Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ, a regulator of oxidative capacity, fuel switching and cholesterol transport

Autor: Clemens Fürnsinn, T. M. Willson, B. Brunmair
Rok vydání: 2006
Předmět:
Zdroj: Diabetologia. 50:8-17
ISSN: 1432-0428
0012-186X
DOI: 10.1007/s00125-006-0492-0
Popis: Synthetic agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-delta have shown a promising pharmacological profile in preclinical models of metabolic and cardiovascular disease. At present, the pharmaceutical development of these drugs exploits the potential to raise plasma HDL-cholesterol in animals and their insulin-sensitising and glucose-lowering properties. PPAR-delta agonists have also proven to be powerful research tools that have provided insights into the role of fatty acid metabolism in human physiology and disease. Activation of PPAR-delta induces the expression of genes important for cellular fatty acid combustion and an associated increase in whole-body lipid dissipation. The predominant target tissue in this regard is skeletal muscle, in which PPAR-delta activation regulates the oxidative capacity of the mitochondrial apparatus, switches fuel preference from glucose to fatty acids, and reduces triacylglycerol storage. These changes counter the characteristic derangements of insulin- resistant skeletal muscle but resemble the metabolic adaptation to regular physical exercise. Apart from effects on fuel turnover, there is evidence for direct antiatherogenic properties, because PPAR-delta activation increases cholesterol export and represses inflammatory gene expression in macrophages and atherosclerotic lesions. Whereas conclusions about the full potential of PPAR-delta as a drug target await the result of large scale clinical testing, ongoing investigation of this nuclear receptor has greatly improved our knowledge of the physiological regulation of whole-body fuel turnover and the interdependence of mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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