The N-acylethanolamines (NAEs), oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmithylethanolamide (PEA) are known to be endogenous ligands of PPARα receptors, and their presence requires the activation of a specific phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) associated with intracellular Ca(2+) fluxes. Thus, the identification of a specific population of NAPE-PLD/PPARα-containing neurons that express selective Ca(2+)-binding...

Objective: The angiotensin type 1 receptor blocker (ARB) and PPARγ-modulator telmisartan has been recently demonstrated to reduce plasma triglycerides in non-diabetic and diabetic hypertensive patients. The present study investigates the molecular mechanisms of telmisartans hypolipidemic actions, in particular its effect on the PPARα pathway. Research Design and Methods: Regulation of PPARα-tar...

Fatty acid oxidation and subsequent ketogenesis is one of the major mechanisms to maintain hepatic lipid homeostasis under fasting conditions. Fasting hormone glucagon has been shown to stimulate ketone body production through activation of PPARα; however, the signal pathway linking glucagon to PPARα is largely undiscovered. Here we report that a SIK2-p300-PPARα cascade mediates glucagon's effe...

2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) is a nitroaromatic used in industrial dyes and explosives manufacturing processes that is found as a contaminant in the environment. Previous studies have implicated antagonism of PPARα signaling as a principal process affected by 2,4-DNT. Here, we test the hypothesis that 2,4-DNT-induced perturbations in PPARα signaling and resultant downstream deficits in energy m...

We would like to offer a different opinion on the ideas presented in the article by Keshava and Caldwell (2006). The authors indicated that their article summarized scientific literature published since an earlier U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) risk assessment of trichloroethylene (TCE), with an emphasis on the possible role of proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) agonism relev...

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) is a member of the large nuclear receptor superfamily whose main role is to activate genes involved in fatty acid oxidation in the liver, heart, kidney and skeletal muscle. While currently used mainly as hypolipidemic agents, the cardiac effects and anti-inflammatory actions of PPARα agonists in arterial wall cells suggest other potential...

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. It modulates smooth muscle cell proliferation and inflammatory cytokines in vitro. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that PPARα would decrease the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and tissue factor, and inhibit neointimal formation in a murine double carotid artery injury model. C...

Inhibitor of DNA binding (Id2) is a helix-loop-helix (HLH) transcription factor that participates in cell differentiation and proliferation. Id2 has been linked to the development of cardiovascular diseases since thiazolidinediones, antidiabetic agents and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma agonists, have been reported to diminish Id2 expression in human cells. We hypothesi...

Numerous clinical and population studies have demonstrated that increased serum bilirubin levels protect against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Bilirubin is a potent antioxidant, and the beneficial actions of moderate increases in plasma bilirubin have been thought to be due to the antioxidant effects of this bile pigment. In the present study, we found that...