Volatile anesthetic sevoflurane suppresses lung cancer cells and miRNA interference in lung cancer cells

PURPOSE: Sevoflurane is widely used in lung cancer surgery. It is well known that volatile anesthetics have a lung-protective effect in lung cancer surgery. However, the association between the inhibition of cancer cells and miRNAs interference remains unknown. Whether sevoflurane can affect some miRNAs in A549 cells has not been reported. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of 3% sevoflurane on A549 cells and assess whether it regulates A549 cells by interfering with miRNA. METHODS: In three percent sevoflurane-pretreated A549 cells, treated for a duration of 30 minutes, the apoptosis rate of A549 cells was evaluated using a flow cytometer. The expression of 6 types of miRNAs associated with non-small cell lung cancer was analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: An obvious apoptosis-promoting effect was found in A549 cells, which had been treated with 3% sevoflurane. The expression of several miRNAs that regulate apoptosis was significantly changed compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: Three percent sevoflurane can significantly increase the apoptosis rate of A549 cells, which may reduce the spread of cancer cells caused by operation. Sevoflurane disturbed the expression of the miRNAs that regulate apoptosis.