title: Propofol induces apoptosis of epithelial ovarian cancer cells by upregulation of microRNA let-7i expression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Propofol is one of the extensively and commonly used intravenous anaesthetic agents. The aims of the current study were to evaluate effects of propofol on the behavior of human epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells and role of miR-let-7i in these effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of propofol on cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by MTT assays and flow cytometry. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess miR-let-7i expression in human EOC cells OVCAR-3 with or without propofol treatment. Finally, the authors evaluated the effect ofmiR-let-7i on propofol-induced anti-tumor activity using anti-miR-let-7i.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Propofol inhibited the proliferation of OVCAR-3 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. After exposure to propofol for 24 hours, OVCAR-3 cells showed increased apoptosis and increased expression of miR-let-7i. Finally, anti-miR-let-7i reversed the effect of propofol on cell proliferation and apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Propofol can effectively inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of EOC cells and modulation of miR-let-7i possibly contributes to the anti-tumor action of propofol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, the First Clinical College of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: X K
authors.initials: XK
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Q P
authors.initials: QP
authors.lastname: Wen
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000502:physiology*; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; C487931:mirnlet7 microRNA, human; D015742:Propofol