[Role of PPARgamma in the development of the central nervous system].
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is a nuclear receptor that plays a central role in adipocyte differentiation and insulin sensitivity. Recently, a diversity of the action of PPARgamma on many other cell types or organs is indicated. We summarize here the possible role of PPARgamma in the development of the murine central nervous system. Expressions of PPARgamma in newborn or adult mouse brain are extremely low, but high in embryo or fetal mouse brain. Furthermore, we investigated the role of PPARgamma in proliferation or differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) isolated from murine embryonic brains, because NSCs are considered to be a major source of neurons in developmental brains. Administrations of PPARgamma-specific ligands on the NSCs from wild-type mice resulted in the stimulation of cell growth. On the other hand, administration of PPARgamma-antagonist showed the cell death and apoptosis of NSCs. These results may indicate that PPARgamma plays an important role during the early stage of the development of the central nervous system.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*
D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D014157:Transcription Factors