Ropivacaine inhibits the malignant behavior of lung cancer cells by regulating retinoblastoma-binding protein 4

BACKGROUND: Ropivacaine is a local anesthetic commonly used in regional nerve blocks to manage perioperative pain during lung cancer surgery. Recently, the antitumor potential of ropivacaine has received considerable attention. Our previous study showed that ropivacaine treatment inhibits the malignant behavior of lung cancer cells in vitro. However, the potential targets of ropivacaine in lung cancer cells have not yet been fully identified. This study aimed to explore the antitumor effects and mechanisms of action of ropivacaine in lung cancer. METHODS: Lung cancer A549 cells were treated with or without 1 mM ropivacaine for 48 h. Quantitative proteomics was performed to identify the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) triggered by ropivacaine treatment. STRING and Cytoscape were used to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and analyze the most significant hub genes. Overexpression plasmids and small interfering RNA were used to modulate the expression of key DEPs in A549 and H1299 cells. MTS, transwell assays, and flow cytometry were performed to determine whether the key DEPs were closely related to the anticancer effect of ropivacaine on the malignant behavior of A549 and H1299 cells. RESULTS: Quantitative proteomic analysis identified 327 DEPs (185 upregulated and 142 downregulated proteins) following ropivacaine treatment. Retinoblastoma-binding protein 4 (RBBP4) was one of the downregulated DEPs and was selected as the hub protein. TCGA database showed that RBBP4 was significantly upregulated in lung cancer and was associated with poor patient prognosis. Inhibition of RBBP4 by siRNA resulted in a significant decrease in the proliferation and invasive capacity of lung cancer cells and the induction of cell cycle arrest. Additionally, the results indicated RBBP4 knockdown enhanced antitumor effect of ropivacaine on A549 and H1299 cells. Conversely, the overexpression of RBBP4 using plasmids reversed the inhibitory effects of ropivacaine. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that ropivacaine suppresses lung cancer cell malignancy by downregulating RBBP4 protein expression, which may help clarify the mechanisms underlying the antitumor effects of ropivacaine.