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PPARs and Xenobiotic-Induced Adverse Effects:Relevance to Human Health
Citation:
LAU, C., B. D. ABBOTT, C. CORTON, AND M. Cunningham. PPARs and Xenobiotic-Induced Adverse Effects:Relevance to Human Health. PPAR research. Hindawi Publishing Corporation, New York, NY, 2010(ID954369):2-5, (2011).
Impact/Purpose:
The potential human and ecological health risks from such chemically induced PPAR activation are still relatively unknown and presently subject to great debate.
Description:
The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily that act as transcription factors and play important roles in the regulation ofa variety of biological processes, such as adipocyte proliferation and differentiation, glucose homeostasis, intracellular trafficking of lipids and their metabolism, inflammatory responses, vascular functions, as well as embryonic and fetal development. Because of the involvement of PPARs in controlling energy homeostasis, synthetic chemicals have been designed to interact with these nuclear receptors for therapeutic intervention ofa number ofmetabolic diseases such as obesity, type-2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. More recently, a number of industrial and consumer chemicals, pesticides and environmental contaminants have been shown to activate PPARs. Systematic screening ofchemicals in commerce and in the environment for PPAR molecular signature and functional activities may further expand the existing list. However, the potential human and ecological health risks from such chemically induced PPAR activation are still relatively unknown and presently subject to great debate. This special issue ofPPAR Research is organized to highlight the recent advances made in identifying drugs and chemicals that utilize PPARs as their mode-of-action, and in addressing the relevance of this mode-of-action and toxicity for human health risks. This editorial provides a preface to these publications.
