Sevoflurane and thiopental preconditioning attenuates the migration and activity of MMP-2 in U87MG glioma cells.

Background: Tumor cell migration and diffuse infiltration into brain parenchyma are known causes of recurrence after treatment in glioblastoma (GBM), mediated in part by the interaction of glioma cells with the extracellular matrix, followed by degradation of matrix by tumor cell derived proteases, particularly the matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). Sevoflurane and thiopental are anesthetics commonly used in cancer surgery. However, their effect on the progression of glioma cells remains unclear.