Role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Alpha in the Control of Cyclooxygenase 2 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor: Involvement in Tumor Growth

Figure 2

Antitumoral effects of PPAR𝛼 ligands. Tumor progression depends on a cascade of cellular signals involving: (a) proinflammatory factors (cytokines, COX-2 derived prostaglandins (PGs), chemokines); (b) proangiogenic factors (VEGF, bFGF, and PGs) produced by endothelial and inflammatory cells, stromal fibroblasts, and tumor cells. These factors promote cell proliferation, migration, and induce new vessels that deliver nutrients and oxygen to the malignant cells and therefore allow tumor growth and metastasis. PPAR𝛼 ligands may display antitumoral properties by their inhibitory effects on the transcription of genes involved in inflammation, cell growth, and angiogenesis thus leading to the inhibition of tumor growth.