To test these two hypotheses, we treated rat Fao hepatoma cells, a frequently used cell line to investigate the ability of different substances to activate the PPARalpha pathway, with the monomethyl BCFAs MTriA, MTA, IPA and MHD, in isolated form and with various concentrations of the CHLE and tested their ability to activate PPARalpha by determining PPARalpha transactivation and induction of PPARalpha target genes. The gene discussed is PPARA; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.