2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
A study on molecular marker for diagnosis of child abuse
| Project/Area Number |
14570398
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Legal medicine
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| Research Institution | Osaka Medical College |
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Principal Investigator |
NISHIO Hajime Osaka Medical College, Faculty of Medicine, Associate Professor, 医学部, 助教授 (90253260)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2002 – 2003
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| Keywords | Child abuse / stress / liver / cytokine / fast |
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| Research Abstract |
In order to obtain a molecular marker for diagnosis of child abuse, we investigated signal transduction signals that are affected by various kinds of stressors. 4 week-old male rats were fasted several times with 24h-intervals, and then various kinds of organs such as brain, thymus and liver were removed. We found JNK and ERK, two members of MAPK family, were significantly activated in liver of fasted rats. In addition, JNK and ERK were activated in distinct cell types in the fasted liver. We also examined the serum cytokine levels, which are known to be associated with ERK and JNK, and the serum level of Interleukin6 was found to be increased in amount in fasted rats. Although it may be rather difficult to apply these results for autopsy cases because of a short half-life time of cytokines, measurement of the cytokine may be useful for diagnosis of abused children while they are alive.
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