Role of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor in the development of transplant arteriosclerosis

• Project/Area Number: 24791370
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General surgery
• Research Institution: Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: MATSUMOTO Yuji 浜松医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (80397380)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: 移植後動脈硬化 / 慢性拒絶 / ムスカリン性ACh受容体 / 炎症細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the role of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) in the development of transplant arteriosclerosis. Fully major histocompatibility complex-mismatched donor hearts were transplanted into mAChR-KO recipient mice. There were no differences in heart graft survival between the wild-type and mAChR-KO recipients. Using the same strain combination, orthotopic carotid artery allotransplantation was performed. There was no difference in the development of transplant arteriosclerosis between the groups. However, when a minor histocompatibility antigen-mismatched strain combination was used, the development of transplant arteriosclerosis was significantly reduced in the mAChR-KO recipients. These results suggest that mAChR may play an important role in the development of transplant arteriosclerosis.