Propofol induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis in lung cancer cell H460.

Propofol is one of the most commonly used intravenous anesthetic agents during cancer resection surgery. It can influence proliferation, motility, and invasiveness of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. However, the role of the propofol in the lung cancer cells remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated the effects of propofol on the proliferation and the apoptosis of lung cancer cell H460 by using colony formation assay and flow cytometry. Propofol also decreased tumor size and weight in established xenografted tumors. Furthermore, propofol-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was determined by Western blot.