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PPAR‐γ – a possible drug target for complicated pregnancies
Author(s) -
McCarthy Fergus P,
Delany Aoife C,
Kenny Louise C,
Walsh Sarah K
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/bph.12069
Subject(s) - pregnancy , trophoblast , peroxisome proliferator activated receptor , intrauterine growth restriction , receptor , placentation , rosiglitazone , ppar agonist , bioinformatics , medicine , drug , peroxisome proliferator , endocrinology , biology , placenta , gestation , pharmacology , fetus , genetics
Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors ( PPARs ) are ligand‐activated transcription factors expressed in trophoblasts, which regulate both cell differentiation and proliferation. In recent years, evidence has linked PPARs to playing an integral role in pregnancy; specifically, PPAR ‐β and PPAR ‐γ have been shown to play an integral role in placentation, with PPAR ‐γ additionally serving to regulate trophoblast differentiation. Recent evidence has shown that PPAR ‐γ expression is altered in many complications of pregnancy such as intrauterine growth restriction ( IUGR ), preterm birth, pre‐clampsia and gestational diabetes. Thus, at present, accumulating evidence from the literature suggests both a pivotal role for PPAR ‐γ in the progression of a healthy pregnancy and the possibility that PPAR ‐γ may act as a therapeutic target in complicated pregnancies. This review aims to provide a succinct and comprehensive assessment of the role of PPAR ‐γ in normal pregnancy and pregnancy complications, and finally its potential as a therapeutic target in the treatment and/or prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes.