Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ligand-induced growth inhibition of human hepatocellular carcinoma

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) ligands have been implicated in the growth inhibition and differentiation of certain hum an cancers with diverse tissue origin. in this study, expression of PPAR ga mma in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the effect of PPAR gamma li gands on HCC cells were investigated in vitro using Hep G2, HuH-7, KYN-1 an d KYN-2 cell lines. All cell lines were found to express functionally activ e PPAR gamma and a marked growth inhibition was induced by thiazolidinedion e ligands troglitazone, and pioglitazone as well as with its natural ligand 15-deoxy-Delta (12,14)-prostaglandin J(2). The growth inhibitory effect wa s associated with a dose-dependent inhibition of DNA synthesis, cell cycle progression and alpha fetoprotein expression. (C) 2001 Cancer Research Camp aign.