Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha-independent peroxisome proliferation

Hepatic peroxisome proliferation, increases in the numerical and volume density of peroxisomes, is believed to be closely related to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) activation; however, it remains unknown whether peroxisome proliferation depends absolutely on this activation. To verify occurrence of PPARalpha-independent peroxisome proliferation, fenofibrate treatment was used, which was expected to significantly enhance PPARalpha dependence in the assay system. Surprisingly, a novel type of PPARalpha-independent peroxisome proliferation and enlargement was uncovered in PPARalpha-null mice. The increased expression of dynamin-like protein 1, but not peroxisome biogenesis factor 11alpha, might be associated with the PPARalpha-independent peroxisome proliferation at least in part.     

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha agonists as therapy for autoimmune disease

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. PPAR gamma ligands, which include the naturally occurring PG metabolite 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-PGJ(2) (15d-PGJ(2)), as well as thiazolidinediones, have been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity. The PPAR alpha agonists, gemfibrozil, ciprofibrate, and fenofibrate, have an excellent track history as oral agents used to treat hypertriglyceridemia. In the present study, we demonstrate that these PPAR alpha agonists can increase the production of the Th2 cytokine, IL-4, and suppress proliferation by TCR transgenic T cells specific for the myelin basic protein Ac1-11, as well as reduce NO production by microglia. Oral administration of gemfibrozil and fenofibrate inhibited clinical signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. More importantly, gemfibrozil was shown to shift the cytokine secretion of human T cell lines by inhibiting IFN-gamma and promoting IL-4 secretion. These results suggest that PPAR alpha agonists such as gemfibrozil and fenofibrate, may be attractive candidates for use in human inflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis.     

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha controls cellular cholesterol trafficking in macrophages

The mobilization of cholesterol from intracellular pools to the plasma membrane is a determinant that governs its availability for efflux to extracellular acceptors. NPC1 and NPC2 are proteins localized in the late endosome and control cholesterol transport from the lysosome to the plasma membrane. Here, we report that NPC1 and NPC2 gene expression is induced by oxidized LDL (OxLDL) in human macrophages. Because OxLDLs contain natural activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha), a fatty acid-activated nuclear receptor, the regulation of NPC1 and NPC2 by PPARalpha and the consequences on cholesterol trafficking were further studied. NPC1 and NPC2 expression is induced by synthetic PPARalpha ligands in human macrophages. Furthermore, PPARalpha activation leads to an enrichment of cholesterol in the plasma membrane. By contrast, incubation with progesterone, which blocks postlysosomal cholesterol trafficking, as well as NPC1 and NPC2 mRNA depletion using small interfering RNA, abolished ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux induced by PPARalpha activators. These observations identify a novel regulatory role for PPARalpha in the control of cholesterol availability for efflux that, associated with its ability to inhibit cholesterol esterification and to stimulate ABCA1 and scavenger receptor class B type I expression, may contribute to the stimulation of reverse cholesterol transport.     

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha activators improve insulin sensitivity and reduce adiposity

Fibrates and glitazones are two classes of drugs currently used in the treatment of dyslipidemia and insulin resistance (IR), respectively. Whereas glitazones are insulin sensitizers acting via activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma subtype, fibrates exert their lipid-lowering activity via PPARalpha. To determine whether PPARalpha activators also improve insulin sensitivity, we measured the capacity of three PPARalpha-selective agonists, fenofibrate, ciprofibrate, and the new compound GW9578, in two rodent models of high fat diet-induced (C57BL/6 mice) or genetic (obese Zucker rats) IR. At doses yielding serum concentrations shown to activate selectively PPARalpha, these compounds markedly lowered hyperinsulinemia and, when present, hyperglycemia in both animal models. This effect relied on the improvement of insulin action on glucose utilization, as indicated by a lower insulin peak in response to intraperitoneal glucose in ciprofibrate-treated IR obese Zucker rats. In addition, fenofibrate treatment prevented high fat diet-induced increase of body weight and adipose tissue mass without influencing caloric intake. The specificity for PPARalpha activation in vivo was demonstrated by marked alterations in the expression of PPARalpha target genes, whereas PPARgamma target gene mRNA levels did not change in treated animals. These results indicate that compounds with a selective PPARalpha activation profile reduce insulin resistance without having adverse effects on body weight and adipose tissue mass in animal models of IR.     

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha agonist-induced down-regulation of hepatic glucocorticoid receptor expression in SD rats

It was reported that glucocorticoid production was inhibited by fenofibrate through suppression of type-1 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase gene expression in liver. The inhibition might be a negative-feedback regulation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), which is quickly induced by glucocorticoid in the liver. However, it is not clear if GR expression is changed by fenofibrate-induced PPARα activation. In this study, we tested this possibility in the liver of Sprague-Dawley rats. GR expression was reduced by fenofibrate in a time- and does-dependent manner. The inhibition was observed in liver, but not in fat and muscle. The corticosterone level in the blood was increased significantly by fenofibrate. These effects of fenofibrate were abolished by PPARα inhibitor MK886, suggesting that fenofibrate activated through PPARα. In conclusion, inhibition of GR expression may represent a new molecular mechanism for the negative feedback regulation of GR activity by PPARα.     

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) influences substrate utilization for hepatic glucose production

The hypoglycemia seen in the fasting PPARalpha null mouse is thought to be due to impaired liver fatty acid beta-oxidation. The etiology of hypoglycemia in the PPARalpha null mouse was determined via stable isotope studies. Glucose, lactate, and glycerol flux was assessed in the fasted and fed states in 4-month-old PPARalpha null mice and in C57BL/6 WT maintained on standard chow using a new protocol for flux assessment in the fasted and fed states. Hepatic glucose production (HGP) and glucose carbon recycling were estimated using [U-(13)C(6)]glucose, and HGP, lactate, and glycerol turnover was estimated utilizing either [U-(13)C(3)]lactate or [2-(13)C]glycerol infused subcutaneously via Alza miniosmotic pumps. At the end of a 17-h fast, HGP was higher in the PPARalpha null mice than in WT by 37% (p < 0.01). However, recycling of glucose carbon from lactate back to glucose was lower in the PPARalpha null than in WT (39% versus 51%, p < 0.02). The lack of conversion of lactate to glucose was confirmed using an [U-(13)C(3)]lactate infusion. In the fasted state, HGP from lactate and lactate production were decreased by 65 and 55%, respectively (p < 0.05) in PPARalpha null mice. In contrast, when [2-(13)C]glycerol was infused, glycerol production and HGP from glycerol increased by 80 and 250%, respectively (p < 0.01), in the fasted state of PPARalpha null mice. The increased HGP from glycerol was not suppressed in the fed state. While little change was evident for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) expression, pyruvate kinase expression was decreased 16-fold in fasted PPARalpha null mice as compared with the wild-type control. The fasted and fed insulin levels were comparable, but blood glucose levels were lower in the PPARalpha null mice than in controls. In conclusion, PPARalpha receptor function creates a setpoint for a metabolic network that regulates the rate and route of HGP in the fasted and fed states, in part, by controlling the flux of glycerol and lactate between the triose-phosphate and pyruvate/lactate pools.     

PPARα、PPARγ及其双激动剂与动脉粥样硬化

过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体（peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors,PPARs）是核受体超家族中的一类配体依赖的核转录因子,其中两种重要的亚型PPARα和PPARγ在脂肪细胞分化、能量代谢和炎症过程中都发挥重要作用。研究显示,PPARα和PPARγ的配体激动剂不仅可以改善包括糖尿病、高血压和肥胖等在内的胰岛素抵抗综合征,而且还可以通过作用于血管壁从而减缓动脉粥样硬化的进程。本文将就PPARα和PPARγ及其双激动剂与动脉粥样硬化发病机制和治疗的相关研究进展进行概括介绍。     

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma overexpression suppresses proliferation of human colon cancer cells

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) plays an important role in the differentiation of intestinal cells and tissues. Our previous reports indicate that PPARγ is expressed at considerable levels in human colon cancer cells. This suggests that PPARγ expression may be an important factor for cell growth regulation in colon cancer. In this study, we investigated PPARγ expression in 4 human colon cancer cell lines, HT-29, LOVO, DLD-1, and Caco-2. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot analysis revealed that the relative levels of PPARγ mRNA and protein in these cells were in the order HT-29>LOVO>Caco-2>DLD-1. We also found that PPARγ overexpression promoted cell growth inhibition in PPARγ lower-expressing cell lines (Caco-2 and DLD-1), but not in higher-expressing cells (HT-29 and LOVO). We observed a correlation between the level of PPARγ expression and the cells' sensitivity for proliferation.     

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-mediated regulation of neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) plays an important role in insulin sensitivity, tissue homeostasis, and regulating cellular functions. We found high-level expression of PPARgamma in embryo mouse brain and neural stem cells (NSCs), in contrast to extremely low levels in adult mouse brain. Here, we show that PPARgamma mediates the proliferation and differentiation of murine NSCs via up-regulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor and activation of the ERK pathway. Cell growth rates of NSCs prepared from heterozygous PPARgamma-deficient mouse brains, PPARgamma-RNA-silenced NSCs, and PPARgamma dominant-negative NSCs were significantly decreased compared with those of wild-type NSCs. Physiological concentrations of PPARgamma agonists, rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, stimulated NSC growth, whereas antagonists caused cell death in a concentration-dependent manner via activation of the caspase cascade. The stimulation of cell growth by PPARgamma was associated with a rapid activation of the ERK pathway by phosphorylation and up-regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor and cyclin B protein levels. In contrast, activation of PPARgamma by agonists inhibited the differentiation of NSCs into neurons. The inhibition of differentiation was associated with an activation of STAT3. These data indicate that PPARgamma regulates the development of the central nervous system during early embryogenesis via control of NSC proliferation.     

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonists inhibit adipocyte expression of alpha1-acid glycoprotein

alpha1-Acid glycoprotein (alpha1-AGP) is an acute phase protein that can potentiate cytokine secretion by mononuclear cells and may induce thrombosis by stabilizing the inhibitory activity of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Thus, alpha1-AGP may promote pathobiologies associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) including insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. Here, we demonstrate that antidiabetic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) agonists inhibited expression of 3T3-L1 adipocyte alpha1-AGP in a concentration- and time-dependent manner via an apparent PPARgamma-mediated mechanism. As a result, synthesis and secretion of the glycoprotein was reduced. While PPARgamma agonist regulation of genes with functional peroxisome proliferator response elements in their promoter such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase were unaffected when cellular protein synthesis was inhibited, downregulation of alpha1-AGP mRNA was ablated thereby supporting the proposition that PPARgamma activation inhibits alpha1-AGP expression indirectly. These results suggest a potential novel adipocytic mechanism by which PPARgamma agonists may ameliorate T2DM-associated insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease.     

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha is required for feedback regulation of highly unsaturated fatty acid synthesis

Delta6 desaturase (D6D), the rate-limiting enzyme for highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) synthesis, is induced by essential fatty acid-deficient diets. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) in part mediates this induction. Paradoxically, D6D is also induced by ligands of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha). Here, we report a novel physiological role of PPARalpha in the induction of genes specific for HUFA synthesis by essential fatty acid-deficient diets. D6D mRNA induction by essential fatty acid-deficient diets in wild-type mice was diminished in PPARalpha-null mice. This impaired D6D induction in PPARalpha-null mice was not attributable to feedback suppression by tissue HUFAs because PPARalpha-null mice had lower HUFAs in liver phospholipids than did wild-type mice. Furthermore, PPARalpha-responsive genes were induced in wild-type mice under essential fatty acid deficiency, suggesting the generation of endogenous PPARalpha ligand(s). Contrary to genes for HUFA synthesis, the induction of other lipogenic genes under essential fatty acid deficiency was higher in PPARalpha-null mice than in wild-type mice even though mature SREBP-1c protein did not differ between the genotypes. The expression of PPARgamma was markedly increased in PPARalpha-null mice and might have contributed to the induction of genes for de novo lipogenesis. Our study suggests that PPARalpha, together with SREBP-1c, senses HUFA status and confers pathway-specific induction of HUFA synthesis by essential fatty acid-deficient diets.