Published online Nov 6, 2015. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v6.i4.120
Peer-review started: April 18, 2015
First decision: June 18, 2015
Revised: July 11, 2015
Accepted: October 12, 2015
Article in press: October 13, 2015
Published online: November 6, 2015
Processing time: 211 Days and 2.4 Hours
Core tip: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are a nuclear hormone receptor family and act as transcription factors. PPARs are of three subtypes, i.e., PPARα, PPARβ/δ, and PPARγ. The common sites where PPARα is expressed are muscle, heart, liver, small intestine and kidney. PPARγ is involved in modulation of various functions like inflammation, cell proliferation, and differentiation and it is commonly expressed in white blood cells (e.g., macrophages and monocytes) which are involved in immune activity and in the colon. Studies in animals have demonstrated the gastric antisecretory activity of PPARα agonists like ciprofibrate, bezafibrate and clofibrate. The majority of the experimental studies regarding the role of PPARγ activators is on pioglitazone and rosiglitazone. In all the studies, both the PPARγ activators showed protection against the gastric ulcer and also accelerate the ulcer healing in gastric ulcer model in rats. Therefore, PPARα and PPARγ can be explored as a target of gastric ulcer treatment. The aim of the present paper is to discuss the experimental evidences of the role of PPARs in gastric ulcer.