[Relationship between peroxisome proliferator activator-receptor (PPAR) and urological cancer].

Recent studies have demonstrated that peroxisome proliferator activator-receptor (PPAR)-gamma ligand induces growth arrest of cancer cells through apoptosis. In this review, we demonstrated the expression of PPAR-gamma in urological cancer (renal cell carcinoma, bladder tumor, prostate cancer, and testicular tumor) tissues as well as the effects of PPAR-gamma ligands. While no marked expression of PPAR-gamma was observed in normal tissue, significant expression was found in all urological cancer tissue. PPAR-gamma ligands (troglitazone and 15dPGJ2) induced the reduction of cell viability with the half-maximal concentration of growth inhibition of renal cell carcinoma, bladder tumor, and prostate cancer cell lines. Cells treated with PPAR-gamma inhibitors showed typical redundant characteristics of apoptosis. PPAR-gamma ligands may mediate potent antiproliferative effects through differentiation.