Prostacyclin synthase (PGIS or PTGIS) is an enzyme that catalyses the conversion of prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) to prostaglandin I2 (PGI2). PGI2 promotes cancer growth by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ), and increases the expression levels of the pro-angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We found that the expression of the PGIS gene was enhance...

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) family of nuclear receptors regulates a wide variety of lipid-related genes, including those responsible for adipose differentiation, cholesterol metabolism, and lipidmetabolism and transport. There are three different PPAR nuclear receptors, with different localizations and specializations. PPARα is primarily expressed in the liver, heart, ...

PPARδ is a transcription factor regulating the expression of genes involved in oxidative metabolism, which may regulate blood cholesterols through transcription of oxidative and lipoprotein metabolism genes. To determine the association of skeletal muscle PPARδ content with blood lipids and lipoproteins before and following exercise, overweight and obese men (n = 9) and women (n = 7) were recru...

Background The release of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) induced by inflammatory signals acts as a cellular alarmin to trigger a chain of inflammatory responses. Although the inflammatory actions of HMGB1 are well studied, less is known about the therapeutic agents that can impede its release. This study investigated whether the isoflavonoid formononetin can modulate HMGB1 release in cellula...

OBJECTIVE Hypertriglyceridemia is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Elevated plasma very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) puts insulin-resistant patients at risk for atherosclerosis. VLDL readily induces macrophage lipid accumulation and inflammatory responses, for which targeted therapeutic strategies remain elusive. We examined the ability of VLDL to induce macrophage foam ce...

The mechanisms underlying the regenerative capacity of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are not fully understood. We hypothesized that biosynthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin is an important mechanism responsible for the stimulatory effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ (PPARδ) activation on regenerative function of human EPCs. Treatment of human EPCs with a selective PPARδ ago...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Liver regeneration (LR) is a valuable model for studying mechanisms modulating hepatocyte proliferation. Nuclear receptors (NRs) are key players in the control of cellular functions, being ideal modulators of hepatic proliferation and carcinogenesis. METHODS & RESULTS We used a previously validated RT-qPCR platform to profile modifications in the expression of all 49 members...

(1) Background: Low back pain (LBP) is often associated with intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Autochthonous progenitor cells isolated from the center, i.e., nucleus pulposus, of IVD (so-called pulposus (NPPCs)) could be a future cell source for therapy. The NPPCs were also identified to positive angiopoietin-1 receptor (Tie2). Similar hematopoietic stem cells, Tie2 might involved in per...

Corneal stromal fibrosis characterized by myofibroblasts and abnormal extracellular matrix (ECM) is usually the result of inappropriate wound healing. The present study tested the hypothesis that the ligand activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) δ had antifibrosis effects in a rat model of corneal damage. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats underwent bilateral phototherapeutic ke...