LAUSR

BACKGROUND Sevoflurane is a widely used anesthetic agent and is reported to play an anti-tumor action in many cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms are largely unclear. METHODS Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells were treated with sevoflurane for 12 or 24 h. HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry assay, respectively. The protein levels were determined by western blot. The expression of circular RNA (circ)_0001649, microRNA (miR)-19a-3p, and small glutamine rich tetratricopeptide repeat containing Beta (SGTB) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The relationship between miR-19a-3p and circ_0001649 or SGTB was predicted by Starbase and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. RESULTS Sevoflurane inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, but promoted apoptosis. Sevoflurane could affect the expression of circ_0001649 and knockdown of circ_0001649 reversed the effects of sevoflurane on HCC cell progression. Subsequently, miR-19a-3p was identified as a target of circ_0001649 and directly targeted SGTB. In addition, circ_0001649 suppressed the development of sevoflurane-induced HCC cells through miR-19a-3p/SGTB axis. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated that sevoflurane inhibited HCC cell development via circ_0001649/miR-19a-3p/SGTB axis.