Propofol Affects EGF’s Activity in Intestinal Cell by Down-Regulating EGFR-Mediated Intracellular Signaling

Abstract

Propofol is a commonly used anesthetic drug in clinic. In recent years, a series of non-anesthetic effects of propofol have been discovered. Studies have shown that propofol has many effects on the intestine. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is one of the most important growth factors that could regulate intestinal growth and development. In the current study, we studied the effect of protocol on the biological activity of EGF on intestinal tissue and cell models. Through flow cytometry, indirect immunofluorescence and Western-blot and other technologies, it was found that propofol reduced the activity of EGF on intestinal cells, which inhibited EGF-induced intestinal cell proliferation and changed the cell behavior of EGF. To further explore the potential mechanism by which propofol down-regulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-induced signaling, we carried out a series of related experiments, and found that propofol may inhibit the proliferation of intestinal cells by inhibiting the EGFR-mediated intracellular signaling pathway. The current research will lay the theoretical and experimental basis for further study of the effect of propofol on the intestine.