Propofol suppresses breast cancer invasion: An in vitro three-dimensional cell invasion model with microfluidic technology

The fundamental aspect of breast cancer metastasis is the infiltration of malignant cells, which can be blocked by propofol, a widely utilized anesthetic in clinical settings, as recent studies reporting. However, research utilizing three-dimensional invasion models in vitro has not been documented. This study created a microfluidic chip model utilizing type I collagen (Col1), integrating delayed dynamic imaging and several fluorescence labeling approaches to objectively assess the inhibitory effect of propofol on breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231 invasion. Research indicates that MDA-MB-231 cells demonstrate collective invasion behavior, with their invasive capacity reliant on the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) facilitated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs): both the invasion distance and cell count diminish as matrix hardness (collagen concentration 1-2.5 mg/ml) increases, while they augment with extended culture duration (1-5 days). Subsequent research has demonstrated that propofol (12.5-50 μg/ml) can reduce both the invasion distance and quantity of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner, potentially linked to the down-regulation of MMP-2/MMP-9 and the up-regulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) expression. This paper presents novel experimental evidence that propofol inhibits the invasion of breast cancer cells, and establishes a straightforward and quantitative medication evaluation platform, offering a methodological reference for the screening and mechanistic investigation of tumor microenvironment regulators.