Sevoflurane Suppresses the Migration, Invasion, and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Breast Cancer Cells Through the miR-139-5p/ARF6 Axis

Abstract Background Breast cancer (BC) is common cancer in female globally. Sevoflurane (SEV) has been reported to inhibit the metastasis of multiple cancers, including glioma, colorectal cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the role of SEV in the metastasis of BC cells remains poorly understood. Methods Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to detect the migration and invasion of BC cells. Western blot assay was carried out to measure epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins in BC cells, including E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and fibronectin. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was conducted to determine the enrichment of miR-139-5p and ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) in BC tissues and cells. The protein expression of ARF6 in BC tissues and cells was measured by western blot assay. The target of miR-139-5p was predicted by starBase software, and the target relationship between miR-139-5p and ARF6 in BC cells was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results SEV suppressed the migration, invasion, and EMT of BC cells, especially in the high-concentration SEV group. The level of miR-139-5p was lower in BC tissues and cells than that in paired normal tissues and normal mammary epithelial cells MCF-10A. MiR-139-5p was upregulated in BC cells treated with SEV. ARF6 was upregulated in BC tissues and cells compared with that in corresponding normal tissues and normal mammary epithelial cells MCF-10A. SEV reduced the mRNA and protein expression of ARF6 in BC cells. The accumulation of ARF6 or the interference of miR-139-5p reversed the suppressive effects of SEV treatment on the migration, invasion, and EMT of BC cells. MiR-139-5p bound to ARF6 and inversely modulated the level of ARF6 in BC cells. The transfection of si-ARF6 attenuated the promoting effects of miR-139-5p depletion on the migration, invasion, and EMT of BC cells treated with SEV. Conclusions SEV suppressed the migration, invasion, and EMT of BC cells through downregulating the abundance of ARF6 by upregulating miR-139-5p. The miR-139-5p/ARF6 axis might be a promising target for the treatment of BC.