Changes of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ on Crushed Rat Sciatic Nerves and Differentiated Primary Schwann Cells

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) has been found to play an essential role in cell proliferation, but whether it was involved in Schwann cells differentiation has never been studied. We have found in sciatic nerve injury that expression of PPAR-gamma decreases mainly in Schwann cells, and it was also increased in differentiated Schwann cells. Further, activated PPAR-gamma by the endogenous ligand 15 d-PGJ(2) increased expressions of PPAR-gamma level and Schwann cell differentiation, and this effect may be protected by its antagonist GDW9662. These results indicate that PPAR-gamma could promote Schwann cell differentiation, which plays an important role in peripheral nerve injury and regeneration.