Propofol and Sevoflurane Differentially Impact MicroRNAs in Circulating Extracellular Vesicles during Colorectal Cancer Resection

AUTHORS: Dominik Buschmann et al

Anesthesiology Oct 2019

What We Already Know about This Topic

While total intravenous anesthesia in combination with local-regional anesthesia during cancer resection may result in improved outcomes, potent volatile anesthetics may enhance tumor cell growth and metastasisSera taken from patients receiving propofol, but not from those receiving sevoflurane, induced a reduction in invasiveness, proliferation, and metastatic potential of cancer cells in addition to enhancing their apoptosisExtracellular vesicles are nanosized, membrane-encapsulated information carriers secreted by all living cells that play crucial roles in intercellular communication

What This Article Tells Us That Is New

This proof-of-concept study in colorectal cancer patients receiving either propofol (n = 8) or sevoflurane (n = 9) found 64 extracellular vesicle-associated microRNAs to be significantly regulated by total intravenous anesthesia and 33 to be significantly regulated by sevoflurane anesthesiaAll microRNAs downregulated in response to anesthesia were anesthetic agent specific, while most upregulated microRNAs were notTotal intravenous anesthesia-regulated microRNAs might mediate inhibitory effects on signaling pathways involving cell proliferation, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tumor cell line and enhance effects on apoptosis of carcinoma cell lines.

Background:

Extracellular vesicles and their microRNA cargo are crucial facilitators of malignant cell communication and could mediate effects of anesthetics on tumor biology during cancer resection. The authors performed a proof-of-concept study to demonstrate that propofol and sevoflurane have differential effects on vesicle-associated microRNAs that influence signaling pathways involved in tumor progression and metastasis.

Methods:

Circulating vesicles were investigated in a prospective, matched-case pilot study in two cohorts of colorectal cancer patients receiving either propofol (n = 8) or sevoflurane (n = 9), matched for tumor stage and location. Serum was sampled before anesthesia and after tumor resection. Vesicular microRNA profiles were analyzed by next generation sequencing and confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Next, we assessed perioperative changes in microRNA expression induced by either anesthetic and compared their biologic effects on tumor-relevant pathways. Additionally, vesicles from pre- and postoperative sera were biologic characterized.

Results:

Postoperative microRNA profiles were shifted in both groups with overlap in the perioperative response. A total of 64 (48 up, range of log2 fold change 1.07 to 3.76; 16 down, −1.00 to −1.55) and 33 (32 up, 1.02 to 2.98; 1 down, −1.36) microRNAs were significantly regulated (adjusted P value less than 0.05) by propofol and sevoflurane, respectively. Thirty-six (propofol) and five (sevoflurane) microRNAs were specifically responsive to either anesthetic agent. In silico target analyses of microRNA expression patterns indicated an inhibitory effect of propofol on crucial carcinoma-related pathways such as proliferation (z-score, −1.73) and migration (z-score, −1.97), as well as enhanced apoptosis (z-score, 1.19). While size distribution and protein markers of circulating vesicles were not affected by anesthesia, their concentration was reduced after surgery using both anesthetic procedures.

Conclusions:

This proof-of-concept study provides preliminary evidence that anesthetic agents have specific effects on microRNA profiles in circulating vesicles. These findings could form the basis for larger and mechanistically oriented outcome studies in cancer patients.