Objective: To explore the influences of propofol on the proliferation and apoptosis of cardia cancer cells via mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathway.
Patients and methods: A total of 65 surgical resection specimens of cardia cancer were selected as research objects and divided into control group and with low (12.5 μmol/L), medium (25 μmol/L), and high (50 μmol/L) propofol concentration groups. The apoptosis of cancer cells, ERK1/2 phosphorylation level, expressions of Caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) in each group were detected.
Results: Propofol in different concentrations could all effectively inhibit the proliferation of cardia cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Different concentrations of propofol promoted the apoptosis of cardia cancer cells, and the apoptosis rate constantly increased with the rising concentration of propofol (p<0.05). Propofol could repress the expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulate the expression levels of Caspase-3, Bax, and phosphorylated ERK1/2.
Conclusions: Propofol can inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of cardia cancer cells, and the action mechanism may be correlated with the inhibition on the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.