The Role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor β/δ on the Inflammatory Basis of Metabolic Disease

The pathophysiology underlying several metabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis, involves a state of chronic low-level inflammation. Evidence is now emerging that the nuclear receptor Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR)beta/delta ameliorates these pathologies partly through its anti-inflammatory effects. PPAR beta/delta activation prevents the production of inflammatory cytokines by adipocytes, and it is involved in the acquisition of the anti-inflammatory phenotype of macrophages infiltrated in adipose tissue. Furthermore, PPAR beta/delta ligands prevent fatty acid-induced inflammation in skeletal muscle cells, avoid the development of cardiac hypertrophy, and suppress macrophage-derived inflammation in atherosclerosis. These data are promising and suggest that PPAR beta/delta ligands may become a therapeutic option for preventing the inflammatory basis of metabolic diseases.