR. The dual-luciferase assay was carried out to confirm the interaction between hsa-miR-328-3p and STAT3. Subsequently, the cell proliferation and the expression of the above molecules in SGC-7901 and GES-1 cells were evaluated after 10 μM propofol treatment. Finally, we analyzed whether propofol still inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer by suppressing STAT3 pathway after hsa-miR-328-3p down-regulation.

RESULTS

Compared with normal samples, the expression of hsa-miR-328-3p was significantly down-regulated in stomach adenocarcinoma samples, while the expression of STAT3 and downstream target genes (MMP2, CCND1 and COX2) was up-regulated. The results were consistent with those in GES-1 and SGC-7901 cell lines. Meanwhile, we found that hsa-miR-328-3p can bind to the 3'-UTR of the potential target gene STAT3. Furthermore, propofol significantly inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901, where hsa-miR-328-3p was up-regulated and the expression of STAT3 and downstream proliferation-related target genes were down-regulated. However, the growth inhibition of propofol on SGC-7901 cell was significantly reversed after the inhibition of hsa-miR-328-3p.

CONCLUSIONS

To sum up, propofol suppressed the STAT3 pathway via up-regulating hsa-miR-328-3p to inhibit gastric cancer proliferation.

miR-140 inhibits osteosarcoma progression by impairing USP22-mediated LSD1 stabilization and promoting p21 expression

Osteosarcoma is a bone tumor frequently diagnosed in children and young adults. Despite advances in chemotherapy and surgical resection, tumors metastasize in 30% of osteosarcoma patients. In addition, side effects caused by chemotherapeutic drugs, as well as the development of chemoresistance, highlight the need to identify the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma. We compared 65 osteosarcoma samples to their adjacent normal tissues, as well as commercially obtained osteosarcoma cell lines with normal osteoblast cell lines, and identified a role for the microRNA (miR)-140/ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22)/lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1)/p21 axis in the development of osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma tissues and cells exhibited poor miR-140 and p21 expression, whereas the expression of USP22 and LSD1 was increased. Overexpression of miR-140 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and promoted cell apoptosis by directly targeting USP22, resulting in its decreased expression. Overexpression of USP22 reversed the effects of miR-140 overexpression in osteosarcoma cells. Overexpression of miR-140 or USP22 knockdown led to the ubiquitination and degradation of LSD1. miR-140 overexpression also suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. This study revealed a role for miR-140 in the restriction of osteosarcoma development and identified miR-140 as a potential target for therapeutic intervention.

Propofol Inhibits the Progression of Cervical Cancer by Regulating HOTAIR/miR-129-5p/RPL14 Axis

Background

Propofol has been proposed to function as a tumor suppressor in various human cancers. In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti-tumor effect of propofol on cervical cancer (CC).

Methods

Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry analysis, transwell assay and wound healing assay were conducted for cell viability, colony formation, apoptosis, invasion and migration, respectively. Western blot assay was used for protein levels. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used for HOX antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR), miR-129-5p and RPL14 levels. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were executed to verify the interaction between miR-129-5p and HOTAIR or RPL14. Murine xenograft model assay was used for the role of propofol in tumor progression in vivo.

Results

Propofol treatment suppressed CC cell viability, colony formation, invasion and migration and facilitated apoptosis. Propofol treatment led to a marked reduction in HOTAIR level in CC cells. HOTAIR overexpression promoted cell colony formation, invasion and migration and repressed apoptosis in CC cells and propofol-treated CC cells. For mechanism analysis, HOTAIR positively regulated RPL14 expression via acting as the sponge of miR-129-5p. MiR-129-5p overexpression reversed the impacts of HOTAIR on the malignant behaviors of propofol-treated CC cells. Furthermore, miR-129-5p inhibition accelerated the progression of CC cells, while RPL14 interference rescued the effect. In addition, propofol treatment restrained tumor growth of CC in vivo.

Conclusion

Propofol inhibited CC development by modulation of HOTAIR/miR-129-5p/RPL14 axis.

Propofol inhibits migration and induces apoptosis of pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells through miR-34a-mediated E-cadherin and LOC285194 signals

Propofol has exhibited potent antitumor activity in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The study aimed to investigate the anti-tumor mechanisms of propofol on pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells in vitro. PANC-1 cells were exposure to concentration 20 μg/ml of propofol for 72 h. Long non-coding RNA LOC285194 siRNA LOC285194 siRNA, E-cadherin siRNA and microRNA-34a (miR-34a) inhibitor were used to investigate the effect of propofol on PANC-1 cells. miR-34a and LOC285194 were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Pro-apoptotic protein bax, cleaved-caspase-3 and anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 were analyzed by Western blot. Cell viability and cell apoptosis were detected by MTT and TUNEL staining, respectively. Cell migration was detected by wound-healing assay. The results showed that propofol upregulated miR-34a expression, which, in turn, upregulated LOC285194 expression, resulting in PANC-1 cell apoptosis and growth inhibition. In addition, propofol upregulated miR-34a expression, which, in turn, upregulated E-cadherin expression, resulting in cell migration inhibition. Our research confirmed that propofol-induced cell apoptosis and inhibited cell migration in PANC-1 cells in vitro via promoting miR-34a-dependent LOC285194 and E-cadherin upregulation, respectively.

Propofol Inhibits Proliferation and Invasion of Stomach Cancer Cells by Regulating miR-205/YAP1 Axis

Background

Propofol is a common clinical intravenous anesthetic. In the last few years, studies have revealed that propofol not only has good anesthetic effect but also has certain anticancer effect. However, its role in stomach cancer (SC) and related mechanisms are still under investigation.

Objective

This study was designed to determine the effect of propofol on SC and its related mechanisms.

Methods

Purchased SC cells were treated with propofol at different concentrations (5, 10, and 20 μg/mL), miR-205 overexpression, and YAP1 inhibition. Then, the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), Transwell, and flow cytometry were carried out to determine the biological behavior changes of treated cells and the expression of miR-205 and YAP1 after treatment.

Results

Propofol (10 μg/mL and 20 μg/mL) inhibited the growth of SC cells and promoted their apoptosis, and overexpressing miR-205 or inhibiting YAP1 can exert the same effects. In addition, propofol (10μg/mL and 20μg/mL) up-regulated miR-205 in SC cells. The dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that YAP1 could be targeted and regulated by miR-205, and the rescue assay revealed that inhibiting miR-205 or overexpressing YAP1 could weaken the effect of propofol on the biological behaviors of SC cells.

Conclusion

Propofol can strongly suppress the proliferation and invasion of SC cells and induce their apoptosis via the miR-205/YAP1 axis.

Effects of propofol on the development of cancer in humans

Cancer is one of most the significant threats to human health worldwide, and the primary method of treating solid tumours is surgery. Propofol, one of the most widely used intravenous anaesthetics in surgery, was found to be involved in many cancer‐related pathophysiology processes, mainly including anti‐tumour and minor cancer‐promoting effects in various types of cancer. An increasing number of studies have identified that propofol plays a role in cancer by regulating the expression of multiple signalling pathways, downstream molecules, microRNAs and long non‐coding RNAs. Emerging evidence has indicated that propofol can enhance the anti‐tumour effect of chemotherapeutic drugs or some small molecular compounds. Additionally, in vivo animal models have shown that propofol inhibits tumour growth and metastasis. Furthermore, most clinical trials indicate that propofol is associated with better survival outcomes in cancer patients after surgery. Propofol use is encouraged in cancers that appear to have a better prognosis after its use during surgery. We hope that future large and prospective multicenter studies will provide more precise answers to guide the choice of anaesthetics during cancer surgery.

Neferine induces mitochondrial dysfunction to exert anti-proliferative and anti-invasive activities on retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is common primary intraocular malignancy of infants and childhood. Neferine is a major bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid derived from the lotus plumule in Nelumbo nucifera. This study evaluated the mitigation role of Neferine on retinoblastoma in vitro and in vivo. Xenotransplantation model was established by injecting WERI-Rb-1 cells subcutaneously. Upon induction of retinoblastoma , mice were intraperitoneally injected with Neferine (0, 0.5, 1, 2 mg/kg) or ethanol every 3 days for 30 days. Tumor weight and tumor volume were measured every three days and compared between four groups. Then, mice were sacrificed and immunohistochemical examination was performed to compare Ki67, VEGF content between groups. WERI-Rb-1 cells were used for in vitro experiments and the anti-angiogenic role of Neferine was assessed by analyzing nodes/HPF number. In WERI-Rb-1 xenotransplantation model, compared with control group, 1 mg/kg Neferine treatment significantly inhibited tumor weight (0.39 ± 0.04 g vs. 0.25 ± 0.03 g, P< 0.05) and tumor volume (2163 ± 165 mm³ vs. 1276 ± 108 mm³, P< 0.05) after 30 days. Compared with ethanol-injected mice, 2 μM Neferine treatment significantly enhanced apoptosis rate (2.1 ± 0.6% vs. 14.6 ± 2.6%, P< 0.05), accompany downregulation of Ki67 (0.09 ± 0.02% vs. 0.01 ± 0.004%, P< 0.05) and VEGF (0.28 ± 0.04% vs. 0.05 ± 0.03%, P< 0.05) expression. Additionally, 2 μM Neferine treatment significantly decreased JC-1 red/green percentage. High-dose Neferine could decrease retinoblastoma angiogenesis in association with a significant inhibition on tumor growth and invasion. These findings suggested that Neferine could be a new treatment or adjuvant against retinoblastoma.

Recent updates on true potential of an anesthetic agent as a regulator of cell signaling pathways and non-coding RNAs in different cancers: Focusing on the brighter side of propofol

There has always been a quest to search for synthetic and natural compounds having premium pharmacological properties and minimum off-target and/or side effects. Therefore, in accordance with this approach, scientists have given special attention to the molecules having remarkable ability to target oncogenic protein network, restore drug sensitivity and induce apoptosis in cancer cells. The mechanisms through which general anesthetics modulated wide-ranging deregulated cell signaling pathways and non-coding RNAs remained unclear. However, rapidly accumulating experimentally verified evidence has started to resolve this long-standing mystery and a knowledge about these important molecular targets has surfaced and how these drugs act at the molecular level is becoming more understandable. In this review we have given special attention to available evidence related to ability of propofol to modulate Wnt/β-catenin, JAK/STAT and mTOR-driven pathway. Excitingly, great strides have been made in sharpening our concepts related to potential of propofol to modulate non-coding RNAs in different cancers. Collectively, these latest findings offer interesting, unexplored opportunities to target deregulated signaling pathways to induce apoptosis in drug-resistant cancers.