Cholesterol synthesis in animal cells is regulated by sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-2. The objective of this study was to investigate whether activation of peroxisome proliferator-activatedreceptor (PPAR)-γ influences the SREBP-2 dependent cholesterol synthesis in liver and intestinal cells. Therefore, HepG2 and Caco-2 cells were incubated with and without 10 or 30 μM of troglitazone, a synthetic PPARγ agonist, for 4 hrs. Incubation with 10 or 30 μM of troglitazone caused a significant, dose-dependent reduction of cholesterol synthesis in both HepG2 and Caco-2 cells (P < 0.05). HepG2 and Caco-2 cells incubated with 10 or 30 μM of troglitazone had also lower mRNA concentrations and lower nuclear protein concentrations of SREBP-2 than untreated control cells (P < 0.05). mRNA concentrations of the SREBP-2 target genes HMG-CoA reductase and LDL receptor were also reduced in HepG2 and Caco-2 cells treated with 30 μM of troglitazone compared to control cells (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study shows that PPARγ activation by troglitazone lowers the cholesterol synthesis in HepG2 and Caco-2 cells by reducing the concentration of nuclear SREBP-2 and successive downregulation of its target genes involved in cholesterol synthesis.
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