Jove et al. (2004) reported that decrease of mtDNA content has been related to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and showed increased expression of PPARα and its target genes to be involved in fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle of Zucker diabetic fatty rats. Asayama et al. (1999) have reported PPARα expression and activity to be increased in diabetic rat liver. This evidence concerns the gene PPARA and diabetes mellitus.