Molecular mechanism of di-n-butyl phthalate promotion of bladder cancer development

Purpose: To determine whether di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) promotes the occurrence of bladder cancer (BCa) and explore the action of DBP acts on BCa cells at the cellular and molecular levels.

Methods: MTT and Transwell assays were used to investigate the tumorigenic actions of DBP on BCa cells. Second-generation sequencing was used to identify differences in gene expression before and after DBP treatment. Differential gene expression was verified by q-PCR and analyzed using bioinformatics. Cells were transfected to overexpress genes of interest and proliferation and migration were measured using MTT and Transwell assays, respectively.

Results: DBP treatment stimulated both proliferation and invasion in BCa cells. Second-generation sequencing identified differences in the expression of FOSB, JUND, ATP6V1C2, and RHOQ before and after DBP treatment. FOSB expression was confirmed by q-PCR and bioinformatic analyses. FOSB overexpression increased both proliferation and invasion in BCa cells.

Conclusion: DBP promoted BCa tumorigenesis by inducing changes in gene expression.