Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha-regulated growth responses and their importance to hepatocarcinogenesis

Abstract Peroxisome proliferators (PPs) are a class of non-genotoxic rodent hepatocarcinogens that act by perturbing liver growth regulation. We have demonstrated previously that PPs suppress both spontaneous rat hepatocyte apoptosis and that induced by exogenous stimuli such as transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1). More recently, we have demonstrated that PPs can suppress apoptosis induced by more diverse stimuli such as DNA damage or ligation of Fas, a receptor related to the tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) family of cell surface receptors. PPs transcriptionally activate the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-alpha, PPARα, a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. We investigated whether activation of PPARα mediates the suppression of rat hepatocyte apoptosis induced by PPs. We isolated a naturally occurring variant form of PPARα (hPPARα-6/29) from human liver by PCR cloning. hPPARα-6/29 shared the ability of mPPARα to bind to DNA but, unlike mPPARα, could not be activated by PPs. Furthermore, hPPARα-6/29 could act as a dominant negative regulator of PPAR-mediated gene transcription. When introduced into primary rat liver cell cultures by transient transfection, hPPARα-6/29 prevented the suppression of hepatocyte apoptosis by the PP nafenopin, but not that seen in response to phenobarbitone (PB), a non-genotoxic carcinogen whose action does not involve PPARα. The suppression of hepatocyte apoptosis was abrogated completely even though only 30% of hepatocytes were transfected, suggesting the involvement of a soluble factor. Recent data have suggested that TNFα, perhaps released by liver Kupffer cells in response to PPs, may play a key role in mediating the effects of PPs on hepatocyte growth regulation.