Metastasis is a major cause of death of patients with malignant tumors. Matrix 
metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important for the migration and invasion of 
various types of cancer cell. Propofol is a known anesthetic agent, widely used 
for short-term anesthesia and for longer-term sedation. Propofol inhibits the 
proliferation of a variety of tumor cells, but there is no available information 
regarding propofol-inhibited migration and invasion of tumor cells in vitro. In 
this study, we investigated the effects of propofol on the migration and 
invasion of human lung carcinoma A549 cells. Wound healing assay and Boyden 
chamber assays indicated that propofol inhibited the migration and invasion of 
A549 cells in vitro. Gelatin zymographic analysis showed the inhibitory effect 
of propofol on the activation of expression MMP-2. Western blot analysis also 
indicated that propofol suppressed the protein expiration of growth factor 
receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2), Jun N-terminal kinases 1/2 (p-JNK1/2), p-p38, 
MMP-2 and MMP-9 in A549 cells. Results from real-time PCR assay also showed that 
propofol inhibited the mRNA gene expression of MMP-2, -7 and -9, and enhanced 
that of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1) and TIMP2 in A549 cells. 
Taken together, these data show that propofol inhibits MMP-2 and -9 mRNA and 
protein expressions, resulting in suppression of lung cancer cell invasion and 
migration in vitro.