PPARγ activation in macrophages promotes cholesterol efflux via the LXR-ABCA1 pathway, resulting in a net anti-atherogenic effect despite simultaneously increasing lipid uptake receptors like CD36.

The observation that the net effect of systemic PPARγ activation is antiatherogenic suggests that the potential of PPARγ ligands to promote CD36 expression and lipid uptake is balanced by other systemic and/or local actions... PPARγ and the LXRs cooperate to induce expression of the putative cholesterol/phospholipid transporter ABCA1... PPARγ ligands additively promote cholesterol efflux from macrophages.