Anticancer effects of vecuronium bromide and cisatracurium besylate on lung cancer cells (A549), in vitro

Neuromuscular blocking drugs are used in anesthesia and intensive care to provide skeletal muscle relaxation. However, literature has revealed that the effects of these drugs on cancer have not been widely studied. We tested the effects of two non-depolarising neuromuscular blocking drugs, vecuronium bromide and cisatracurium besylate on lung cancer cells’ (A549) proliferation, migration and viability in the presence of a cytotoxic drug, cisplatin. We demonstrated in this study that both neuromuscular blocking agents inhibit lung cancer cells’ proliferation. In addition, the study revealed that vecuronium bromide and cisatracurium besylate was synergistic to cisplatin in reducing lung cancer cell proliferation. However, vecuronium inhibits lung cancer cells migration in vitro.