Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in the colon: inflammation and innate antimicrobial immunity.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a nuclear receptor, originally described in adipose tissue, which controls the expression of a large number of regulatory genes in lipid metabolism and insulin sensitization. Well known by endocrinologists, thiazolidinedionesare classical PPARγ synthetic agonists, which were currently used as insulin-sensitizing agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Although the clinical benefits of thiazolidinediones in treating metabolic disorders have been clearly demonstrated, studies performed in animal models of colitis and in patients with ulcerative colitis have also revealed the key roles of PPARγ activation in the regulation of inflammation and immune response, notably in the colon through epithelial cells.