Propofol Regulates ADAM8 in Pancreatic Cancer Cells by Targeting SP1

Abstract BackgroundPropofol is a commonly used anesthetic with controversial effects on cancer cells. A growing number of studies have demonstrated that low concentrations of propofol are associated with tumor suppression, but deeper insights into its underlying mechanism are needed. The study detailed herein focuses uponthe effect of propofol on pancreatic cells and the mechanism by which propofol down-regulated ADAM8 expression.MethodsTreatment pancreatic cell line Panc-1was performed with different concentrations of propofol. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to assess cell proliferation and the cell cycle. A wound healing assay was used to evaluate the migration capacity of Panc-1 cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot were used to analyze specificity protein 1 (SP1) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 8 (ADAM8) expression. Luciferase assay was performed to determine the transcriptional activity of SP1.RNA interference (RNAi) was used to explore whether propofol regulated ADAM8 in Panc-1 cells by targeting SP1. ResultsPropofol significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells and decreased the percentage of cells in S-phase. Furthermore, propofol failed to regulate ADAM8 expression in Panc-1 cells with SP1 knockdown. Luciferase assays demonstrated that propofol repressed the transcriptional activity of SP1, while ADAM8 was a direct target of SP1. ConclusionsThese results suggest that propofol affect biological behavior of pancreatic cancer cells through ADAM8 by targeting SP1.