Investigation of the inflammasomes' effects on the innate inflammatory response during brain ischemia

• Project/Area Number: 15K20342
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Emergency medicine
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: zhu pengxiang 愛媛大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (40380216)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: インフラマソーム / 軽度外傷性脳損傷（MTBI) / 高次脳機能障害 / IL-1β / TNFα / ASC / 中大脳動脈閉塞（MCAO） / 軽度外傷性脳損傷 / ASC-KO / IL-18 / 一過性中大脳動脈閉塞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Inflammasomes can be activated not only by extracorporeal pathogens like virus and bacterium, but also by the internal factors including intracellular matrix to induce inflammation during neurodegeneration. ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD) is a key component to activate inflammasomes. We investigated the effects of knock out of ASC on the severity of ischemic brain damage and traumatic brain injury. Compared to wild type, targeted disruption of ASC significantly suppressed increases in TNFα and IL-1β within the ischemic brain, and showed a tendency of less infarct volume after ischemia. Furthermore, this disruption significantly precluded increases in TNFα and IL-1β within the brain subjected to mild traumatic injury and attenuated space-navigation disability after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). These findings suggest that the inhibition of inflammasomes’ activation can ameliorate the secondary neurodegeneration after brain ischemia or MTBI.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Oral Administration of Red Ginseng Extract Promotes Neurorestoration after Compressive Spinal Cord Injury in Rats. (2017)
  • Author(s): Pengxiang Zhu, Keiichi Samukawa, Hiroko Fujita, Hidemasa Kato, and Masahiro Sakanaka
  • Journal Title: Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume: - Issue: 1
  • DOI: 10.1155/2017/1265464
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Oral Administration of Red Ginseng Extract Promotes Neurorestoration after Compressive Spinal Cord Injury in Rats. (2017)
  • Author(s): 朱 鵬翔
  • Organizer: 第58回日本組織細胞化学会総会・学術集会
• [Presentation] Targeted disruption of organic cation transporter 3 (Oct3) ameliorates ischemic brain damage through modulating histamine and regulatory T cells (2015)
  • Author(s): 朱 鵬翔
  • Organizer: 日本解剖学会 第70回中国・四国支部学術集会
  • Place of Presentation: 愛媛県松山市
  • Year and Date: 2015-10-24