Sven-Egron Thörn

Ropivacaine and lidocaine at clinically relevant concentrations suppress proliferation and migration of ovarian cancer cells and induce morphological alterations

Ovarian cancer ranks as a gynecological malignancy with poor prognosis, specifically if detected late. Primary treatment includes cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy with curative intent. Local anesthetics (LA) administered in the perioperative period may potentially impact patient outcome by several mechanisms. The beneficial impact of LA has been attributed, among other factors, to the drug's inhibitory effect on cancer cells. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of clinically relevant concentrations of ropivacaine and lidocaine on ovarian cancer cell lines. Three ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV-3, SW-626 and CA-OV-3) were treated with 1, 10, 100, or 1000 ​μM of the two LAs. Cell function and morphology were assessed in the following ways: cell counting, phase-contrast and holographic microscopy, a conventional MTT assay for dose response testing, wound healing assay for migration, and cancer stem cell (CSC) identification by aldehyde dehydrogenase. Both ropivacaine and lidocaine significantly reduced cell number, altered morphology, suppressed migration, and decreased the population of CSCs in a concentration-dependent manner. LAs exert a direct inhibitory effect on ovarian cancer cell lines in vitro, suggesting their potential benefits in perioperative management for patients undergoing surgery. Clinical studies using LA during ovarian cancer surgery are needed.