Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and their implications in diseases

Although this represents a relatively recent notion, the implication of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in human diseases is undergoing an exceptionally increasing rate of scientific study, currently involving most specialties of medicine. The present review starts with a survey of 1) the molecular regulatory properties of PPARs, including their interactions with cell transcription, cell signaling pathways, and natural and synthetic ligands; and 2) the biologically functional properties of PPARs, which addresses reversal of universal pathogenesis pathways (eg, inflammation, cell dedifferentiation, vascular tree development), explaining why in most cases the PPAR dependence of human disorders refers to their PPAR-induced therapeutic improvement rather than to their induction by PPAR-altered expression. Recent advances in the specific involvement of PPARs in human disorders covers the following items: 1) insulin resistance (diabetes) and obesity states with their complications (hypertension, dyslipidemia, atheromatosis); 2) cardiovascular disorders with emphasis on atherosclerosis; 3) neoplastic proliferative diseases (breast, gastric, prostate, and colon cancers; liposarcoma, choriocarcinoma, acute myeloid leukemia); and 4) inflammatory diseases (including digestive, cutaneous, and rheumatismal inflammatory processes).