Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK.
Nutrients. 2017 Aug 19;9(8):902. doi: 10.3390/nu9080902.
Colorectal cancer is an increasingly significant cause of mortality whose risk is linked to diet and inversely correlated with cruciferous vegetable consumption. This is likely to be partly attributable to the isothiocyanates derived from eating these vegetables, such as sulforaphane, which is extensively characterised for cytoprotective and tumour-suppressing activities. However, its bioactivities are likely to extend in complexity beyond those currently known; further insight into these bioactivities could aid the development of sulforaphane-based chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic strategies. Evidence suggests that sulforaphane modulates the expression of microRNAs, many of which are known to regulate genes involved at various stages of colorectal carcinogenesis. Based upon existing knowledge, there exist many plausible mechanisms by which sulforaphane may regulate microRNAs. Thus, there is a strong case for the further investigation of the roles of microRNAs in the anti-cancer effects of sulforaphane. There are several different types of approach to the wide-scale profiling of microRNA differential expression. Array-based methods may involve the use of RT-qPCR or complementary hybridisation probe chips, and tend to be relatively fast and economical. Cloning and deep sequencing approaches are more expensive and labour-intensive, but are worth considering where viable, for their greater sensitivity and ability to detect novel microRNAs.
结直肠癌是一种日益重要的致死原因，其风险与饮食有关，与十字花科蔬菜的消费呈负相关。这可能部分归因于食用这些蔬菜（如萝卜硫素）产生的异硫氰酸盐，萝卜硫素具有广泛的细胞保护和肿瘤抑制活性。然而，其生物活性可能比目前已知的更为复杂；进一步了解这些生物活性可能有助于开发基于萝卜硫素的化学预防或化学治疗策略。有证据表明，萝卜硫素调节 microRNA 的表达，其中许多 microRNA 已知可调节结直肠癌发生过程中各个阶段涉及的基因。根据现有知识，萝卜硫素可能通过多种合理的机制来调节 microRNA。因此，有充分的理由进一步研究 microRNA 在萝卜硫素抗癌作用中的作用。有几种不同的方法可以大规模分析 microRNA 的差异表达。基于阵列的方法可能涉及使用 RT-qPCR 或互补杂交探针芯片，并且通常相对快速且经济。克隆和深度测序方法更昂贵且劳动强度更大，但如果可行，它们值得考虑，因为它们具有更高的灵敏度和检测新 microRNA 的能力。
