RXR activators molecular signalling: involvement of a PPARα-dependent pathway in the liver and kidney, evidence for an alternative pathway in the heart

In this study we compared the molecular signalling elicited by rexinoids, selective retinoid X receptor (RXR)-activators, in several organs (i.e. liver, kidney, heart) and in hepatocytes of various species. RXR plays the pivotal role of a hetero-dimerization partner for the members of the class II subset of nuclear receptors which regulate the transcription of numerous target genes, following chemical activation. Several of these selective activators are currently used to treat hyperlipidaemia (fibrates), type II diabetes (glitazones), or skin disorders (retinoic acid). Although these therapeutic pathways are not fully elucidated, receptor activation is considered a pre-requisite for efficacy. Therefore RXR, which accepts numerous dimeric partners, is considered a worthwhile pharmacological target. We analysed a number of biochemical and molecular responses to rexinoids which were given orally to mice. Our results showed a prominent involvement of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARα) as a majority of the observed hepatic and renal regulations were abolished in PPARα-knockout animals. Therefore we documented the species-specificity of these rexinoid actions which were reproduced in rat primary hepatocyte cultures but not in cultures of rabbit or human origin. Conversely, we established that the regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK4) gene in the heart, by rexinoids, is independent of PPARα expression. Our results support the obligatory expression of the active, although quiescent, PPARα to sustain a subset of relevant regulations attributable to rexinoids in the liver and kidney. Their cardiac molecular signalling unveiled an alternate transduction pathway and therefore opens new prospects in the therapeutic potential of rexinoids. British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 138, 845–854. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705113