A Role for PPAR in Ocular Angiogenesis
The uses of highly selective PPAR ligands and PPAR knockout mice have shown a direct ability of PPAR to regulate angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo in animal models. PPAR ligands induce the proangiogenic growth factor VEGF in many cells and tissues, though its actions in the eye are not known. However, virtually, all tissue components of the eye express PPAR. Both angiogenesis and in particular VEGF are not only critical for the development of the retina, but they are also a central component in many common pathologies of the eye, including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, the most common causes of blindness in the Western world. This review, therefore, will discuss the recent evidence of PPAR-mediated angiogenesis and VEGF release in the context of ocular disorders.