Modulation of BAG3 expression in human normal urothelial cells by Diuron.

Diuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] is a substituted urea herbicide, carcinogenic for the rat urinary bladder. It has been hypothesized that Diuron cytotoxicity, resulting in regenerative proliferation, leads to urothelial hyperplasia and, finally, to bladder tumors, but molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis have not still fully investigated. Here, we report the results of a study aimed at verifying the involvement of BAG3, an intracellular protein expressed in several tumors, in the Diuron-induced carcinogenesis.