<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To elucidate the effect of targeted gene modulation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARg) on hepatocellular apoptosis in nutritional fibrotic steatohepatitis in mice. C57BL/6J mice were fed with high fat, methionine-choline deficient (MCD) diet for 8 weeks to induce fibrotic steatohepatitis. Mice fed the MCD diet were treated with adenovirus carrying PPARg (Ad-PPARg), adenovirus-beta-galactosidase (Ad-LacZ), Ad-PPARg plus PPARg agonist rosiglitazone, or PPARg antagonist 2-chloro-5-nitro- benzanilide (GW9662), respectively. H and E stain was performed for observation of hepatocellular apoptosis, hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis in the liver sections. The expression levels of mRNA and protein of PPARg and apoptosis related genes, Fas, Fas Ligand (FasL), B cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) and cysteine-containing aspartate-specific proteases-3 (caspase-3) were detected by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot assay, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Mice fed with MCD diet for 8 weeks showed severe hepatic injury including steatosis, hepatocellular apoptosis, inflammatory infiltration and fibrosis, concomitancy with enhanced expression of pro-apoptosis genes, Fas, FasL, Bax and caspase-3 and increased expression of anti-apoptosis gene Bcl-2, by comparing with the control group. The mRNA expression levels of these genes were 3.59+/-0.35 vs 1.11+/-0.37, 4.37+/-1.03 vs 1.09+/-0.33, 4.27+/-0.48 vs 1.03+/-0.10, 4.93+/-0.67 vs 1.12+/-0.24 and 3.95+/-0.34 vs 1.20+/-0.19, and LSD-t values were 2.49, 3.28, 3.25, 3.80 and 2.75, as compared with the control group, P is less than 0.01; the protein expression levels were 1.96+/-0.07 vs 0.45+/-0.07, 0.53+/-0.07 vs 0.22+/-0.02, 1.32+/-0.06 vs 0.59+/-0.03, 1.51+/-0.23 vs 0.36+/-0.09 and 0.57+/-0.01 vs 0.29+/-0.01, and LSD-t values were 1.51, 0.31, 0.73, 1.14 and 0.28, P is less than 0.01. Administration of PPARg agonist rosiglitazone and/or Ad-PPARg significantly ameliorated hepatic steatosis, hepatocellular apoptosis, necro inflammation and fibrosis. These effects were associated with repressed expression of pro-apoptosis genes and up-regulated expression of anti-apoptosis gene. After rosiglitazone treatment, the mRNA expression levels were 3.78+/-0.58, 3.66+/-0.83, 3.04+/-0.37, 2.54+/-0.62 and 4.42+/-0.42, and LSD-t values were 0.18, 0.71, 1.23, 2.39 and 0.46, as compared with MCD group, the P values were 0.627, 0.241, less than 0.01, less than 0.01 and 0.278, the protein expression levels were 1.06+/-0.03, 0.30+/-0.01, 0.70+/-0.05, 1.19+/-0.30 and 0.90+/-0.01, and LSD-t values were 0.90, 0.23, 0.62, 0.31 and 0.34, the P values were less than 0.01, less than 0.01, less than 0.01, 0.122, less than 0.01. After Ad-PPARg treatment, the mRNA expression levels were 2.31+/-0.16, 2.71+/-0.23, 2.52+/-0.27, 1.79+/-0.32 and 5.97+/-0.72, and LSD-t values were 1.28, 1.66, 1.75, 3.13 and 2.02, as compared with MCD group, P is less than 0.05; the protein expression levels were 1.73+/-0.07, 0.43+/-0.04, 1.01+/-0.08, 1.31+/-0.10 and 1.56+/-0.04, and LSD-t values were 0.23, 0.10, 0.30, 0.20 and 0.99, with P values equal 0.009, 0.01, less than 0.01, 0.322 and less than 0.01.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study provided evidences for the protective role of activation and overexpression of PPARg in ameliorating hepatocellular apoptosis in mice with hepatic fibrosing steatohepatitis.</p>