THE PEROXISOME PROLIFERATOR-ACTIVATED RECEPTOR-ALPHA (PPAR-ALPHA) REGULATES THE PLASMA THIOBARBITURIC ACID-REACTIVE SUBSTANCE (TBARS) LEVEL

We investigated whether liver expression of the peroxisome proliferato r-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) gene is related to the plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TEARS) level, as well as to pl asma cholesterol (TC) level and plasma triglyceride (TG) level in rats fed a high fat chow containing a variety of fatty acids. Only the pla sma TEARS level showed a significant negative correlation with the liv er PPAR alpha mRNA level (TC, R=0.001, p=0.9967; TG, R=0.248, p=0.1276 ; TEARS, R=0.439, p=0.0046). Although futher studies are needed to cla rify whether the increase of the liver PPAR alpha mRNA level confers a reduction in plasma TEARS levels, it is likely that PPAR alpha activi ty plays a regulatory role in the pathogenesis of hyperlipidemia and a therosclerosis. (C) 1997 Academic Press.