There is increased interest in PPAR agonists for the treatment of CNS diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, ischemic brain injury, schizophrenia, obesity and metabolic disorders. Most research analyzing PPARs as therapeutics for brain disorders has focused on PPARγ, the most abundant isotype in microglia, because of its well-documented anti-inflammatory properties and its potential therapeutic use in neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury 18. All PPAR isotypes are expressed in neurons, oligodendrocytes, microglia and astrocytes 18, and PPAR activity in the brain is relatively high 13, 20. PPARγ and α are expressed in the midbrain, including tyrosine-hydroxylase positive neurons 40, 54. Although PPARβ/δ is the most abundant isotype in brain, we know the least about its physiological function.
