Activation of nuclear hormone receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta accelerates intestinal adenoma growth.

We treated Apc(min) mice, which are predisposed to intestinal polyposis, with a selective synthetic agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta (PPAR-delta). Exposure of Apc(min) mice to the PPAR-delta ligand GW501516 resulted in a significant increase in the number and size of intestinal polyps. The most prominent effect was on polyp size; mice treated with the PPAR-delta activator had a fivefold increase in the number of polyps larger than 2 mm. Our results implicate PPAR-delta in the regulation of intestinal adenoma growth.