title: Propofol enhances the cisplatin-induced apoptosis on cervical cancer cells via EGFR/JAK2/STAT3 pathway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main purpose of this study was to evaluate propofol and its combined effect with cisplatin on apoptosis of cervical cancer cells and molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of propofol and cisplatin on cell viability and apoptosis were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay and flow cytometry assay. Besides, protein expression of EGFR/JAK2/STAT3 pathway was determined by western blot. STAT3 was over-expressed in cervical cancer cells by STAT3 cDNA. Expression of EGFR and STAT3 protein of human tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we found that not only propofol alone could inhibit cervical cancer cells viability but also could increase the inhibitory effect of cisplatin on cervical cancer cells growth. Meanwhile, propofol sensitized cervical cancer cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis but not affected normal cervical cells. In genetic level, propofol could enhance the anti-tumor effect of cisplatin through EGFR/JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Further studies indicated that overexpression of EGFR and STAT3 is related to poor prognoses in cervical cancer patients, which contributed to confirm the clinical role of combined application of propofol and cisplatin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Propofol enhances the cisplatin-induced cell apoptosis cervical cancer cells via EGFR/JAK2/STAT3 pathway and may be developed as a potential therapeutic agent to treat cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Haoran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Urology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, China.
authors.forename: Yangyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Mengjiao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. Electronic address: cheng_xi1@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. Electronic address: jiawei_chen@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jiawei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D053614:Janus Kinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015742:Propofol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; C507924:JAK2 protein, human; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D002945:Cisplatin; D015742:Propofol
keywords: Cervical cancer; Chemosensitivity; Cisplatin; Propofol