[Propofol suppresses migration and invasion of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells by down-regulating H19].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of propofol on H19 expression, migration and invasion of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro. METHODS: MDA-MB-231 cells were randomly divided into 5 groups for treatment with basal medium, DMSO, or propofol at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 µmol/L. H19 expression of the treated cells was assessed with RT-PCR, and the changes of cell motility, migration and invasion were evaluated with wound-healing assay and Transwell assays. RESULTS: Treatment of the cells with 25, 50, and 100 µmol/L propofol for 24 h down-regulated H19 by 17.83%, 37.50% and 63.67% (P<0.05), and suppressed cell motility by 13.46%, 36.54% and 46.17% (P<0.05), cell migration by 27.93%, 57.90% and 76.51% (P<0.05), and cell invasion by 25.72%, 53.32% and 81.43% (P<0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION: Propofol-induced cell migration and invasion suppression are partially mediated by down-regulating H19 in MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro.

[Propofol suppresses invasion of human lung cancer A549 cells by down-regulating aquaporin-3 and matrix metalloproteinase-9].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of propofol on cell invasion and expressions of aquaporin-3 (APQ-3) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in human lung adenocarcinoma cancer A549 cells. METHOD: A549 cells were treated with propofol at the concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 µmol/L for 12 or 24 h. RT-PCR was used to detect the effect of propofol on AQP-3 mRNA level in A549 cells, and the effects of propofol treatments for 24 h on AQP-3 and MMP-9 protein expression and the invasive ability of A549 cells were assessed with Western blotting and Transwell assay, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the control cells, the cells treated with 25, 50, and 100 µmol/L propofol showed a obvious inhibition of AQP-3 mRNA expression, with inhibition rates ranging from 0.19 to 0.65 in cells with a 12-h treatment and from 0.13 to 0.41 in cells treated for 24 h; 100 µmol/L propofol treatment for 24 h produced the strongest inhibitory effect (0.13∓0.035, P<0.05). AQP-3 protein expression in cells treated with 25, 50, and 100 µmol/L propofol for 24 h (0.91∓0.009, 0.60∓0.020, and 0.57∓0.006, respectively) and MMP-9 protein expression in cells treated with 50 and 100 µmol/L propofol for 24 h (0.65∓0.006 and 0.46∓0.021, respectively) were significantly lower than those in the control cells (P<0.05). Treatment with 25, 50, and 100 µmol/L propofol for 24 significantly lowered the number of invading cells (122.55∓17.20, 96.33∓5.82, and 74.33∓2.85, respectively) compared with the control group (199.33∓23.88, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Treatment with 50 and 100 µmol/L propofol inhibits cell invasion by down-regulating the expression of AQP-3 and MMP-9 in A549 cells.