Comparison of different muscle-relaxant anesthetics on growth, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells

Abstract

Background/Aim: Muscle relaxants, also known as neuromuscular blocking agents, can block nerve impulses to the muscles and are always used in surgery for general anesthesia. However, the effect of muscle-relaxant anesthetics on cell activity in gastric cancer is currently unknown. The present study aimed to examine and compare the role of three different muscle-relaxant anesthetics in gastric cancer cells. Materials and Methods: Gastric cancer cells (SGC7901 and BGC 823) were treated with a different dose of muscle-relaxant anesthetics, Rocuronium bromide (Rb), Vecuronium bromide (Vb) and Cisatracurium Besilate (CB). Using in vitro models, the effects on gastric cancer cell invasion, growth and migration of various anesthetics were subsequently investigated. Results: We found that Rb increased the growth, invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells SGC7901 and BGC823. However, Vb and CB, as relatively mitigative anesthetics, did not significantly affect gastric cancer cell malignant phenotype at their regular blood concentration. Conclusion: Our results are important in selecting the type and dose of anesthetic used for surgery of gastric cancer patients. An understanding of the effect of muscle-relaxant anesthetics and their impact on tumor metastasis is critical, since it provides insight into the appropriate anesthetic strategy that could improve long-term survival in some patients with gastric cancer. Gastric cancer (GC) is a highly lethal malignancy worldwide, particular in developing countries, which makes it a key public health problem (1, 2). The conventional treatment for GC includes radiotherapy, routine surgery, hormone therapy and biotherapy. However, when tumors progress there is a risk that not all of the tumor tissue is surgically removed (3, 4). Anesthetics are administered to facilitate surgery. Some factors including anesthetic techniques and anesthetic drugs may affect the activity of residual tumor cells after surgery and facilitate cancer recurrence and/or metastasis (5).