PPAR-γ agonist protects against intestinal injury during necrotizing enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains a lethal condition for many premature infants. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), a member of the nuclear hormone receptor family, has been shown to play a protective role in cellular inflammatory responses; however, its role in NEC is not clearly defined. We sought to examine the expression of PPAR-γ in the intestine using an ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) model of NEC, and to assess whether PPAR-γ agonist treatment would ameliorate I/R-induced gut injury. Swiss-Webster mice were randomized to receive sham (control) or I/R injury to the gut induced by transient occlusion of superior mesenteric artery for 45 min with variable periods of reperfusion. I/R injury resulted in early induction of PPAR-γ expression and activation of NF-κB in small intestine. Pretreatment with PPAR-γ agonist, 15d-PGJ2, attenuated intestinal NF-κB response and I/R-induced gut injury. Activation of PPAR-γ demonstrated a protective effect on small bowel during I/R-induced gut injury.