PPARα effects on the heart and other vascular tissues

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 cardioprotective and anti-atherosclerotic effects of these agents. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the effects of PPARα agonists on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, the heart, and the vessel wall, and introduces some of the insights gained in these areas from studying PPARα-deficient mice. The introduction of new and more potent PPARα agonists will provide important insights into the overall benefits of activating PPARα clinically for the treatment of dyslipidemia and prevention of vascular disease.