Sevoflurane: A dual modulator of miR‑211‑5p and mitochondrial apoptosis in glioma therapy

The present study aimed to investigate how sevoflurane (SEV) regulated the apoptosis of glioma cells through the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. First, an evaluation was performed on the viability, apoptosis, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis and autophagy‑related protein expression of glioma cells according to experimental groups. Next, the expression of microRNA‑211‑5p (miR‑211‑5p), silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway was detected by reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR or western blotting. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed the targeting relationship between miR‑211‑5p and SIRT1. In addition, SEV suppressed the proliferation and induced the apoptosis in human glioma cell line cells via the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. In mechanistic analysis, the miR‑211‑5p level in glioma cells was low, while following SEV treatment, it was increased. Furthermore, SEV regulated SIRT1 by upregulating miR‑211‑5p expression, thereby blocking the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activation. Moreover, functional rescue experiments showed that downregulation of SIRT1 or miR‑211‑5p could reverse the effects of SEV on glioma cells. Collectively, SEV promoted apoptosis in glioma cells by inducing miR‑211‑5p, which regulated SIRT1/PI3K/AKT pathway, mediating mitochondria‑dependent apoptosis pathway. This finding may open new possibilities for SEV as a potential treatment for glioma in the future.