J Neurosci Res 2003 Feb 1;71(3):315-25
Kielian T, Drew PD.
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) plays a critical role in glucose and lipid metabolism.
More recently, PPAR-gamma ligands have been reported to inhibit the expression of proinflammatory molecules by monocytes/macrophages.
Of relevance to CNS disease is that PPAR-gamma agonists have been demonstrated to have similar effects on microglia.
PPAR-gamma agonists also ameliorate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis.
This Mini-Review summarizes the effects of PPAR-gamma agonists in mediating immune responses and the potential of these agonists in the treatment of inflammatory disorders of the CNS.