Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on the growth and motility of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. Methods Human OSCC cell line CAL27 were treated with DEX and were divided into groups of DEX 0, 5, 10 and 20 nmol / L. The proliferation of CAL27 cells was evaluated by colony formation assay and BrdU assay. Cell invasion was detected by transwell assay. Flow cytometry was employed to measure the apoptosis rate. The levels of superoxide dismutase ( SOD ) and malondialdehyde ( MDA ) in cells were determined by ELISA. The ability of cell microtubule formation was evaluated by the microtubule formation assay. Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibronectin ( FN), B cell lymphoma 2 ( Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax). Results DEX treatment significantly decreased the colony formation rate and BrdU positive cell rate, reduced the number of invasive cells and microtubule nodules, and down-regulated the expression levels of VEGF and FN in CAL27 cells when compared with the control group. Meanwhile, the treatment of DEX promoted the oxidative stress and increased the Bax / Bcl-2 ratio in cells. Conclusion DEX treatment can inhibit the proliferation, invasion and microtubule formation, and promote the oxidative stress and apoptosis in CAL27 cells.

Key words: dexmedetomidine, oral squamous cell carcinoma, apoptosis, vascular endothelial growth facto