Animal experiment:

Mice[2]From weaning (week 4), Alms1 mutant (foz/foz) NOD.B10 mice or Wt littermates (female mice in both groups) are fed an atherogenic diet (23% fat, 0.2% cholesterol and 45% simple carbohydrate; 4.78 kcal/g digestible energy) ad libitum for 16 weeks, after which groups are randomized (n=8-12 mice/group) to once-a-day oral administration (by gavage) for 8 weeks of Seladelpar (10 mg/kg in 1% methylcellulose) or vehicle (controls). Animals are housed under 12-hour light/dark cycle and constant temperature of 22℃ and receive maximal humane care[2].

Seladelpar is an orally active, potent (50% effect concentration EC50 2 nM), and specific PPAR-δ agonist.

Seladelpar (MBX-8025) is an orally active, potent (2 nM), and specific (>750-fold and >2500-fold compared with PPAR-α or PPAR-γ receptors, respectively) PPAR-δ agonist being developed as a lipid-altering agent[1]. Seladelpar is a potent, and selective PPAR-δ agonist (50% effect concentration human PPAR-δ=2 nM, PPAR-α=1,600 nM) that demonstrates favorable effects on insulin resistance, diabetes, and atherogenic dyslipidemia[2].

From weaning, female Alms1 mutant (foz/foz) mice and wild-type littermates are fed an atherogenic diet for 16 weeks; groups (n=8-12) are then randomized to receive Seladelpar (10 mg/kg) or vehicle (1% methylcellulose) by gavage for 8 weeks. Despite minimally altering body weight, Seladelpar normalizes hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and glucose disposal in foz/foz mice. Serum alanine aminotransferase ranges 300-600 U/L in vehicle-treated foz/foz mice; Seladelpar reduces alanine aminotransferase by 50%. In addition, Seladelpar normalizes serum lipids and hepatic levels of free cholesterol and other lipotoxic lipids that are increased in vehicle-treated foz/foz versus wild-type mice. This abolished hepatocyte ballooning and apoptosis, substantially reduce steatosis and liver inflammation, and improve liver fibrosis. In vehicle-treated foz/foz mice, the mean nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score is 6.9, indicating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); Seladelpar reverses NASH in all foz/foz mice (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score 3.13). In atherogenic diet-fed Wt mice, administration of Seladelpar reduces body weight by ∼18% (Pfoz/foz mice. These animals develope severe hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and whole-body insulin resistance after 16 weeks (Pfoz/foz mice (Pfoz/foz mice (PWt mice (P<0.05)[2].

References:
[1]. Bays HE, et al. MBX-8025, a novel peroxisome proliferator receptor-delta agonist: lipid and other metabolic effects in dyslipidemic overweight patients treated with and without atorvastatin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Sep;96(9):2889-97.
[2]. Haczeyni F, et al. The selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta agonist seladelpar reverses nonalcoholic steatohepatitis pathology by abrogating lipotoxicity in diabetic obese mice. Hepatol Commun. 2017 Jul 31;1(7):663-674.