Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma reduces the growth rate of pancreatic cancer cells through the reduction of cyclin D1.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) forms a heterodimeric DNA-binding complex with the retinoid X receptor (RXR) and regulates the transcription of its target genes. Activation of PPARgamma has been shown to induce G1 arrest and to inhibit cell growth of human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of ligand activation of PPARgamma and RXR on cell growth and on the expression of G1 cyclins in a pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1, which expresses PPARgamma at high levels.