The Roles Of Liver X Receptor Alpha In Inflammation And Inflammation-Associated Diseases

Liver X receptor alpha (LXR alpha; also known as NR1H3), an isoform of LXRs, is a member of the nuclear receptor family of transcription factors and plays essential roles in the transcriptional control of cholesterol homeostasis. Previous in-depth phenotypic analyses of mouse models with deficient LXR alpha have also demonstrated various physiological functions of this receptor within inflammatory responses. LXR alpha activation exerts a combination of metabolic and anti-inflammatory actions resulting in the modulation and the amelioration of inflammatory disorders. The tight "repercussions" between LXR alpha and inflammation, as well as cholesterol homeostasis, have suggested that LXR alpha could be pharmacologically targeted in pathologies such as atherosclerosis, acute lung injury, and Alzheimer's disease. This review gives an overview of the recent advances in understanding the roles of LXR alpha in inflammation and inflammation-associated diseases, which will help in the design of future experimental researches on the potential of LXR alpha and advance the investigation of LXR alpha as pharmacological inflammatory targets.