Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ agonists, such as 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (PGJ2) and troglitazone, have been shown to elicit anti-inflammatory effects in pancreatic β-cells that include inhibition of cytokine-stimulated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression and production of nitric oxide. In addition, these ligands impair IL-1-induced NF-κB and MAPK as well as IFN-γ-stimulated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1 activation in β-cells. The purpose of this study was to determine if PPARγ activation participates in the anti-inflammatory actions of PGJ2 in β-cells. Pretreatment of RINm5F cells for 6 h with PGJ2 results in inhibition of IL-1-stimulated IκB degradation and IFN-γ-stimulated STAT1 phosphorylation. Overexpression of a dominant-negative (dn) PPARγ mutant or treatment with the PPARγ antagonist GW-9662 does not modulate the inhibitory actions of PGJ2 on cytokine signaling in RINm5F cells. Although these agents fail to attenuate the inhibitory actions of PGJ2 on cytokine signaling, they do inhibit PGJ2-stimulated PPARγ response element reporter activity. Consistent with the inability to attenuate the inhibitory actions of PGJ2 on cytokine signaling, neither dnPPARγ nor GW-9662 prevents the inhibitory actions of PGJ2 on IL-1-stimulated iNOS gene expression or nitric oxide production by RINm5F cells. These findings support a PPARγ-independent mechanism by which PPARγ ligands impair cytokine signaling and iNOS expression by islets.
Comparison of enteroendocrine cells and pancreatic β-cells using gene expression profiling and insulin gene methylation